Villa de Leyva's craft scene concentrates around the Plaza Mayor and the streets radiating from it. The Saturday market brings vendors from across Boyacá selling local produce, pottery, textiles, and pre-Columbian style jewellery. The area around Carrera 9 has several good weaving and pottery shops, most open on weekends and holiday periods.
Colombia's emerald trade is worth seeking out here — Boyacá produces some of the world's finest emeralds, and several shops in town sell stones and jewellery at prices far below what you'd pay in Bogotá or abroad. Ask to see rough stones alongside polished ones, and only buy from established shops.
The nearby village of Ráquira, about 45 minutes by bus, is the pottery capital of Boyacá. Its Sunday market is one of the best craft markets in Colombia, with terracotta pots, colourful ceramics, and textiles at fair prices. The drive through the dry canyon landscape between Villa de Leyva and Ráquira is striking on its own.