The countryside around Villa de Leyva packs an extraordinary density of things to see into a small area. Most of the major sites — El Fósil, El Infiernito, and the Convent of El Santo Ecce Homo — lie within 15 kilometres of town and are reachable by bicycle, taxi, or on foot. The Santuario de Flora y Fauna Iguaque is worth a full day on its own.
Ráquira is the most rewarding village excursion from Villa de Leyva — about 45 minutes by bus through dry canyon scenery. Ráquira has been a pottery centre for centuries; its streets are painted in brilliant terracotta, orange, and yellow, and the Sunday market is the finest craft market in the region. You can watch artisans throwing pots in several workshops along the main street. The bus from Villa de Leyva runs several times a day; check departure times at the town bus stop.
Tunja, the departmental capital, is 40 kilometres away and makes a half-day trip for anyone interested in Spanish colonial architecture. It has several churches with extraordinary gold-leaf interiors, a good archaeology museum, and the slightly faded air of a town that was once one of the most important cities in New Granada. Less visited than Villa de Leyva, but architecturally significant.
Chiquinquirá, about an hour by bus, is the religious capital of Colombia — home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, a major pilgrimage site, and the most important Catholic shrine in the country. The town itself is unremarkable, but the basilica and the devotion it attracts are genuinely moving regardless of your religious position.