Pozos Azules

The ponds sit in an eroded semi-desert of pale clay and scrub a short way outside Villa de Leyva, and the colour - a strong turquoise against orange-brown ground - comes from dissolved minerals and suspended clay particles scattering light, in water that filled old excavations rather than natural pools. Their intensity varies: after heavy rain they can turn muddy and dull, and in dry periods they are at their brightest. Swimming is not permitted. The setting is the more interesting half - this valley was seabed in the Cretaceous, the ground erodes into badlands, and the same landscape holds the fossil sites, El Infiernito and the Candelaria desert. They are usually visited by bicycle or on the way to somewhere else.

The landscape

• Turquoise water against pale desert - mineral colour in old excavations.
• Colour that varies with rain - dull after storms, bright when dry.
• Eroded badland country - the old Cretaceous seabed.
• A short stop - usually by bicycle from Villa de Leyva.

When to go

December to March, when the water is clearest. An hour.

What to expect

They are man-made, not natural pools, and the site charges entry for what is a brief look. Colour disappoints after rain. Swimming is not allowed. There is no shade.

Nearby

Villa de Leyva is east; El Infiernito is west.