Duitama, Administrative center in Boyacá Department, Colombia
Duitama lies in the Cordillera Oriental mountains at about 2,530 meters (8,300 feet) elevation along the Chicamocha River. Streets run through several neighborhoods, while the center is organized around the main square.
Cacique Tundama ruled the territory until Spanish forces took control in 1539. The settlement grew over the centuries into an important trading point between the high mountains and the lowlands.
The Pueblito Boyacense recreates old regional buildings and shows construction methods from past centuries. Visitors walk through reconstructed lanes and courtyards and see how villages in Boyacá used to look.
The Pan-American Highway connects the town with other cities and buses run regularly to the region and to Bogotá. The altitude may affect travelers at first, so it helps to take the first days slowly.
In 1995, the UCI Road World Championships took place here, the first major cycling event of this kind in South America. The hilly landscape around it and the thin air presented many riders with great challenges at the time.
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