Back in Boyaca and its colonial masterpiece Villa de Leyva: from there we head off to some ancient Muisca paintings near Sáchica, and beautiful cave and waterfall, El Hayal near Santa Sofia. Not to mention the historic mill La Primavera. These are just of dozens of things to do around this beautiful and safe area of Colombia, only a few hours drive north of Bogotá. There are also plenty of public transport options and affordable tours available, so no excuse not to visit.
El Hayal cavern and waterfall, close to Santa Sofia, less than an hour’s drive from Villa de Leyva.
Villa de Leyva is one of Colombia’s top tourist sites: an amazingly preserved colonial town set in a sunny nook of Boyacá’s striking green mountains. Nearby towns such as Santa Sofia and Sachicá also have attractions, and can be visited on half day trips. So here’s some photos and tips on how to get to the amazing cave and waterfall El Hayal, and the fascinating rock paintings a short walk from Sachicá.
Also a quick mention of the old flour mill called La Primavera, in the beautiful Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley). Both the mill and and the rock paintings can be visited on a walk from Villa de Leyva, on your own or part of an organised tour. There are plenty of travel agencies around Villa de Leyva or see the contacts at the end of this blog.
El Hayal is a further: you could get a local to bus to Santa Sofia and walk from there.
El Hayal cavern and waterfall: sacred Muisca site
The amazing El Hayal cavern and waterfall is on private property 23kms north of Villa de Leyva and 6kms northeast of the small town of Santa Sofia. It can spend two hours there, and there is a 30 minute walk from the entrance.
The cave is open on the weekends and bank holidays, but on other days you can phone ahead to Jairo, a local guide who lives nearby on (+57) 313 892 3329. He can meet you at the gate. Entrance costs US$3 per person.
The cave is a sacred Muisca site, and and a waypoint along ancient trails leading to the Iguaque Lagoon. Visitors are requested to act respectfuly, and mass tourism is not encouraged. This hidden quality adds to the experience of El Hayal.
Rock paintings around Sáchica
A short walk along the Rio Sáchica close to Sáchica town lies a beautiful dry valley with rocky overhangs hiding ancient rock paintings and old tombs
You can take a guide from Sáchica, or just walk yourself along a track leading to an abandoned quarry. Keep walking east and keep close the river bank: after a kilometer the valley broadens out but is enclosed by steep cliffs to the north, and you will see the signs for the rock paintings.
The red designs are Muisca, probably date from around 2,000 years ago. This charcol drawing seems to show a mastadon, which lived here and was hunted by earlier settlers at least 10,000 years ago, suggesting the overhanging cliffs have been used for rock paintings for millenia. This echoes the mysteries of the rock paintings in Guaviare, which I have described here, and the probable coexistence of early Colombians with megafauna such as giant sloths which were possibly hunted to extinction.
There are also the remnants of tombs and burial sites. Visit the small municipal museum in Sáchica for more info on the history of the area.Local guides there are Bohio Travelon (+57) 321 650 1070 or Aborigen Turismoon 321 997 7098.
The trail entrance, we found the gate opened and just walked in and found our way to the rock paintings. You can also hire a guide in Sáchica, see the contacts above.
The walk to the rock paintings along the Rio Sáchica is very pleasant, keep close to the river and you will find the paintings.
Sáchica has an historic church with balcony where early Spanish priests oversaw the torture of local indigenous people not fully open to the Catholic faith.
Valle Escondido and the La Primavera mill
The beautiful La Primavera mill museum is housed in a spectacular colonial building from the 1600s, when the valley was a rich source of wheat. Inside you can see the mechanisms which last ground wheat flour until the 1920s, when cheap imports from the USA ended the local production.
The lower part of the mill mechanism uses a simple spindle and horizontal water wheel of a design dating back thousands of years.
