Paipa

Paipa sits at around 2,500 metres and the springs here rise hot and heavily mineralised, which made it a spa town from the mid twentieth century - the Instituto de Termales and several private complexes take the water in outdoor pools, and the combination of hot water and cold high-altitude air is the appeal. Lake Sochagota beside the town is artificial, created in the 1950s, and carries rowing and pedal boats along a promenade. The town is also known for almojabanas, a slightly sweet cheese bread of the region, sold hot from roadside bakeries on the approach roads. Pantano de Vargas, the site of a decisive 1819 engagement in the independence campaign, is a few kilometres away with a large monument.

History

Before the Spanish conquest Paipa was a Muisca settlement whose cacique, after whom it is named, was loyal to the Tundama, and Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada passed through in 1539 in search of the Sun Temple. Luis Enríquez founded the modern town on 19 February 1602, it became a corregimiento on 4 November 1755, and in 1825 specialists came to analyse its mineral waters; visitors followed after 1852, when the government sent a natural resources commission under Agustín Codazzi. The cathedral was built from 1906 to 1920, the first passenger trains arrived from Bogotá in 1930-1931, mineral pools and spas were built in 1938, Lake Sochagota was made in 1955, and in 1960 the departmental assembly declared Paipa a tourist capital (Wikipedia, Paipa).

What to look for

• Hot mineralised springs - in outdoor pools at 2,500 metres.
• Lake Sochagota - artificial, from the 1950s, with a promenade.
• Almojabanas - cheese bread sold hot on the roadside.
• The Pantano de Vargas monument - a few kilometres away.

When to go

Year round; the contrast of hot water and cold air works best in cool weather. A full day.

Before you go

Thermal complexes are busy at weekends and holidays and can be crowded. Quality varies between the public and private pools. The lake is artificial and modest. Nights at this altitude are cold.

Nearby

Duitama is east; Tunja is south.

Key facts