What is the Wind and Kite Festival?
Every August, when the strong seasonal winds arrive, Villa de Leyva throws its biggest event of the year: the Festival del Viento y las Cometas — the Wind and Kite Festival. Held since 1975 over the town's giant cobblestone Plaza Mayor, one of the largest plazas in Latin America, it fills the sky with kites of every size and color for an entire long weekend.
A quick word on timing for international visitors: Colombia moves many public holidays to Mondays, creating three-day weekends called "puentes" (bridges). The kite festival takes place on the Assumption puente, around the third Monday of August — which happens to be peak wind season in the Boyacá highlands. The whole country knows this, which is why the town gets very, very full.
One important caveat up front: exact dates shift from year to year, and published sources often contradict each other. Before locking in flights, buses, or lodging, confirm the official program through the Alcaldía de Villa de Leyva's official channels (the town hall).
The spectacle over Plaza Mayor
Across the weekend, the plaza hosts kite exhibitions and competitions in several categories:
- National and international kite masters flying acrobatic and large-format kites you will rarely see anywhere else in Colombia.
- Night kites — illuminated kites flown over the plaza after dark, one of the festival's most photogenic moments.
- Children's categories, where kids fly and compete with their own kites.
Around the main event, the whole town shifts into festival mode: street food, artisans, music, and packed cobblestone streets. Watching tens of thousands of people all looking up at the same sky over that enormous plaza is a genuinely memorable scene.
Practical survival tips for the busiest weekend of the year
This is Villa de Leyva at maximum capacity. Press estimates for weekend attendance have ranged from 40,000 to 70,000 visitors — organiser-supplied figures, so treat them loosely — and the mayor's office has confirmed hotel occupancy above 90%, with overflow visitors filling neighboring towns. Plan accordingly:
- Go early. The best viewing spots around the plaza fill up fast, and arriving in town after midday can mean heavy traffic and full parking lots.
- Respect the high-altitude sun. Villa de Leyva sits at altitude, and the combination of clear August skies, wind, and mild temperatures is deceptive. Sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water are non-negotiable if you plan to spend hours on the plaza.
- Carry cash. ATMs get long lines on festival weekends, and many festival vendors are cash-only. Colombian pesos, small bills.
- Bring a jacket for the evening. Days are mild but nights are cool year-round; if you stay for the night kites, you will want a layer.
- Book weeks to months ahead. Lodging and buses from Bogotá both sell out for this weekend. If you are driving, leave early: the trip normally takes about 3 hours (around 165 km), but holiday-weekend traffic can stretch it considerably.
Coming by public transport? Buses run from Bogotá's Terminal Norte and Terminal Salitre (roughly COP 40,000–45,000 — verify current fares). Full details are in our getting to Villa de Leyva guide.
A festival made for families
Few Colombian festivals are as naturally family-friendly as this one. The children's categories mean kids participate rather than just watch, and kite-flying is one of those activities that bridges generations — Colombian grandparents grew up doing exactly this on windy August afternoons. If you are traveling with children, consider picking up a simple kite locally so they can fly their own in the open fields around town.
The festival also pairs well with the area's other attractions: the fossil museum and paleontology centers, the Gondava dinosaur park, Pozos Azules, and Casa Terracota all work as half-day escapes when the plaza is at peak crowd. If you want to build out the full weekend, see our 3-day Villa de Leyva itinerary.
Where to stay for the Kite Festival
Here is the most valuable advice in this guide: during the kite weekend, the historic center fills completely. Hotels run past 90% occupancy, the cobblestone streets jam up, and finding parking anywhere near the plaza becomes a real ordeal.
The smart move is to stay in the countryside just outside the center. El Limonar, our private guest cottage, sits 5–10 minutes from Plaza Mayor — close enough to walk or drive in for the kites whenever you like, far enough to sleep in genuine quiet while the town keeps celebrating. It is a private two-bedroom solar-powered house with fiber WiFi and, crucially for this particular weekend, free on-premises parking, so you never have to fight for a spot in town. It is pet-friendly too, if your dog is along for the trip.
One thing matters above all for this event: book early. Weeks ahead at minimum, months if you can, and confirm the official dates with the Alcaldía before you finalize plans. And if Colombia's long weekends are your preferred travel format, we have a full guide to long weekends in Villa de Leyva.