Playa de Belen

The village is small and every house is whitewashed with a red tile roof, wooden doors and window frames painted the same colour - the uniformity is maintained by local regulation, and it was named one of Colombia's heritage towns in 2010, which is what has kept it looking as it does rather than accreting the usual mixture. It stands beside the Estoraques, a protected area of eroded sandstone columns, ravines and pinnacles formed by water cutting soft rock into a small badland of towers up to twenty metres or so, walkable on marked paths. The area remains lightly visited compared with the Boyaca and Santander heritage towns.

The main sights

• A village kept uniform by rule - white walls, red tiles, one door colour.
• The Estoraques - eroded sandstone towers up to about twenty metres.
• A heritage town since 2010 - which preserved the appearance.
• Very few visitors - compared with heritage towns further south.

When to go

December to March. Half a day.

Practical notes

It is remote - Ocana is the nearest town of any size and it is a long way from the main routes. Services in the village are minimal. Heat in the Estoraques is heavy with no shade.

Nearby

Ocana is north; Aguachica is west.

Key facts