An altarpiece covered in gold leaf and a mountain range spanning more than 3,000 hectares mark two very different sides of Tenjo. The town offers a historic center with religious art and a landscape that is also significant in the Muisca tradition. There are also rural activities with distinct focuses: cycling through agricultural landscapes, protecting butterflies and orchids, and nature trails. This lets you shape your trip around culture, landscape or specific leisure activities without combining all these themes into a single itinerary.

Historic Center and Religious Art

Tenjo’s historic center was declared a National Monument in 1993. It includes Parque Principal and, among other sites, Templo Colonial, Iglesia Santiago Apóstol and Casa Chitasugá. These places give the center a clear cultural focus. At Casa Chitasugá, visitors can walk through the historic corridors and view works by regional artisans and artists.

The Museo de Arte Religioso is located in Templo Doctrinero. Its collection includes paintings of Virgen del Rosario de Santo Domingo and Santo Tomás de Aquino, the main altar’s gold-leaf-covered altarpiece, and polychrome wood carvings of La Dolorosa. Polychrome means multicolored; with its gold-leaf covering, the altarpiece makes a different impression from the carved figures and paintings. Visitors interested in religious art will find several distinct forms of sacred art here, rather than a single object being the sole focus.

Majuy, Landscape and Muisca Tradition

The Majuy mountain range covers more than 3,000 hectares and connects the municipalities of Cota, Tabio and Tenjo in the department of Cundinamarca. Its significance goes beyond the landscape: Majuy is considered a sacred place by the Muisca. According to tradition, they traveled through the wooded terrain to draw strength from nature and worship the goddess Chía. This adds a cultural dimension to the natural setting, broadening the view of the landscape with a historical and spiritual perspective.

Las Cuevas is another of Tenjo’s natural attractions. The area is part of a protected area overseen by the Corporación Autónoma Regional de Cundinamarca. At Mirador Cuevas, the focus is on interpretive trails that explore natural formations, native vegetation and the characteristic landscapes of the Sabana. For travelers more interested in the landscape and how it is interpreted than in religious art, these attractions offer a different way to experience Tenjo.

Rural Activities and Special Interests

Ruta de la Lechuga is a rural cycling route through Tenjo. It follows paths between villages and crosses agricultural landscapes to reach lettuce fields. Lettuce cultivation has been one of the municipality’s economic drivers since the mid-20th century. The route thus combines cycling with a specific part of local economic history; the fields are not merely scenery but are connected to a crop that has been important for a long time.

Parque Monarca theme park has a different focus: it is dedicated to the study and protection of arthropods, especially butterflies, and offers educational, interactive experiences. The Forest of Orchids garden in Tenjo, in turn, specializes in the protection and display of orchids. Both attractions focus on species and their conservation, but in different ways—one on arthropods, with a particular focus on butterflies, and the other on orchids.

For rural leisure activities, Ecogranja Villa Juan offers walks around the farm, encounters with animals and nature trails. Faunáticos combines leisure activities with animal encounters, family-friendly areas and activities that bring together entertainment, learning and well-being. The two offerings are described differently: Ecogranja features walks and nature trails alongside animal encounters, while Faunáticos focuses on combining animal contact, learning and entertainment. Check the current availability of activities at Ecogranja Villa Juan and Faunáticos directly before making firm plans.

Discover more destinations: Briceño, Camargo, Cabrera, Sasaima, Pacho, Silvania, Apulo, Quebradanegra

For the main travel overview: Cundinamarca.