10 THINGS TO DO IN THE COLOMBIAN COFFEE AXIS

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This list of the best things to do in the Coffee Axis It will help you not to miss anything in one of the most beautiful areas of Colombia and the world.
The natural mountainous landscapes of the Coffee Axis, declared Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO, are impressive for their coffee crops located on slopes of gentle slope and for their beautiful villages of colored facades such as Salento and Filandia.
In addition to living and knowing the whole process of making and trying one of the best coffees in the world, a must in this area is to trek through the Cocora Valley, one of the great natural wonders of South America.

Based on the experience of the 8 days we spent in this region during our trip to Colombia in 46 days, we have made a selection of what we think, are the 10 essential places to visit in the Coffee Axis. We start!

1. Tips for the Coffee Axis

Before you start with the list of things to do in the Colombian Coffee Axis, we want to give you a series of tips that will help you organize the best route through this area, making the most of your time.

The best way to get to the Coffee Axis, if you don't want to spend a whole day on a bus, is to take a direct flight to Pereira, Armenia or Manizales, from Bogotá, Medellín or any other Colombian city.
In the same airport you can rent a car that will allow you to explore the villages and landscapes at your leisure. Keep in mind that the roads are in good condition and it is a very safe area, even at night.
If you do not want to rent a car you can use public transport to move between the different villages and then hire the famous Willys (jeeps) to get you closer to coffee farms or the Cocora Valley. Another option is to book these day trips with a guide in Spanish from Pereira.
To know the main points of interest to visit in the Coffee Axis We recommend you have a minimum of 3 days, although it is preferable about 5 days to be able to see them with more tranquility, as we did on the route through Colombia for free.
To stay we recommend spending a night in Filandia and the other nights in Salento, located 10 kilometers from the Cocora Valley.
Filandia and Salento have the largest and most varied offer of restoration, which will allow you to try the most typical dishes such as trout and blunt sancocho, as well as international dishes.
Any time is good to travel to the Coffee Axis having an average temperature of 20 degrees throughout the year, although in spring and autumn it is rainier so a raincoat is an essential garment in this region.

Coffee Axis of Colombia

2. Trekking through the Cocora Valley

One of the best things to do in the Coffee Axis is to trek through the Cocora Valley, the most beautiful and famous natural landscape in all of Colombia.
This green valley of abundant vegetation has in the wax palms of Quindío, the national tree of the country, its most characteristic element, as well as a great diversity of flora and fauna.
The entrance to the valley is about 10 kilometers from Salento that you can travel in a willy, leave from the main square of Salento, for about 4000 pesos the journey or take your car leaving it in one of the large parking lots of the valley.
Once at the entrance you must choose the route you are going to take. In this case, we recommend the one that goes around this whole area of the Cocora Valley and lasts between 5 and 6 hours, always starting with the area where the wax palms are located, that is, making the tour in clockwise. In this way you will avoid having to make a fairly hard ascending route from practically the beginning to the Finca La Montana.
Doing it as we recommend, although the first part of the route is uphill, a great physical form is not required to complete it, although it is essential to wear comfortable shoes and a good amount of water. Also in this trekking you can see in addition to the famous wax palms, an incredible forest and stunning landscapes.
In the middle of the tour there is a detour that will take you to the hummingbird house, a good opportunity to see this beautiful bird and drink a typical panela water with cheese.
If you do not want to make as much effort or you do not have so much time, you can take the tour of the Valley of the Palms, which is a circular path, about 2 hours long, that will take you to the second viewpoint and then back down the first lookout point to the entrance. Keep in mind that this tour is only through wax palms and is the most famous of all in addition to the most characteristic.

In case you are in the area at lunchtime, before entering the park you will find several tourist restaurants to eat the typical trout, although the quality is not as good as others found in Salento, so our recommendation is that you go to town to eat.

Cocora Valley in Colombia

3. Salento

Salento, surrounded by an impressive Andean mountain environment, is the prettiest town to see in the Coffee Axis.
Founded by the colonizers of Antioquia in the mid-nineteenth century, Salento still retains much of its architecture, which highlights the main square and houses with brightly colored facades.
In the town, in addition to traveling several times the Royal Street, which is the most famous, we recommend you go up to the two viewpoints from which you can enjoy unique views of the magnificent natural environment and the town.
After completing the visit to the town that will take you half a day, you can take a willys or the rental car to get closer to the Cocora Valley, the great tourist attraction of the town, which we talked about previously or start by trekking if you want to make the tour Long and also do not cross many people.
Keep in mind that Salento is also the perfect place to stay and tour all the most important points to visit in the Coffee Axis on small day trips with rental car.
We were at the Hotel El Mirador del Cocora, which became the best accommodation of our trip through Colombia to have spectacular views of the Cocora Valley. In addition to its incredible location, the hotel has an excellent breakfast, free parking and very friendly staff.
The town, in addition to a good calm and relaxed atmosphere, has an extensive gastronomic offer with several recommended restaurants such as Camino Real, Cumana Bistrot, Quindú Restaurant, Hamburgueseria El cacharrito and Café Jesus Martin, where they serve one of the best coffees in Colombia.

