Battle of Boyaca
1819 CE · Boyaca, Colombia
The Battle of Boyaca was fought in 1819 CE in Boyaca, Colombia between Patriot forces of New Granada and Venezuela vs the Spanish royalists; decisive Patriot victory that secured the independence of New Granada.
Battle of Boyaca: quick facts
- Date
- 1819 CE
- Location
- Boyaca, Colombia
- Belligerents
- Patriot forces of New Granada and Venezuela vs the Spanish royalists
- Commanders
- Simón Bolívar vs José María Barreiro
- Result
- decisive Patriot victory that secured the independence of New Granada.
- Era
- 🌎 Latin American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Boyaca?
After an audacious crossing of the Andes, Simon Bolivar's patriot army intercepted the Spanish royalist forces at the Bridge of Boyaca. The decisive two-hour battle resulted in the capture of the royalist commander and opened the road to Bogota, securing the independence of New Granada (modern Colombia).
Did you know?
Bolivar's crossing of the Andes before Boyaca involved climbing passes over 4,000 meters high. Many of his llanero cavalry, who had never seen mountains, died of altitude sickness and exposure during the crossing.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Boyaca on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.