Tunja travel guide

Tunja, capital of Boyacá Department, is 137 km from Bogotá, in a cool dry mountainous area, on a platform that slopes down to the north and east to the valley of the Río Chulo. Ugly on the outside but with a soft centre and an interesting history, most travellers shun Tunja, most probably based on impressions gained on arrival at its bus stop. But Tunja is worth a peek, particularly to visit its impressive churches and museums. Moreover, it has very friendly people and good, cheap accommodation. When the Spaniards arrived in what is now Boyacá, Tunja was already an indigenous city, the seat of the Zipa, one of the two Muisca kings. He ruled over the northern part of the Muisca territories, the most populous and well-developed indigenous area of what is now Colombia. It was refounded as a Spanish city by Gonzalo Suárez Rendón in 1539. The city formed an independent Junta in 1811, and Bolívar fought under its aegis during the Magdalena campaign of 1812. Six years later he fought the decisive battle of Boyacá, nearby. The climate is cool, with a mean temperature of 12°C.