Facatativá, Municipality in Western Savanna Province, Colombia
Facatativá is a municipality in the Western Savanna Province of Cundinamarca, Colombia, located 31 kilometers northwest of Bogotá. The settlement spreads across gentle hills at 2,586 meters elevation with crop fields and pastures surrounding its urban center.
Spanish administrator Diego Gómez de Mena founded the settlement on July 3, 1600, following colonial urban planning principles. During the 19th century, the town became an important agricultural center and connection point between the highland and western valleys.
The name comes from the Chibcha language of the Muisca people and means fort at the end of the plains. The central plaza retains colonial architecture with low buildings and shaded arcades where locals gather to escape the midday heat.
Main roads connect the town to Bogotá and allow regular commuter and commercial traffic along well-maintained routes. Buses run frequently during daytime, with fewer services in the evening, so planning a return before dark is advisable.
The Archaeological Park Piedras del Tunjo contains large rock formations that once formed the bottom of an ancient lake. The stones display pre-Columbian engravings showing hunting scenes and animals that the Muisca carved into the rock faces.
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