The Paipa Awakening

When I first came to Colombia, the lady from payroll had a last name ‘Paipa’. When I first heard of Paipa, Boyacá, I was wondering why does this girl have a last name from a town? Then I found that it is the other way, the girl does not have the last name from a town, but the town has the name which is the last name from the girl.

Highway to Paipa

This is something common in Colombia, and we can find a lot of names of towns named after people. In Tamil Nadu, if a town or a neighourhood is after a person, it will usually have a Nagar (Gandhi Nagar), Ur (Thirumalpur), Pattinam (Chenna Pattinam) etc., However, in Colombia, they just name the states, towns and neighborhoods from the names of the people. So it is common to find such names – Paipa, Santander, Villavicencio, Nariño, Pereira, Restrepo, Bolívar etc.

Some names in Colombia are really different when we hear it for the first time. There is one La Mesa in Cundinamarca, which means the table. There is one Purificacion, in Huila, which means  purification. There is also a Colombia, in Huila. I think when people refer to that town, it becomes Colombia, (in) Huila, (in) Colombia. There is Agua de dios, water of God!

Coming back to Paipa, the town lies on the highway between Bogotá and Duitama. The main attractions are the termales and the Lake Sochagota.

Termales in Paipa

The town is famous for its hot water springs (termales in Spanish). The water comes from a subterranean lake and the termales is one of the largest in Colombia. The termales are maintained by the municipality and is inexpensive to visit. The thermal waters are pumped into big pools and of course are salty. Those salts help in exfoliation and the hot water soothes the nerves. The pools refresh the body with the water that is always hot.

I have never been a swimmer in my life, so each time we get to the pool my girlfriend always tries to teach me to float. She says that this is the first lesson that I need to learn. I was able to float quite effortlessly in the water (the salt content helped its bit). And floating does help as a stress buster. Floating in salt water!!!

Floating in Salt Water

A couple of hours in the termales rejuvenates the system. They also offer mud packs, which are also interesting. The places can get a little crowded during the evenings, so a visit in the morning can be very good and peaceful.

Now, the lake Sochagota is situated in a quiet and peaceful part of the town, surrounded by mountains, farms, and hotels. A walk around the lake is a good exercise for the body and for the mind. There are also some water sports that are available, however, to me, they are too commercial. I prefer the relatively peaceful part of the lake. We get lost in time when we walk around the lake, and suddenly there is only the water, the woods and yourself. All in all, it is a place that cannot be described in words. One needs to experience the walk to appreciate the beauty.

The view along the road to the termales, with Lake Sochagota

There are also a lot of artesanias in Paipa, that make really attractive and creative and inexpensive stuff. Spend some time in shopping for them. The road from the center to the termales through Lake Sochagota also has quite a few restaurants and party places. If you stop in those restaurants, ask for the local artisanal beer. Food options are decent, for vegetarians as well.

Lake Sochagota

There are some neighbourhoods that are on top of the mountains. They offer good excellent view points to the town and the lake, and offer excellent exercises.

View from the nearby mountains, with Lake Sochagota in background

Paipa also offers a lot of places to stay that are nice, and fitting in the pockets. Transportation to Paipa is relatively easy to find. Buses from the terminal in Bogotá pass though Portal Norte and are comfortable. Car travel takes about 3 hours, and the highway is good.

Paipa Centro

Paipa is close to Tunja, the capital of Boyacá and is a must visit place if you are a nature lover.