Ever since we adopted Mamba, there are a couple of things we look for when choosing a destination. Number one is how many dog-friendly activities are there. Number two is if can we find good dog-friendly accommodation. We usually get very lucky. That was the case when we decided to travel to Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, for a weekend to escape from the city.
Located roughly 3 hours outside of Bogotá, Villa de Leyva is a charming colonial town lined with cobblestone streets, artisan shops, and original architecture. It’s also a prime destination for mountain biking, quad biking, horse riding, and overall adrenaline-pumping activities.
Pet-friendly activities in Villa de Leyva:
There are plenty of things to do with your pup if you travel to Villa de Leyva. There’s no need to worry about missing out on the excitement!
Explore the cobblestone streets
One of my favorite things to do when I visit Villa de Leyva is wandering around the streets and get lost for a while. There’s always something going on: whether it’s live music coming from the main square, a classic cabalgata (a type of horse parade very typical to Colombia), or dance performances on the street, you’ll find entertainment around every corner.
Enjoy a chilled beer at the Plaza Mayor
One of the largest town squares in Latin America, the Plaza Mayor of Villa de Leyva is a hotspot for visitors and locals alike. Perfect for a photo-op, the square is usually empty in the morning and begins to fill up at sunset. My go-to move is to eat dinner near the square and then head out once I’ve finished. There are plenty of restaurants dotted around the Plaza Mayor that serve up delicious meals and appetizers depending on your budget. If you’ve already eaten, head over to one of the tiendas beside the church and buy a beer for just under 1 USD.
Visit the Pozos Azules
Let’s get to the good stuff! The Pozos Azules (which translates to Blue Pools) are located roughly 3 kilometers outside of Villa de Leyva. You can either drive, rent some bicycles (this might be tough if your dogs are too big), or hire local transportation. We drove ourselves and it took us just over 5 minutes. Yeah, it’s that close.
Entrance to the pozos costs 12,000 COP (about 3 USD) per person, and dogs get in for free. Once inside, Mamba was able to roam off the leash and explore to her heart’s content. Plus, there were plenty of other dogs around for a classic run-around.
There are a total of 6 pozos and the walk takes about 45 minutes. We spent about an hour and a half inside while we took photos, relaxed under the shade of a tree, and drank an icy Coca-Cola.
The pools are all manmade, and they get their bright blue hue thanks to the minerals on the ground (sulfide, selenium, and copper sulfate). Unlucky for us, the constant rainfall had made the pools very murky. This meant they were more of a green color with tiny speckles of blue. Totally worth it, nonetheless!
Pet-friendly restaurants in Villa de Leyva:
We were surprised to see that nearly all of the restaurants we stopped by were 100% pet-friendly and very accommodating. Here are our favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast at Monserrat 1388
I kid you not when I say that Monserrat 1388 is, hands down, my favorite breakfast spot in Villa de Leyva. The restaurant is small, and there are only a few tables, but the food never disappoints. My personal favorites are the french toast and the Tradición breakfast (9,000 COP or 2.50 USD). It includes fluffy scrambled eggs, two slices of their homemade toast, jam, and cream cheese. If you want something with a little more oomph, John ordered the Croque Madame and it was delicious (12,000 COP or 3 USD).
Honorable mentions: Other breakfast spots that you can’t miss are the Pastelería Francesa for some croissants (and a sneaky chocolate mouse) and La Tienda de Teresa for a hearty Colombian-style breakfast of huevos pericos and caldo de costilla.
Lunch at Costumbres Argentinas
I know it might seem weird, but Villa de Leyva actually has a few Argentinian restaurants dotted around town. Costumbres Argentinas is one of these spots – and a top contender for a hearty lunch. John and I both ordered the choripan and a Coca-Cola and paid 50,000 COP (13 USD). If you want something a little less pricy but equally delicious, their empanadas are top-tier. And, for a sweet finish, the alfajores are a perfect treat. Buy the bag and not just a single one: trust me!
