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Duitama is a city in the department of Boyacá in Colombia. It’s mostly famous for its small touristic village, Pueblito Boyacense.
Introduction to Duitama
Duitama, which was inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people prior to the arrival of the Spanish, translates to “tribute to me” in the Chibcha language.
The original name of the city was Tundama, after the Muisca cacique (tribal chieftain) Tundama (d. 1539). He learned about the Spanish invasion and hid his treasures from them. Legend has it that one of his men proposed to surrender to the Spanish, who were armed with superior weapons. Tundama responded by cutting off his ears and left hand.
At the end of 1539, Spanish conquistador Baltasar Maldonado (c. 1510-1552), conquered the city after several battles. Maldonado later killed Tundama by striking him with a hammer in late December 1539. Dominican friars arrived in 1556 to force the locals into Christianity and stayed until 1775. The modern city was founded on July 27, 1819.
Duitama was originally an agricultural community. After the arrival of the railroad in 1923 and a major highway connecting it with Bogotá in 1928, the city became more industrial. Today, other than Pueblito Boyacense, there’s not much reason to stick around in Duitama.
Getting to Duitama
You can get to Duitama on a bus from Bogotá in a little over three hours, or from Tunja in about an hour. It’s only about a half hour to Sogamoso. The bus terminal is located on the southern end of town.
Parque Los Libertadores
The main plaza in the city center is Parque Los Libertadores. It was originally called Plaza de Mercado (Market Square). Today, it’s surrounded by mostly modern buildings including city hall.
San Lorenzo Cathedral
San Lorenzo Cathedral (Catedral de San Lorenzo) is on the north side of the plaza. Construction began on January 6, 1873, and it was consecrated on January 5, 1953. The original church was a simple structure built in 1604. It served the city until the end of the 19th century.
The cathedral is built of carved limestone and has a central nave with two aisle. There are five altars and two chapels, and the organ, built by E.F. Walcker & Co. (now Walcker Orgelbau), was installed in 1954. Although it wasn’t completed for several years, the cathedral was the only church in town until 1913.
Parque El Carmen
A couple blocks away is Parque El Carmen, which was originally called Plazuela del Ganado (Livestock Plaza). It’s a nice shaded space with places to sit, but it would have been more attractive if the fountain was working during our visit.
Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
On the north side of the park is the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Carmen). Construction started in 1913 on land donated by Juan Bautista Becerra, both for political reasons and out of devotion to the Virgin of Mount Carmel. The architect was Sergio Felipe Mesa, who designed it in the Gothic style. The roof was completed in the early 1930s and work on the façade began on September 1, 1934. Architect Daniel Fajardo designed and built the altar and the niche of the Virgin.
Pueblito Boyacense
Pueblito Boyacense is a fun place to visit if you can’t make it to all the beautiful towns of Boyacá. Each of the seven towns represented features architecture and designs typical of that town, with opportunities to eat, shop, and even stay overnight in a hotel.
Of course visiting the actual towns is much better than a small theme park, but it’s impossible to see them all on a short trip. To get a good idea of what these towns are like, Pueblito Boyacense is worth a good hour of your time. It’s open daily from 9am to 9pm, and admission is COP$6,000 per person (as of July 2024).
Plaza Cacique Tundama
Pueblito Boyacense has a main plaza named for Cacique Tundama. There’s a small chapel and a few shops at the end. To visit the replica towns, you can walk to the left or right and instantly be transported to that town’s main plaza.
The Towns
The first town, to the right of the plaza, is Villa de Leyva. Not surprisingly, just like the actual town, it has the largest plaza in Pueblito Boyacense.
Continuing behind Villa de Leyva is Tibasosa, which is known as the feijoa capital of Colombia.
Next is Tenza, which has relief figures of people, animals, and objects on the outer walls of its buildings.
Behind the main plaza to the right is El Cocuy, which is the gateway to the national park of the same name.
Behind the main plaza to the left is Sáchica, which is the national capital of onion production.
To the left of the plaza is colorful Ráquira, the pottery capital of Colombia.
Finally, behind Ráquira is Monguí, which is famous for its handmade footballs.
Where to Eat in Duitama
We had one lunch while visiting the city.
Cowfish (Permanently Closed)
We ate lunch at Cowfish, which is on Parque El Carmen. I had a burger topped with a piece of sushi (hence the name Cowfish) while Marisol tried a few rolls of sushi. Cowfish is owned by a man from Seattle and his Colombian wife, and they also have a branch in Tunja.
