Villa de Leyva's attractions divide between the town itself and the extraordinary concentration of archaeological, palaeontological, and religious sites in the surrounding countryside. The Plaza Mayor, the house museums, and Casa Terracota are all compact and close together — a morning covers them comfortably. But the countryside is what makes a longer stay worthwhile.
West of town, a single road connects three remarkable sites: El Fósil (a 120-million-year-old Kronosaurus skeleton still in the earth where it was found), El Infiernito (a Muisca astronomical site of stone monoliths), and the Convent of El Santo Ecce Homo (a 17th-century Dominican monastery with marine fossils embedded in its floor). A half-day circuit covers all three.
The Santuario de Flora y Fauna Iguaque deserves a full day — it is a serious hike to a sacred Muisca lagoon through cloud forest and páramo, and one of the finest natural experiences in Boyacá.