Honorable mentions: With so many restaurants to pick from, we had a tough time narrowing it down to just a few. However, there are two other spots you can’t miss: Mercado Municipal and El Patio.
Dinner at La María Bistro
Located just off Parque Nariño, La María Bistro is the brainchild of chefs Tomás Quijano and Felipe Fandiño. The restaurant is well-known for its delicious wood oven pizzas, made from locally-sourced fresh ingredients. They’re extremely tasty, and the perfect way to kick-off an evening in Villa de Leyva.
Pet-friendly accommodation in Villa de Leyva:
Our original plan was to stay at a hotel for 2 nights and then camp on our last night in Villa de Leyva. We even bought all the camping equipment we thought we might need! However, the weather had other plans. While the days were sunny and warm, our nights in Villa de Leyva were very wet and chilly. Needless to say, we scrapped our camping plans the first night we arrived.
We chose Selina Villa de Leyva as our home base and settled on a cozy standard room that had everything we needed: a comfortable bed, ample closet storage, a small workspace, and a private bathroom. All of the Selina locations I’ve visited in the past are 100% pet-friendly. Plus, the team was very welcoming from the start. They gave her tons of pets, kisses, and belly rubs.
The communal spaces are all pet-friendly too. This meant I was able to work from the common space and watch Mamba nap in the sunshine. It’s almost as perfect as remote working gets!
We had to pay an extra 30,000 COP (8 USD) a night for Mamba, which made total sense: every time a dog stays in one of the rooms at Selina, it’s then blocked-off for the 3 following days so the staff can do a deep-clean and make sure there are no stray hairs or doggy-things left behind, this guarantees the safety of guests who might be allergic to dogs and prevents any unnecessary accidents.
The team at Selina Villa de Leyva was super helpful when we tried to extend our stay, and we’re already looking forward to going back for round two with Mamba in tow.
How to get to Villa de Leyva:
Our first choice is always to drive ourselves, but we understand that if you’re just passing through you might not have that opportunity. If that’s the case, there are other ways to travel to Villa de Leyva from Bogotá using public transport. Keep in mind: if your dog is too large, they might have to travel underneath the bus in the luggage carrier. If they’re small, make sure you have a pet carrier: some companies are super picky and they won’t let you onboard if your pup is riding out of the bag.
Driving from Bogotá to Villa de Leyva
Driving can be quite scary in Bogotá if you’re not used to it, so it’s important that you feel comfortable at the wheel with the chaos that ensues leaving the city. Once out, though, the roads are quite comfortable and Waze (or Google Maps) is a great option to arrive there safely and quickly. There are four tolls on the way there, so always make sure you have cash handy to pay these as you pass through; these will add up to roughly 50,000 COP (13 USD). If you drive there yourself, make a quick roadside stop at AREPAS PLACE for some extra tasty arepas boyacenses.
Take the bus from Bogotá to Villa de Leyva
For the bus, you can either travel to Terminal Salitre or Terminal Norte. The quickest ride there is with Valle de Tenza or Reina and should take about 3.5 hours (more with traffic, so be mindful!). The buses can be quite on/off, so you should either call ahead and ask about the schedule or try your luck and arrive directly at the terminal.
Hire a private car from Bogotá to Villa de Leyva
If budgets aren’t an issue, you can also hire a private car service to take you to Villa de Leyva. I’m not sure how much this service costs since I’ve never done it myself, but there are various sources around the internet that say it’ll cost between 350,000 COP (93 USD) and 400,00 COP (106 USD).
To wrap things up…
If you’re new to the pet-friendly travel world, Villa de Leyva should be at the top of your list. It’s the perfect place to spend a weekend away with your pup and everyone you meet is always so accepting of having a dog around. We could not have been happier with how everything went when we traveled to Villa de Leyva – and, hopefully, it’ll be the same for you.
