Paipa
title: "Paipa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-boyacá-department", "populated-places-established-in-1602", "1602-establishments-in-the-spanish-empire", "populated-places-of-the-muisca-confederation"] topic_path: "geography/spain" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paipa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Paipa |
| settlement_type | Municipality and town |
| image_skyline | Paipa Boyaca.jpg |
| image_caption | View of Paipa |
| image_flag | Flag of Paipa.svg |
| image_seal | Escudo de Paipa.svg |
| image_map | Colombia - Boyaca - Paipa.svg |
| mapsize | 250px |
| map_caption | Location of the municipality and town of Paipa in the Boyacá department of Colombia |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Colombia |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Colombia |
| subdivision_type1 | Department |
| subdivision_name1 | Boyacá Department |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Tundama Province |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_name | Fabio Alberto Medrano Reyes |
| (2020–2023) | |
| established_title | Founded |
| established_date | 19 February 1602 |
| founder | Luís Enríquez |
| area_total_km2 | 305.1 |
| area_urban_km2 | 4.63 |
| population_as_of | 2018 census |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 33535 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_urban | 20021 |
| population_density_urban_km2 | auto |
| coordinates | |
| timezone | Colombia Standard Time |
| utc_offset | -5 |
| elevation_m | 2525 |
| website | Official website |
| :: |
|name = Paipa |native_name = |nickname = |motto = |settlement_type = Municipality and town |image_skyline = Paipa Boyaca.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = View of Paipa |image_flag = Flag of Paipa.svg |image_seal = Escudo de Paipa.svg |image_map = Colombia - Boyaca - Paipa.svg |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location of the municipality and town of Paipa in the Boyacá department of Colombia |pushpin_map = |pushpin_mapsize = 300 |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Colombia |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Colombia |subdivision_type1 = Department |subdivision_name1 = Boyacá Department |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Tundama Province |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Fabio Alberto Medrano Reyes (2020–2023) |established_title = Founded |established_date = 19 February 1602 |founder = Luís Enríquez |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 305.1 |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_km2 = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = 4.63 |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2018 census |population_footnotes = |population_total = 33535 |population_density_km2 = auto |population_urban = 20021 |population_density_urban_km2 = auto |coordinates = |timezone = Colombia Standard Time |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |elevation_m = 2525 |elevation_ft = |website = Official website |footnotes =
Paipa is a town and municipality in the Tundama Province, a part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Paipa borders Duitama, Firavitoba, Tibasosa, Sotaquirá and Tuta.
Geography
Paipa is located 15 km west of Duitama and 48 km to the northeast of Tunja, the capital of the department, in the Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Ranges) of the Colombian Andes. It is the main tourist center of the region, with a number of large hotels and hot springs.
Climate
At an elevation of 2525 m, Paipa has a mild subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cfb) with an average temperature around 14 °C.
|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Paipa (Tunguavita), elevation 2470 m, (1981–2010) |Jan high C = 22.9 |Feb high C = 23.1 |Mar high C = 22.8 |Apr high C = 21.7 |May high C = 21.2 |Jun high C = 20.6 |Jul high C = 20.3 |Aug high C = 20.5 |Sep high C = 20.9 |Oct high C = 21.2 |Nov high C = 21.5 |Dec high C = 22.0 | year high C = 21.6 |Jan mean C = 14.7 |Feb mean C = 15.1 |Mar mean C = 15.3 |Apr mean C = 15.3 |May mean C = 15.0 |Jun mean C = 14.5 |Jul mean C = 14.1 |Aug mean C = 14.1 |Sep mean C = 14.2 |Oct mean C = 14.6 |Nov mean C = 14.9 |Dec mean C = 14.6 | year mean C = 14.7 |Jan low C = 5.7 |Feb low C = 6.5 |Mar low C = 7.5 |Apr low C = 8.8 |May low C = 8.7 |Jun low C = 7.6 |Jul low C = 6.7 |Aug low C = 6.7 |Sep low C = 6.7 |Oct low C = 7.9 |Nov low C = 8.3 |Dec low C = 6.8 | year low C = 7.3 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 25.7 |Feb precipitation mm = 47.7 |Mar precipitation mm = 79.3 |Apr precipitation mm = 131.5 |May precipitation mm = 125.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 78.5 |Jul precipitation mm = 58.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 62.5 |Sep precipitation mm = 79.8 |Oct precipitation mm = 132.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 107.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 46.8 |year precipitation mm = 976.1 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm | Jan precipitation days = 7 | Feb precipitation days = 10 | Mar precipitation days = 14 | Apr precipitation days = 19 | May precipitation days = 20 | Jun precipitation days = 17 | Jul precipitation days = 18 | Aug precipitation days = 17 | Sep precipitation days = 16 | Oct precipitation days = 20 | Nov precipitation days = 17 | Dec precipitation days = 11 | year precipitation days = 185 | Jan humidity = 72 | Feb humidity = 72 | Mar humidity = 74 | Apr humidity = 77 | May humidity = 79 | Jun humidity = 78 | Jul humidity = 76 | Aug humidity = 76 | Sep humidity = 77 | Oct humidity = 79 | Nov humidity = 79 | Dec humidity = 76 | year humidity = 76 |Jan sun = 207.7 |Feb sun = 169.4 |Mar sun = 155.0 |Apr sun = 111.0 |May sun = 105.4 |Jun sun = 111.0 |Jul sun = 130.2 |Aug sun = 124.0 |Sep sun = 114.0 |Oct sun = 124.0 |Nov sun = 141.0 |Dec sun = 182.9 |year sun = |Jand sun = 6.7 |Febd sun = 6.0 |Mard sun = 5.0 |Aprd sun = 3.7 |Mayd sun = 3.4 |Jund sun = 3.7 |Juld sun = 4.2 |Augd sun = 4.0 |Sepd sun = 3.8 |Octd sun = 4.0 |Novd sun = 4.7 |Decd sun = 5.9 |yeard sun = |source 1 = Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales
Etymology
Paipa is named after the cacique (leader) of the Paipa people.
