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Tibasosa is a scenic small town in the Boyacá department of Colombia. It’s known as the feijoa capital of Colombia.
Introduction to Tibasosa
Tibasosa means “Chief of the Domain” in the Chibcha language and was originally inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people. In 1537, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579) became the first European to pass through the area, and the Franciscans arrived in 1555. The town was officially founded on December 19, 1778, by Viceroy Manuel Antonio Flórez (1723-1799).
The main economic activities of Tibasosa are dairy farming and agriculture. Agricultural products include wheat, potatoes, maize, barley, turnips, peas, beans, onions, apples, pears, prunes, oranges, peaches, cherries, and figs. Locals also produce Colombian fruits such as feijoa, chirimoya, and guama.
The Feijoa Capital of Colombia
Tibasosa is most famous for production of feijoa. It’s a fruit that has a delicious sweet flavor. Many products can be made from it, including jam, candy, ice cream, and a liqueur called sabajón. The shops around the plaza sell these products and more. Furthermore, if you want to see what a feijoa tree looks like, there’s one growing in the main plaza.
Plaza
The plaza is one of the most beautiful in all of Colombia. It’s a very large open space with different trees and shrubs in the center.
Several colonial buildings, many which are restaurants and souvenir shops, surround the plaza. The town hall features paintings of the town’s mayors on the façade. Tibasosa has had female mayors for most of its history.
Our Lady of the Rosary
A church, Our Lady of the Rosary (Nuestra Señora del Rosario), sits on one end of the plaza. It was built between 1740 and 1750 and incorporates the central walls of the original church built in 1571. Inside are an 18th century gilded altar and paintings created by some of the most famous artists of the period. Unfortunately, it was closed when we walked by.
Where to Stay in Tibasosa
While we didn’t stay there, we stopped to visit Bella Tierra, a boutique hotel on a hill just outside of town.
Bella Tierra
Bella Tierra seems like a fantastic place to stay in Tibasosa. Thankfully, the manager was nice enough to give us a tour of the hotel and grounds. We started with the pool area, which has amazing views of Tibasosa and the surrounding landscape. We also peeked into the restaurant, which serves Mediterranean cuisine.
Each room is different. Some have nice open spaces with a sitting area and kitchenette while others have balconies with hammocks. We really hope to stay there one day.
We also decided to try a meal at the restaurant. We shared a baby octopus starter and had shrimp linguine for the main course. The food was very good.
Where to Eat in Tibasosa
Other than our meal at the hotel, we stopped into a great place for lunch.
El Candil
El Candil is run by award-winning Spanish chef Santiago Bautista. It’s located just off the plaza, but we visited the former location outside town. The restaurant is typically open Wednesday to Sunday.
We started with French onion soup and tomato soup and each had seafood risotto as the main course. The food is excellent and the service was good. The price is a bit high for Colombia but more than reasonable for the quality of the meal. We would definitely eat there again.
