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Monguí, one of Colombia’s Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio), is also one of the most beautiful in the country. If you want to avoid the crowds of Villa de Leyva and see a nice colonial town in Boyacá, this is a great option.
Introduction to Monguí
The area making up Monguí was originally inhabited indigenous Muisca people before the Spanish arrived. The town was founded on December 1, 1601, by Alonso Domínguez Medellín and Friar Juan Blas Redondo. It quickly grew in importance by the end of the 17th century.
The main economic activities in Monguí are beekeeping and mining, as well as meat and dairy production. The town also manufactures tires, latex gloves, and football, and is known for high quality agricultural products and wood crafts.
Main Plaza
The plaza is a great place to start exploring the town. It’s a wide open space paved with bricks and surrounded by several colonial buildings.
Our Lady of Monguí
The centerpiece of the plaza is the gorgeous colonial church, Our Lady of Monguí (Nuestra Señora de Monguí). It was built between 1694 and 1760 by the Franciscans, who arrived in the area in 1555. A convent designed by Martín Polo Caballero was added in 1702. The church is considered an architectural landmark and was declared a National Monument of Colombia in 1975. The original church was a small structure built in 1603.
It’s possible to visit the church whenever it’s open. Inside, you’ll find original works by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos (1638-1711).
If you’d like to see more, you can take a guided tour of the convent for COP$10,000 (as of January 2025). They last about 45 minutes.
Monuments in the Plaza
In the center of the plaza are a few monuments. One is dedicated to the football manufacturing industry, which is very important to Monguí. In fact, you can find several stores selling handmade footballs both on the plaza and around town.
A second monument is dedicated to the town’s coal miners. It was dedicated on October 14, 1995. There’s also a fountain in the corner of the plaza featuring Muisca symbols.
Other Buildings on the Plaza
The rest of the buildings on the plaza are made up of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and a school. On the day we visited, the townspeople were having a party to redecorate the town hall (alcaldía).
Football Museum
Since 1930, about 100 families have carried on the tradition of producing leather footballs. They supply roughly 25% of the national demand, including balls used by the Colombian football league, and export an average of 300,000 to Venezuela and Central America. A good place to learn about this unique local tradition is at the Football Museum (Museo del Balón). It’s located on the plaza and admission is COP$3,000 (as of December 2024).
You’re not going to find in-depth exhibits, but the museum effectively tells the history of football manufacturing in Monguí. There are mannequins demonstrating how balls are traditionally made along with historic photos. There’s also an explanation of the step-by-step process of making the balls. Unfortunately, everything is in Spanish, but it’s easy to get the idea just by looking at the displays.
You can even peek into the workshop to see how footballs are made today. If someone is working, you’ll be able to see a football made in front of your eyes.
Upstairs, there’s a room dedicated to the World Cup. There are posters and a replica of each official ball used in every World Cup to date.
The Football Museum also serves as a store selling all kinds of footballs. They sell mini souvenir footballs with logos of famous clubs from around the world and Colombia, authentic footballs, and replica antique footballs. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, it seems like every souvenir shop in town sells footballs.
Wandering Through Monguí
The town isn’t very big so it doesn’t take very long to walk through the streets. The most interesting streets are the ones nearest to the plaza. You’ll notice the dominant colors on the homes and buildings are green and red.
Chapel of San Antonio
One block south of the plaza is my favorite street, which features a small 17th century chapel, the Chapel of San Antonio (Capilla de San Antonio), at the very end. It was the first church founded in Monguí.
Calicanto Royal Bridge
If you walk downhill along Carrera 3, you’ll find several souvenir shops selling footballs. At the end of the road is the Calicanto Royal Bridge (Puente Real de Calicanto). This lovely stone bridge across the Río El Morro was built in the late 17th century and the architect was Martín Polo Caballero. The decorations were completed in 1715.
The Calicanto Royal Bridge is named for a material used in its construction, which is a type of glue made from lime, sand, cow’s blood and molasses. Its function was to transport stone for the construction of Our Lady of Monguí. It’s about 5 meters wide and 20 meters long with an arch that’s 5 meters high. Make sure to look out for the two small chapels on the bridge.
Views of Monguí
Along the road to Sogamoso, you’ll find amazing views of Monguí.
Where to Eat in Monguí
During our visit to town, we stopped and had lunch.
La Casona
If you want to try some traditional local cuisine, we can recommend La Casona. It’s located just off the plaza and has a balcony with nice views.
We tried a tomato soup and a nabos con queso gratinado (a local plant mixed with melted cheese) as starters. Marisol ate trout and I had a steak for our main courses. The food is delicious but a little pricy for Colombia.
