Casa de Antonio Ricaurte
Once home to a national hero who fought for Bolívar, and operated by the Colombian armed forces since 1970, the house where Antonio Ricaurte was born contains some personal objects and documents (in Spanish only), plus modern military paraphernalia, but the best reason for coming here is the beautiful garden.
Casa-Museo Luis Alberto Acuña
Facing the Plaza Mayor is the Casa-Museo Luis Alberto Acuña, which houses the most comprehensive collection of sculptures and other artwork by influential, avant-garde twentieth-century artist Luis Alberto Acuña, who lived here for the last fifteen years of his life. The large, colourful murals in the courtyard, depicting Muisca mythological figures, are a highlight.
Local fiestas
The town plays host to two spectacular annual festivals. The larger is the Festival de Luces (Festival of Lights; Dec 6–8), a fireworks extravaganza that gathers the best of the region’s pyrotechnicians, while the popular Festival de las Cometas (Kite Festival; Aug) sees the country’s finest kite-flyers compete in a variety of categories as spectators shout encouragement. There are also smaller festivals, including foodie-friendly Festival Gastronómico (Sept): ask at the tourist information office for details.
Museo del Carmen
Facing the imposing Monasterio de las Carmelitas and its attached church is the Museo del Carmen, justifiably famous for its collection of religious art. Here you’ll find large numbers of wooden icons from the Church’s early years of proselytizing in the New World, as well as altarpieces and paintings that date back to the sixteenth century.