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Located just 25 kilometers from Villa de Leyva, Ráquira is known in Colombia for its traditional pottery and hand-woven goods. In fact, its name means Village of Pots in Chibcha, an almost extinct language of Colombia, spoken by the Muisca, one of the four advanced indigenous civilizations of the Americas. The town itself is quite small and is home to about 3400 people. You can see most of it in an afternoon, so it’s a great option for a day trip from Villa de Leyva.
A colourful street in Ráquira
The charming San Antonio de Padua church is the centerpiece of the town’s main square. The path that leads to it is flanked by red clay sculptures made by different local artisans. On weekdays, the atmosphere can be a bit lethargic. But on Sundays, it turns more animated as farmers flock to town to sell their produce at the market.
In Ráquira, there are also many artisan shops selling all sorts of wares. It seems that people like to get creative with the shops façades and try to overdo each other in an effort to attract customers. Specially since most of them offer more or less the same items. But if you look around, you can also find some unique pieces.
However, what I loved most about Ráquira was the bright colour combinations that some of its homes display. There were some that were quite bold, and I couldn’t help wondering how the interiors looked. If they were also that vivid or more soothing.
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And if you want to know more about traveling in Colombia, check these other posts:
Have you been to Colombia? Are there any other colourful towns you would recommend? Leave a comment and let us know!
Beautiful colours….!?
Love to go there !