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Meridiela.

Iza

A small whitewashed Boyaca village whose plaza fills at weekends with stalls selling nothing but desserts.

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WhereBoyaca
Nearest citySogamoso about 12 km; Tunja about 70 km
Best seasonYear round
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereRoad south-east of Sogamoso; buses
EntryFree; thermal pools charged

Iza is very small - a few streets of whitewashed houses with green doors and window frames around a plaza - and its particular custom is the dessert market: at weekends the square fills with stalls selling only sweets, mostly made by the women of the village, including cuajada con melao, arequipe, brevas, flan, custards and dozens of variations, laid out on tables under awnings. It is not a general market with desserts in it; it is entirely desserts. The village also sits on thermal springs, and several complexes take the water in pools nearby. The name is Muisca. It is quiet on weekdays and worth combining with Sogamoso or the Lago de Tota, which is a short drive south-east.

What you actually see

  • A plaza of dessert stalls - weekends only, and nothing else sold.
  • Whitewash with green trim - the village's uniform colour scheme.
  • Thermal pools nearby - fed by local springs.
  • A Muisca name - and a Muisca settlement history.

When to go

Weekends for the dessert market. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The market is weekends only - midweek the plaza is empty. The village is tiny with little else. Thermal complexes vary in quality. Nights at this altitude are cold.

Nearby

Sogamoso is north-west; Lago de Tota is south-east.

What to pack for Iza

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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