On July 25, 1819, at Pantano de Vargas, troops led by Simón Bolívar confronted Spanish royalist troops who were trying to reach Bogotá, which was lightly defended. Even though they were exhausted after crossing a mountain pass, they defeated the royalists. This victory was followed by another at Puente de Boyacá just two weeks later, securing independence from Spain for Nuevo Granada (now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama).
Other than Pueblito Boyacense, there’s no reason to stick around in Duitama. It’s a decent sized city in the department of Boyacá but there’s nothing of interest to see.
The city of Paipa in Boyacá is famous for its natural hot springs, especially Hacienda El Salitre, but we decided to check out the rest of the city as well.
Other than the cathedral on Plaza de Bolívar, there are a handful of beautiful colonial churches worth visiting in Tunja. Some are active as churches while others have been turned into museums. They’re all within three blocks of the plaza.
Plaza de Bolívar is the main plaza in the Colombian city of Tunja. This wide-open plaza is surrounded by colonial buildings and features a monument to Simón Bolívar in the center.
The city of Tunja is the capital of the department of Boyacá in Colombia. It’s a university city with a pleasant atmosphere, two of the best-preserved colonial mansions in the country, and some beautiful colonial churches.
On August 7, 1819, an army led by Simón Bolívar crossed a small bridge known as Puente de Boyacá and defeated royalists and troops from Spain in the Battle of Boyacá. The victory sealed independence for Nuevo Granada (now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama). Today, you can visit the battlefield and see the bridge and the many monuments commemorating the battle.