Salento

4. Coffee Farm in Buenavista

Another of the best things to do in the Coffee Axis It is to visit an authentic coffee farm to know the whole process of cultivation and elaboration of the known as "The best coffee in the world".
Although there are farms throughout the Coffee Axis, the best are located around the town of Buenavista, located just over an hour's drive from Salento, in a mountainous environment of gentle hills and humid weather. Here you can find several coffee farms that take guided tours so that tourists can learn more about the star product of the country and the social impact it has had in this region.
Among the most famous farms that you can visit in Buenavista is San Alberto, which is one of the most tourist, although we recommend you, if you want a more personal experience, the La Alsacia de Don Leo estate, located 10 minutes walk from the town .
Guided tours of 3 hours begin at 10:00 and at 14:00 having a delicious coffee with Don Leo or Don Carlos, his brother-in-law, in a cafeteria in the main square of Buenavista and then continue walking to the farm, receiving lessons of botany and coffee cultivation.
We were guided by Don Carlos and it was not only a master coffee and botany lesson, also from VIDA, which we assure you, leaves no one indifferent.
To book the tour (includes lunch or dinner) you can call +57 314 7610199 or do it from their website.

Visit a Coffee Farm

5. Visit Filandia, one of the things to do in the Coffee Axis

Filandia is next to Salento, the other prettiest town to visit in the Colombian Coffee Axis.
This coffee town located almost 2,000 meters high in the department of Quindío, has its two major tourist attractions on Calle del Tiempo Arrested and Plaza Simón Bolívar.
In addition to these, walking through its streets is a pleasure, during which you will observe the Antioquia architecture with its colorful houses of one or two floors in which the craft shops and restaurants are mixed we recommend as Jose Fernando and Helena inside.
After completing all the visits of the town, you can walk in 20 minutes or by car to the Mirador de Filandia Illuminated Hill from which you will have stunning panoramic views of the Coffee Cultural Landscape. During the walk to this viewpoint you will pass through San José, a neighborhood of artisans who make beautiful coffee picking baskets for many years.
We spent two nights in Filandia at the Mythos Hostal, located in a beautiful Antioquia building on Calle de Tiempo Detained, and we loved the experience.

Visit Filandia, one of the things to do in the Coffee Axis

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

6. Pijao

Pijao, known the town "no hurry" from Latin America, is another of the places to visit in the most essential Coffee Axis.
This town surrounded by mountains full of coffee crops, has left behind the armed conflicts of the past to become a responsible destination with natural resources and where you can enjoy a few days of tranquility.
In addition to doing some hiking route through the coffee plantations and the abundant vegetation, the town retains a beautiful Antioquia architecture with colorful facades, portals and balconies decorated with flowers. In the central square is the church and several cafés, although the most famous is Café La Floresta, located in a street with several graffiti, where you can taste the best coffee in Quindío and buy a souvenir package.

Pijao, one of the towns to visit in the Coffee Axis

7. Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs

Relaxing at the Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs, located half an hour's drive from Pereira, is another of the best things to do in the Coffee Axis.
In this spa, which is also a hotel, you can enjoy outdoor pools of thermal waters with medicinal properties, relaxing massages with thermal mud, waterfalls of cold water and above all a natural environment located between mountains that will leave you speechless.
In addition to relaxing you can take an entry that includes nature walks or a spa session to rejuvenate your skin.
The best time to visit is during the week or early in the morning, when there are fewer people and you can enjoy a bath with some tranquility, since one of the problems is that the place does not have a limited number of tickets and when there is a lot People, hygiene control in swimming pools is quite poor. Another thing to keep in mind is that the menu included in one of the packages is not highly recommended and it is preferable to choose to eat something from the menu.
The cheapest ticket costs 47,000 pesos and includes access to the thermal pool and the 95 meter high waterfall with five branches, which is undoubtedly one of the wonders of nature to see in the Coffee Axis.
To get to the hot springs, if you do not have a rental car, you can book an excursion from Pereira, which includes entry and pick-up at the hotel.
Visiting hours: every day from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs

8. Botanical Garden of Quindío

The Quindío Botanical Garden, located near the city of Calarcá, is another of the wonders to visit in the Coffee Axis.
This scientific research and environmental education center offers you a 3-hour walk with an expert botany guide through a forest full of vegetation where you will learn about palms and other plants.
During the tour you have several sites for the sighting of native birds, such as nervous hummingbirds, and finally you can enter a large butterfly garden with more than 1,500 butterflies of 30 native species, which we did not quite fit, since we do not believe that Be responsible tourism.
To get to the botanical garden, if you don't have a rental car, you can book an excursion from Pereira, which includes the entrance and pick-up at the hotel.
Visiting hours: every day from 9am to 4pm.

Botanical Garden of Quindío

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9. Cordoba

Traveling by car the triangle formed by the towns of Córdoba, Pijao and Buenavista, is another of the best things to do in the Coffee Axis.
After completing the journey between Buenavista and Pijao stopping at all the coffee plantation viewpoints, we advise you to go to Córdoba, another perfect town to get to know the most rural and authentic Colombia.
In this small town located in the middle of waterfalls, streams and coffee plantations, life passes at a slow pace and the tourist points are limited to the central square and some of its adjacent streets.

Cordova

10. Circasia

Circacia, located north of Quindío, is the last municipality we recommend to visit in the Colombian Coffee Axis.
This population also reached by the Antioquia settlers and its architecture, is called the Land of free men and women, by its first inhabitants who stayed away from the great influence of the church of the time. One of the greatest examples is in the Free Cemetery where anyone could be buried, regardless of their religious beliefs.
In addition to the cemetery, we recommend visiting the Simón Bolivar Square, climbing to the Alto de la Cruz viewpoint with views of the town and doing some hiking route through the Bremen Nature Reserve, rich in fauna and flora.