A Night Trip Through the Mountains of Colombia

This was by far one of my favorite trips. It’s called the Alumbrado de Boyacá or the Lighting of Boyacá, which takes place in December and you visit various pueblos to see Christmas lights. You travel by bus through the night and get to see beautiful sceneries between the pueblos. Traveling to Colombia during this time is the most convenient and cheapest way to maximize the value of your trip. You do not have to worry about a place to stay, transportation is comfortable and reliable, it is a set price so there are no surprises, and they prepare the itinerary for you so you have nothing to worry about and can enjoy the trip.

In my sophomore year of college, I visited my family in Bogotá for winter break. It was the first time I was spending Christmas in Colombia since I was two. My godmother wanted me to see how Colombia truly lights up for Navidad.

On the day of the trip, we met outside the travel agency. Around 2 pm we got on this small bus that probably could hold no more than 20 people. I went with all of my cousins and some aunts and uncles. In total, we were about 15 people and took up almost the whole bus. As the bus made its way out of the capital we sang with the driver as he played merengue, salsa, and some oldies that the adults enjoyed. I played games with my cousins and stared out the window, lost in my thoughts as the beautiful scenery of the mountainous region mesmerized me. This bus ride not only offered amazing views but the time to catch up with the cousins I never grew up with.

Throughout the entire trip you travel to different pueblos in the department of Boyacá, which is located outside of the capital, to see Christmas lights. The places on the itinerary were Nobsa, Corrales, and Duitama, where pueblito Boyacense and el Puente de Boyacá are located. These pueblos go all out (like all out) with decorations, and have hills and hills of various colorful lights. Everything takes place outdoors, and when you arrive at each designated location you get off the bus with about an hour to go around the pueblo and eat, drink, shop, take pictures, etc. Each pueblo has something unique to try, sausages prepared in different ways or special hot drinks such as a canelazo which has sugar cane, cinnamon, and a shot of aguardiente (Colombian liquor). I recommend going to the center of each pueblo, there you will see many food carts and people eating around them. When you are done, you get back on the bus and drive around 45 minutes to the next town. This is such a great way to see various pueblos in one trip without worrying about where to stay overnight.

We traveled from pueblo to pueblo enjoying the Christmas decorations, eating, taking pictures, and then fell asleep on the bus around 3 am. It was around 6 am that I woke up to the bus parked in front of the travel agency where we met the day before. I got off the bus knowing more history of the pueblos around Bogotá, a deeper love for the beauty of Colombia, and a much-needed bonding time with the family I only get to every few years.

Here are a few of the places we visited:

Represa del Sisga

It confused me when our bus pulled to the side of a bridge and opened the doors. This stop is a large reservoir with a gorgeous view over a cliff. The day we visited it was super windy and sunny, so in most of our pictures we are either squinting or have our hair in our faces.

Paraderos

These are small strips of buildings on the sides of the roads. You will see many of these as you leave the metropolitan areas. Usually, these strips contain small family-run restaurants that sell Colombian fast food such as arepas, chorizo, papas rellenas, and anything that does not take long to cook and is easy to eat. This is a good time to use the bathroom and get more drinks and snacks for the road.

At one of these paraderos we ate arepas Boyacense, which are arepas made with yellow cornmeal, sugar, and fresh cheese. It is both salty and sweet and is a must if you are visiting this area.

Puente de Boyacá

This is a significant place in Colombian history because it was here that one of the most important battles led by Simon Bolivar was won, paving the way for independence. What remains of the bridge is nothing grand, but what is impressive is the giant monument of Simon Bolivar that awaits you at the top of the hill. It is surrounded by five angels which represent each of the countries he helped liberate, including Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. If you are interested you can read more about it here.

Before you go on this trip, here are a few things I recommend:

1. Wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing. You will be walking outside for the majority of the time.

2. Bring snacks for the road. My godmother packed sandwiches and drinks for everyone. I highly recommend doing this, it ends up being cheaper and keeps you from getting too full to try all the delicious food each pueblo has to offer.

3. Toilet paper - yes toilet paper. Most of these places charge you for toilet paper and to even use the bathroom, so have some tissues in your bag and bring some spare change.

4. Portable/backup charger- it’s a 13-hour trip so you don’t want to run out of battery for all the pictures you will take.