Tunja



Tunja is a city in northeast Colombia and the capital of the Boyacá department. It is very much a college town, with several universities despite its small size. At an elevation of 2,820 m (9,250 ft), Tunja has a chilly highland climate.

Like in other places, Spanish conquistadors opened up a can of whoop- here, supplanting the Muisca indigenous people's town of Hunza with their own called Tunja in 1537. They made a point of establishing many religious institutions in the days to follow; as such, Tunja has a trend for religious tourism in particular. But additionally one should consider the pre-Colombian and Colombian revolutionary attractions around too.

Tunja is also known as a center for higher learning and for its Holy Week, International Festival of Culture, and Aguinaldo Boyacense.

By bus
The (Nueva Terminal de Transporte) is in the East of the city and can be reached from the main plaza by mini-bus (COP$2,000, to "Terminal") or by taxi. As of 2022, Google maps still showed the old bus terminal as the main search result for Terminal de Transporte, but it is closed.


 * From Bogotá: COP$18,000, 2 hr 30 min. Buses leave from the terminal, but it may be faster and more convenient to catch one at Portal del Norte.
 * From Cocuy National Park: COP$70000, 9 hr. Buses with Paz del Rio leave three times a day, including a night bus (Jan 2023). It is advised to book in advance. Libertadores also operates a line.
 * From San Gil: COP$60,000 with Copetran, and duration is more like 5 hr. (Jan 2023)
 * From Sogamoso: COP$7,000, 1 hr 30 min (Aug 2022)
 * From Villa de Leyva: COP$11,000, 1 hr, 39 km (Mar 2023)
 * To Medellin: Omega operates a (daily?) bus line to Medellin, leaving at 2:30 pm. Gacela operates (weekly on mondays?) at 5 pm. It is advised to call the terminal and / or the companies, and cross checking informations since some agents may provide inappropriate information.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful, with a minimum fare of $3.000. Most trips within the city won't cost more than COP$4,000. tel: 3102183305

By bus
Minibuses are usually COP$1,400, and go pretty much everywhere.

See
There's a cool old train station on Avenida Norte. It's fallen into disrepair, but looks like they might be working on restoring rail service.

Eat




Drink
All nightlife closes at 1:30AM, Sundays being rather dead.

Sleep
Dozens of options between the bus terminal and Plaza Bolivar, and somewhat beyond.

Go next



 * Bogotá is 2 to 3 hours away, COP$17,000.
 * Villa de Leyva, one of the nicest colonial towns in Colombia, is 45 minutes to an hour away, take a minibus from the terminal, COP$6,000.
 * Paipa has a natural hot springs, with waterpark and spa. It is 45 minutes away by bus, COP$4,000.
 * San Gil is the capital of extreme sports in Colombia, and is 4 hours away.
 * Suesca is one of the major sites for rock climbing in Colombia.
 * Sogamoso a quaint city surrounded by colonial towns is about 1 hour away, take a bus from the terminal, COP$8,000-10,000