Ráquira

Colombia's pottery capital, a small town of brightly painted facades lined with ceramics shops, with a handicraft market on Sundays

Ráquira is known as Colombia's “pottery capital,” and its name means “city of pots” in the Muisca language. Houses are painted in bright reds, yellows, blues and greens, and both sides of the main street and the square are lined with shops selling pottery, hammocks and woven goods. Prices are lower than in big cities, and the Sunday market is the liveliest. The town is about 25 km from Villa de Leyva, roughly 40 minutes by car. It is often combined into a day trip with the nearby Candelaria Convent and Sutamarchán, famous for its sausages, which lies along the way.

Opening hours

Shops approx. 09:00–18:00

Pottery · Handicrafts · Colorful towns

Nearby sights

Convento del Desierto de La Candelaria
Gondava
Pozos Azules
Museo El Fósil
Viñedo Ain Karim
El Infiernito (Parque Arqueológico de Monquirá)
Casa Terracota
Plaza Mayor de Villa de Leyva

Places to eat nearby

Chez Rémy French Restaurant
Mercado Municipal Restaurant
Happy Monkey Restaurant
El Solar de la Guaca