Traveling in the Coffee Region of Colombia

Dear Readers and Fellow Bloggers, before you write me off as the worst blogger on the PLANET because I NEVER update, let me just mention that I have posted 15 different posts since Saturday on my other blog. (www.hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com--no comments, please!) So there. I actually do blog. Just not for you.*

Anyway, without further ado, here is perhaps the most important post I have ever written: What to do in the Coffee Region of Colombia! Where should you go? What should you see? Where should you stay?

When my family was here (3 weeks ago now, how did that happen??) we did a lot of fun things. They were really only in Pereira for 6 days, and I had to work 3 of those days, so I had to make the most of the time we had together. We missed some really crucial things in the region, but I think I showed them the best that the Eje Cafetera has to offer, anyway. I researched for weeks before their arrival, and I feel confidant in my suggestions below.

Eje Cafetera means "Coffee Triangle." Although coffee is really grown throughout Colombia, the region where I live is considered the primary coffee growing region. My little city, Pereira, is actually the industrial and financial capital of this region, and its largest city. The three departments that make up this region are Risaralda, Quindio, and Caldas. I live in Risaralda. The other major cities are Armenia and Manizales. Cartago is a reasonably large city that is a few kilometers away from Pereira, and Dosquebradas sits across the large Viaducto (our bridge) from Pereira. Because of this, the metro area surrounding Pereira is actually quite large. But enough about that...

If you ever come to the coffee region, you'll probably want to stay in Pereira. It has the largest bus terminal with connections to the surrounding region and the rest of Colombia, the largest airport in the region, a decent night life, reasonably good shopping, two McDonald's, a Domino's Pizza, and, possibly the most important aspect, a giant NAKED statue of Simon Bolivar. (This is actually one of the few things that we skipped when my family was here!) In addition, Pereira has the most moderate weather (Manizales is quite a bit colder) and fewer earthquakes (Armenia is known for its earthquakes), and it has a lot of varied accommodation options. If you are looking for hotel recommendations, I think Hotel Anvamar and Hotel de Pereira are the best and the safest. They are also the most expensive. There are also a few hostels, haciendas, and more moderately priced hotels in the center. Most destinations in the region (Santa Rosa de Cabal, Manizales, Salento, etc.) are reachable by bus in less than an hour. (Manizales is just a bit further.)

So... what should you do?

1. Go to Salento.

Salento is by far one of the best destinations in the coffee region. The little village is quaint, cute, safe, and fun. This is where Colombians go when they visit the coffee region or if they want to get away for a day. It's around 45 minutes away from Pereira, but if you want to stay overnight I would recommend the Plantation House. Their website has a lot of great information, and they have very reasonable prices. I contacted them with another question, and they were VERY helpful. Anyway. Salento is a great base for exploring the Valle de Cocora (more later), and it has lots of cute little restaurants and artisan's shops. One of my favorite places is a little cafe near the end of the main street. It doesn't open until 4, and I don't remember the name, but it's easy to find. Great juice teas, and make sure to use the bathroom... it's awesome.

2. Take a jeep to the Valle de Cocora and eat trout and/or patacon with agridulce sauce.

The Jeep Willys are really easy to find in Salento--they sit on one side of the main square. As soon as they have enough passengers, the drivers depart for the Valle de Cocora. It usually takes around an hour to get there. Once you arrive, eat lunch. It's fantastic. Warren loves the trout, I love the patacon. It's worth the ride, no matter what.

After eating, you can hike or ride horses through the Valle de Cocora, or you can just take pictures and head back to Salento. The trail head is marked (ask around if you need help), and horses are available on the road outside the restaurants, as are Jeeps to take you back to Salento.

One important tip: If you go to Salento on the bus from Pereira and don't plan to spend the night, make sure you make a reservation to go back to Pereira at whatever time you want to leave because the buses fill up quickly. You'll need to be at the bus around 20-30 minutes before it leaves, too, or you won't get a seat!

3. Go to the Termales de Santa Rosa.
Termales is Spanish for hot springs, and Colombia has a fair share of them, especially in this region. Although many are good, I would recommend Termales de Santa Rosa, not for the food or anything, but for the authenticity of it. It was the first place to set up shop, and it is actually cheaper than San Vicente, which is its main rival. To get there, you can take a bus to Santa Rosa de Cabal and then take another bus to the Termales de Santa Rosa. When we went, our second bus was a chiva, which was a great experience.


When the chiva dropped us off, it actually dropped us off at a more commercial "termales." We hiked up the hill 1 km to get to the "real" Termales de Santa Rosa, and I think it was worth it (despite the tour groups... try not to go on a three day weekend, or on a weekend at all). The entrance fee is 24,000 pesos, but you can also spend the night at the hotel, which grants you access to some private pools. I haven't done it, but I imagine it would be very enjoyable.


The hot springs don't offer a lot of activities, just hanging out, getting facials, "hiking" up to a waterfall, massages, you know, basically torture. It's a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. I've posted some pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like... please note that Termales de Santa Rosa has both cold and hot waterfalls, which can be fun to run between!






That's it for today... but tomorrow I'll be posting about coffee fincas, Juan Valdez, the Jardin Botanico in Pereira, Exito, Parque del Cafe, a trapiche, and a few other things... so make sure to check back tomorrow!

*Also, my fifth graders comment WAY more than you people do. Just saying. ; )