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Tunja is the capital of the department of Boyacá in Colombia. It’s a university city with a pleasant atmosphere.
Introduction to Tunja
Tunja is an important university city. Most people just pass through, but it’s worth a day of exploration. You’ll find some impressive colonial mansions and churches as well as a beautiful plaza. Some of the churches are active while others have been turned into museums. The city is also centrally located in Boyacá, making it a decent base to visit nearby cities and towns.
History of Tunja
Tunja was originally inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people as the settlement of Hunza, named after the ruler Hunzahúa (d. 1470). The first Europeans arrived on August 20, 1537, led by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579). He captured their cacique (tribal chief), Quemuenchatocha, and put his brother, Hernán Pérez de Quesada (c. 1515-1544) in charge of the local population as an encomienda. The new cacique, Aquiminzaque, converted to Catholicism but was later beheaded in 1540 to prevent an insurrection.
Modern Tunja was founded by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón (c. 1503-1590) on August 6, 1539/ He established a main plaza and allocated land for a church and public buildings. The Franciscans arrived in 1550 followed by the Dominicans a year later, the Augustinians in 1585, and the Jesuits in 1611.
The city prospered during the 17th century. On December 9, 1811, the Republic of Tunja was proclaimed, declaring absolute independence from Spain. The Spanish recaptured the city on November 29, 1816, under the command of José María Barreiro (1793-1819), ushering in a reign of terror. Independence for all of Nueva Granada was finally achieved after the Battle of Boyacá, which took place at the nearby Puente de Boyacá on August 7, 1819.
The end of the 19th century saw an economic downturn that lasted until the middle of the 1990s. The early 20th century, however, brought many improvements. On January 17, 1909, the presidential car of Rafael Reyes (1849-1921) was the first motor vehicle to arrive in Tunja. The railway came to town in 1928, and telephone service connecting Bogotá was inaugurated in 1934.
Getting to Tunja
Tunja is on the main highway from Bogotá to the Caribbean region, so lots of buses pass through town. It’s about a 2-hour ride from Bogotá. The bus terminal is about four blocks from Plaza de Bolívar.
Getting Around Tunja
The city center is easily walkable, and the majority of attractions are within a few blocks of Plaza de Bolívar. If you need information on the city and what to see, there’s a great tourism office on the plaza next to the cathedral.
Where to Stay in Tunja
We’ve spent one night in town.
Hotel Posada de San Agustín
We stayed at Hotel Posada de San Agustín, which is located on a quiet plaza a few blocks from Plaza de Bolívar. The courtyard and hallways of the hotel were decorated with antiques throughout. We paid a reasonable price for a double room.
Overall, the room was clean but the bed was a bit soft and uncomfortable. The complimentary breakfast in the courtyard was good.
Other than that, when we got locked out of the room, the staff did an amazing job to help us out. The key got jammed in the lock and a staff member called a locksmith who came within a half hour to fix it. While we waited, the manager brought us coffee.
Where to Eat in Tunja
On two separate trips to Tunja, we’ve had dinner and lunch, both at the same restaurant.
Cowfish
For dinner, we ate at Cowfish, which was just around the corner from the hotel. They specialize in burgers and sushi, and the restaurant is owned by a man from Seattle and his Colombian wife.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was lively, staff was friendly, and the meal was good. I would have to say the burgers are much better than the sushi, but we enjoyed the concept. Each burger even comes with a piece of sushi, hence the name Cowfish.
Plaza de Bolívar
Plaza de Bolívar, originally Plaza Suárez Rendón, is the main plaza in Tunja and a great place to start exploring the city. This wide-open space is surrounded by colonial buildings and features a monument to Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) in the center. The monument was created in 1883 for a park in Bogotá, but was later donated to Boyacá and unveiled in Tunja on August 7, 1891.
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Tunja
The most important building on Plaza de Bolívar is the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Tunja (Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Tunja), officially the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle (Catedral Basílica de Santiago Apóstol). It’s the oldest cathedral in Colombia. The original church was a simple structure with a thatched roof where Augustinian Friar Vicente de Requejada officiated the first mass in 1539. Another church dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe was built by Gregorio López, who finished work on Christmas Day in 1541.
The current structure was commissioned by Juan de Castellanos (1522-1606) and Gonzálo Suárez Rendón, and the architect was Pedro Gutiérrez. Construction began in 1567 and it was consecrated on June 29, 1574. Bartolomé Carrión (d. 1616) designed the Renaissance-style façade, carrying out work from 1598 to 1600. The single bell tower added after 1610. The church was elevated to a cathedral by Pope Leo XIII on July 29, 1880, and it became a Minor Basilica on September 4, 1980.
The interior consists of a central nave with two aisles separated by two rows of seven columns. Each aisle has two side chapels, and there are chapels on either side of the altar. The founder of Tunja, Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, is buried in the Chapel of Domínguez Camargo on the left aisle. The sacristy is off the right aisle. The gilded altarpiece was created in the 17th century by Agustín Chinchilla.
Palace of the Tower
The House of Captain Gómez de Cifuentes (Casa del Capitán Gómez de Cifuentes) more commonly known as the Palace of the Tower (Palacio de la Torre), is a Neoclassical Spanish colonial mansion on the north side of the plaza. It was built in 1539 for Gómez de Cifuentes (c. 1514-1557). The building now holds the offices of the government of the department of Boyacá.
