About 15 miles outside of Villa de Leyva, Boyaca – a quick day trip from the country’s capital Bogota – is the brilliantly colored colonial town, Raquira, known as the pottery capital of Colombia.
This hidden gem, only 15 miles from Villa de Leyva, is a brightly colored colonial town whose name Raquira literally means “City of Pots” in the native Chibcha language. Upon driving up the main road, your eyes will be fixated on the vividly colored facades, the assortment of craft shops and artisans selling their artwork and pottery.
In the small sea of colored shops you can find everything from ceramic bowls, vases, children’s toys, piggy banks and even Christmas decorations spilling out of storefronts.
Most stores in the main square sell the same type of artisanal crafts; from pottery, hammocks, baskets, ponchos, woodcarvings to jewelry but this probably won’t stop you from peaking into all of the inviting storefronts that catch your eye.
If you are really interested in the craftsmanship, the town offers workshops in and around the village that exhibit how pottery is made.
The town is best to visit on Sunday when the market is in full swing. Vendors line the main square and church services are in progress but you can easily explore the town in a few hours.
Raquira is three miles off the Tunja-Chiquinquira road. During the week, four mini-buses run between Villa de Leyva and Raquira taking about 45 minutes and costing approximately $2.74. There are a handful of buses that depart from Bogota to Raquira as well.
Raquira, Boyaca
Sources
- Raquira-Boyaca Government (raquira-boyaca.gov.co)
- Raquira Ceramics: clay turned into handicraft (Proexport)
- Lonely Planet Colombia book
- National Geographic Traveler Colombia book
- A visit to Raquira