History
Before the Spanish conquest in the 1530s, Paipa was inhabited by the Muisca people. The loose Muisca Confederation comprised different rulers; the cacique of Paipa was loyal to the Tundama of Tundama. Conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada visited Paipa in 1539 in his search for the Sun Temple.
Modern Paipa was founded on February 19, 1602, by Luís Enríquez.
Paipa's first building was the church, built where the cathedral stands today, with clay tile, walls, and stone foundations. Initially, it served as a headquarters for police and justice services, and also for tax collection in Paipa and surrounding villages.
On November 4, 1755, Paipa was designated as a Corregimiento, and Don Ignacio de Caicedo was named as first Corregidor. In 1758 he appointed Juan Avellaneda, Miguel Rodriguez and Esteban Lara as the first mayor of Paipa. The municipality boundaries of Paipa were demarcated in 1778.
The first event that led to Paipa's reputation as a tourist city was the arrival of specialists in 1825 to analyze the local mineral waters. Tourist activity began to pick up after 1852 when the central government sent a natural resources committee headed by General Agustín Codazzi.
The construction of the current cathedral in Jaime Rook park began in 1906 and was finished in 1920. The first passenger trains arrived from Bogota in late 1930 and early 1931. Mineral water pools and spas were built in 1938, launching the local tourist industry, which was reinforced by the construction of Lake Sochagota in 1955. In 1960, the Departmental Assembly declared Paipa a "tourist capital".
The construction of the first local coal-fired power-plant in 1953 led to an influx of population from elsewhere in the country. Some of Paipa's historical architecture has been lost as the city has grown, and the traditional colonial main square has given way to modern buildings.
Paipa inaugurated the monument to the Lancers at the Pantano de Vargas, and the now forgotten monument to Innocent Chincá on North Central Avenue. In this decade, the hospitality industry around the lake began to develop with the first Sochagota Springs Hotel. Before these buildings and municipal swimming pools were built, the only opportunity for residents and tourists to bathe in the hot springs was at a Victorian hotel located in urban Paipa. New urban public venues for music have recently been constructed, such as Concha Acústica "Valentín Garcia", a sports and cultural complex built in 1990.
By 1995 Paipa, like other neighboring cities across Colombia, began to experience urban decay due to national policies seeking to quickly industrialize and urbanize Colombia. In response to this, new housing developments are under construction in the north side of the city.
Economy
Paipa's main economic activities are tourism and agriculture, with livestock and dairy farms as well as farms producing oats, barley, maize, wheat, and potatoes. The coal-fired TermoPaipa power plant serves the entire region.
Transport
The city is served by Juan José Rondón Airport.
Tourism
Places of interest include: Lake Sochagota, the Ranchería nature reserve, the Vargas swamp, the church, the Casona del Salitre and Jaime Rook park, named in honor of James Rooke.
Lake Sochagota
Lake Sochagota is a destination for Colombians and has started to attract foreign visitors. Activities include water-skiing, kayaking, as well as running and cycling around its edge.
Vargas Swamp
Vargas Swamp is the location of the Battle of Vargas Swamp which took place on the 25th of July 1819 and was decisive in the fight for independence. A monument to the 14 lancers, by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, commemorates the battle.
Paipa thermal baths
The thermal bath area covers approximately 5 hectares and includes a number of pools, both public and private, as well as hotels, sports facilities, shops and cafes. The water comes from a subterranean lake whose waters come to the surface in this area, before being distributed by pipes to various establishments in the sector.
Casona del Salitre
Just outside the town is the Casona de Salitre, a restored colonial hacienda, which is a national monument as well as a hotel.
Notable people from Paipa
- Ángel Camargo, former professional cyclist
- Fernando Camargo, professional cyclist
- Wilson Cepeda, professional cyclist
- Flober Peña, former professional cyclist
Gallery
File:Parroquia San Miguel Arcangel Paipa.jpg|Church of Paipa File:Pantano de Vargas.JPG|Vargas Swamp File:Paipa 07.JPG|Statue at the cemetery of Paipa File:Paipa termales.JPG|Thermal baths
References
References
- [http://www.citypopulation.de/en/colombia/boyaca/15516__paipa/ Citypopulation.de] {{Webarchive. link. (2023-03-24 Population of Paipa municipality with localities)
- {{in lang. es [http://www.paipa-boyaca.gov.co/informacion_general.shtml Official website Paipa] {{Webarchive. link. (10 March 2014)
- "Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010". Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales.
- {{in lang. es [http://www.excelsio.net/2011/11/sabe-el-origen-del-nombre-de-su.html Etymology Paipa] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-07-07 – Excelsio.net)
- "Sochagota power plant".
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