The green landscapes surrounding the road from Bogotá to Tunja seem painted from an artist's palette. These fertile lands, rich with gentle valleys and mountains, embrace the capital of Boyacá. The city was founded on August 6, 1539, a year after Bogotá, on a Muisca indigenous settlement.
A key player in the republic's formation, Tunja and its surroundings witnessed significant political and military events that shaped the country's independence, so much so that it was considered as the nation's capital.
The city's cultural importance blends with its beautiful landscape and the hospitality and resilience of Boyacá's people. This synergy is the perfect excuse to plan a few days of rest and exploration of historically and architecturally rich sites. Tunja holds Latin America's richest colonial treasure.
Arriving in Tunja
Before reaching Tunja by land from Bogotá, you'll find an iconic site: the Puente de Boyacá, a monument declared a National Cultural Heritage, located in the so-called Campo de Boyacá.
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There, the final battle for independence, the Battle of Boyacá, was fought on August 7, 1819. On the small Boyacá or Teatinos river, the country's freedom and sovereignty were secured.
In memory of the original bridge, a larger symbolic one was built to honor the bravery of our soldiers. Fourteen kilometers separate Tunja from this stop, where you can visit various monuments and sites. The Bolívar Monument, the Arc of Triumph, the circular Ciclorama, the Obelisk of Freedom, the Flag Plaza, the Casa de Teja, the bust of Colonel Cruz Carrillo, and the Pedro Pascacio Martínez monument offer stunning patriotic photo opportunities to take home.
The Historic Center
The Historic Center is ideal for walking and soaking in the city. Declared a National Monument for its extraordinary beauty filled with colonial architecture, it alternates period mansions with imposing 16th-century churches.
Tunja is enveloped in a mystical mist and pleasant climate that captivates visitors. For religious tourism enthusiasts, Boyacá's capital boasts fourteen grand churches, true architectural gems of the colonial era.
First is the Tunja cathedral, in Gothic and Neoclassical style, the oldest in the country (1562). The Santiago de Tunja Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral, located in the heart of the Historic Center at Bolívar Plaza, is dedicated to Saint James the Greater. With a single tower and three naves, this temple was declared a National Monument in 1959.
Some of the 14 colonial chapels and churches you shouldn’t miss include:
- Santa Clara la Real Chapel and Museum. Built in 1571 as part of New Granada's first cloistered convent, it houses the remains of writer Francisca Josefa del Castillo. Over eighty priceless artworks, including oil-on-canvas collections by artists like Vázquez y Ceballos, Angelino Medoro, and Francisco Di Pozo, adorn the museum’s walls. Wooden carvings and gold-leafed altarpieces are part of this beautiful cloister, whose scarlet Mudejar lattice tells the story of its significance.
- Santo Domingo Church, home to the Rosario Chapel, a colonial jewel. Considered the “Sistine Chapel of Latin America” for its stunning beauty and rich artistry, this chapel, with its scarlet and gold hues, is one of the continent’s most important. Entering the three-nave temple, built in 1560, visitors are amazed by the ornate artistic display, featuring the altarpiece, murals of Saint Dominic’s life, and gold-leafed wooden carvings, a legacy of Spanish-American Baroque that must be visited.
- Our Lady of the Miracle of Topo Church, a Marian sanctuary dedicated to Tunja’s Patroness, displaying a beautiful 1628 painting.
- Our Lady of the Snows Church, San Francisco, the San Ignacio Convent, Santa Bárbara Church, the Jesuit Cloister, the San Agustín Cloister, and the San Laureano Hermitage, among others, are part of this city center tour, which can be done on foot while enjoying Boyacá’s delicious cuisine at local cafés and restaurants.
If colonial architecture excites you, continue the Tunja tour with a visit to the Gonzalo Suárez Rendón Founder’s House Museum, home to the Secretariat of Culture and Tourism of Tunja’s Mayor’s Office.
This beautiful mansion, built by over three thousand indigenous people, showcases the lifestyle of 16th-century Tunja aristocracy. It was the epicenter of political and social gatherings for the era’s high society and is the only preserved founder’s house in Hispanic America. Numerous conquistadors stayed there.
A Visit to History
Tunja, besides being the cradle of the country’s freedom, was also the cradle of the ancestral Muisca population known as Tchunza, meaning “powerful man.” In this territory, the Zaques, rulers considered sons of the Sun, were worshipped.
From this pre-Columbian era, the “Zaque’s Cushions” or Hunza Zaque Sanctuary remain on San Lázaro mountain, a monument of two monoliths carved by the Muiscas from a large mountain stone.
Aligned eastward, they likely served for worshipping the sun god and performing numerous religious ceremonies. Today, they are part of the city’s historical and cultural heritage. Visiting this site offers an ecological hike where contact with nature and guides’ narration of indigenous myths transport you to pre-Columbian times.
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Another sacred Muisca site not to miss is the Hunzaúa or Donato Well, a cold-water lagoon surrounded by a stone path.
There, you can enjoy the remains of the temple columns the Muiscas built for the sun god. Beautiful bohíos, preserving the era’s architecture, decorate the site with archaeological objects found there.
One of the park’s charms is the oral tradition narrating the tragic legend of the well’s origin. According to the story, it arose from a mother’s wrath upon discovering the incestuous love of Cacique Hunzaúa for his sister.
It’s also said that the indigenous people threw all their gold items into the lagoon to keep them from the Spanish, and later a Spaniard named Donato drained it without finding any precious metal figures.
We also recommend visiting the Tunja Archaeological Museum Park, where archaeological objects from the Cundiboyacense highlands are displayed. It’s a museum worth visiting.
Adventure Tourism
Tunja is also a sought-after destination for high-performance athletes, as its geographical location is ideal for “high-altitude training.” Especially cycling, as Boyacá is the cradle of Colombia’s top athletes in this discipline.
Additionally, extreme sports like rappelling, paragliding, rafting, climbing, spelunking, and mountain biking are practiced in the city and its surroundings by specialized athletes who have won multiple international medals for the country.
Don’t Miss Visiting Tunja
These natural, historical, and cultural charms make Tunja, according to ANATO, a favorite destination for foreign visitors during seasons like Holy Week, the birthday of Boyacá’s capital, and the Bicentennial celebration.
It’s a noble city with a unique tourism offer, whose strategic location connecting it by land to the Eastern Plains, the country’s center, and the Atlantic coast makes it an excellent stop for a long vacation in Colombia.
