Moon Colombia by Andrew Dier

Author:Andrew Dier [Dier, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalon Travel
Published: 2014-10-11T21:00:00+00:00

Planning Your Time

It’s hard to go wrong as a tourist in the coffee region. No matter your starting point or home base, an immersion in coffee culture is easy, nearby, and rewarding. If you can, plan to spend about five days in this most pleasant part of Colombia. In that time you can stay at a coffee hacienda, visit a natural park, and tour a picture-perfect pueblo.

However, if time is short, a quick visit can be equally as rewarding. With easy transportation links to the major cities of the region and excellent tourism infrastructure to meet all budget needs, Salento has the trifecta of coffee region attractions: It’s a cute pueblo, coffee farms are within minutes of the main plaza, and jungle hikes that lead through tropical forest to the Valle de Cocora are easy to organize. The town gets packed with visitors on weekends and during holidays, resulting in a more festive atmosphere, but also traffic jams.

Another option is to stay a couple of days at a hacienda. You can leisurely explore the farms and countryside, relax, and possibly go for a day trip or two to a nearby attraction. Many haciendas are high-end, like Hacienda Bambusa, Finca Villa Nora, and Hacienda San José. However, budget travelers can also enjoy the unique atmosphere of hacienda life at Hacienda Guayabal outside of Manizales, Villa Martha near Pereira, and Finca El Ocaso in Salento. Meanwhile, Hacienda Venecia has something for travelers of all budgets.

For bird-watchers, the lush region offers many parks and gardens to marvel at the hundreds of species in the area. The Reserva del Río Blanco near Manizales, Jardín Botánico del Quindío near Armenia, and the Santuario de Flora y Fauna Otún-Quimbaya near Pereira are within minutes of the city, guided walks are regularly offered, and birdlife is abundant. Outside of metropolitan areas, the Parque Municipal Natural Planes de San Rafael, which adjoins the Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá, is less known, but is a natural paradise.

Day trips to natural parks, including the Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, are easily organized. PNN Los Nevados is home to páramos (highland moors), lunar landscapes, and snowcapped volcanoes. It can be accessed from many points, and it can even be visited by car. Multiple day treks offer challenges.

If there were a Cute Pueblo Region of Colombia, this might be it. While you’ll have more flexibility driving your own vehicle, it’s easy to check out a pueblo or two from the region’s major cities traveling by public transportation. A night or two is enough to experience the village life.

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