Cifuentes added a Moorish-style tower modeled on the Monastery of St. Mary of Parral in Segovia, Spain, in honor of his Segovian wife, Isabel de Contreras. The tower, which is an important symbol of the city, was remodeled in 1939 taking on a more Republican style appearance.
Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
To the left of the cathedral is the Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón. This colonial mansion was the residence of the founder of Tunja. The two-story structure was built between 1540 and 1570 by approximately 3,000 Muisca laborers. It was converted to a museum in 1965 and is the last remaining house of a city founder in all of Latin America.
The entrance to the house is connected to the city’s tourism office. Guided tours lasting about 30 minutes are available and admission is free (as of December 2024). Tours begin with a history of the house and stories of Colombian independence as well as a look at the patio of the L-shaped house.
From there, you head upstairs where the guide points out an original fresco above the door. The house was whitewashed at some point and the fresco of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá was revealed during maintenance. At the time of our visit, it was still in the process of being recovered.
The main hall is the highlight of the tour. We were awestruck by the incredible paintings on the ceiling featuring several different animals.
After the main hall, you’ll visit a side room featuring period furniture and a suit of armor followed by another room with more impressive paintings on the ceiling.
The tour ends with a visit to Gonzalo Suárez Rendón’s bedroom, a small chapel, and a dining room containing original items brought from Spain.
Casa de Don Juan de Vargas
About a half block east of Plaza de Bolívar is another colonial mansion, Casa de Don Juan de Vargas. It’s known for the unusual paintings on the ceilings. Juan de Vargas arrived in the Americas in 1564 and began construction on his mansion in 1585. The ceiling of one of the rooms, painted around 1590, features images of Zeus and Jesus and animals such as rhinos and elephants. Apparently there’s nothing like it in all of Latin America.
The house is now a museum open to the public. Admission is COP$8,000 for adults and COP$3,000 for children (as of May 2024) to visit this mansion. It’s open daily except Mondays. Photos are forbidden inside the house but I was able to snap some of the courtyard and upper level, including display cases filled with indigenous antiquities. There are also some original frescoes uncovered on the outer walls.
Around the ground floor of the Andalusian-style courtyard you’ll find Tuscan columns and semicircular arches. On the second floor are stone columns with Corinthian capitals.
Chapel of Santa Clara la Real
Two blocks east of the plaza is the Chapel of Santa Clara la Real (Capilla de Santa Clara la Real). It was built in 1571 and was established by the Society of the Poor Clares as the first convent in the Kingdom of New Granada.
The chapel and convent are now a museum, and the chapel is the most spectacular religious building in Tunja. Knock on the door and wait a few minutes because it takes a while for the guide to let you in. It costs COP$4,000 to enter (as of June 2021).
Our guide did a fantastic job giving us information about the history of the convent run as well as the artistic details of the chapel (all in Spanish). You’ll see some impressive 17th century paintings by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos (1638-1711) as well as work by Angelino Medoro (1567-1631).
Church of Santo Domingo
A block west of the plaza is the Church of Santo Domingo (Iglesia de Santo Domingo). Built in 1560, it’s considered by many to be the most beautiful active church in Tunja.
First, inside the entrance is the tomb of Captain García Arias Maldonado (1490-1568) and his sons. He donated the funds to build the spectacular Chapel of the Rosary.
The interior consists of a central nave with two aisles. You’ll immediately notice the elaborate gilded Baroque and Mudejar carvings other decorations. Pay special attention to the symbols on the walls and ceiling. You’ll also find paintings by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.
The Chapel of the Rosary (Capilla del Rosario) was built starting in 1569 and is considered a masterpiece of Baroque art and sometimes referred to as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”. It features reliefs of the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary by sculptor Lorenzo de Lugo (d. 1690) as well as a statue of the Virgin by Roque Amador.
Church of Santa Barbara
Detouring a couple blocks south you’ll find the Church of Santa Barbara (Iglesia de Santa Bárbara), which was built in 1599. It consists of a single nave with side chapels. The main altarpiece contains a Neoclassical wooden carving of St. Barbara, and the Chapel of Our Lady of Pilar is decorated with images of American fauna. Unfortunately, the church was closed when we walked by.
Church of San Francisco
Two blocks north of the plaza is the Church of San Francisco (Iglesia de San Francisco), which once belonged to a Franciscan convent. It sits on a small plaza of its own. The church was built between 1570 and 1640 and was deconsecrated by President Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera sometimes between 1861 and 1863 and became the headquarters of the Bolivar Battalion and later a school for girls. The convent was demolished in the early 20th century and the church was eventually returned to the Archdiocese of Tunja. The church features a central nave and two aisles. It was closed when we walked by.
Parque Pinzón
A couple blocks east and three blocks north of the plaza, you’ll find Parque Pinzón, which was founded in 1903 and built on a Muisca site. It’s named for General Próspero Pinzón (1856-1901).
Cloister of San Agustín
The Cloister of San Agustín (Claustro de San Agustín) dominates the park. Originally built between 1586 and 1659, the church was decommissioned in 1822. It then served as a school, military barracks, hospital, and prison.
The Bank of the Republic restored the cloister in 1979 and moved its cultural headquarters there in 1984. It has since been converted to a cultural center. The cloister is free to enter (as of June 2024) to see the stunning courtyard as well as a few frescoes that have been uncovered. All you need are some coins to store your things in the lockers (no bags allowed).
