You do not know what to see in the Coffee Region? Colombia is famous for producing one of the best coffees in the world. The Coffee Region is where the magic happens, it is a region located in the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío. In 2011, Unesco declared it a World Heritage Site. Here you will drink an excellent quality cup of coffee every day! But coffee is not the only thing that this area of Colombia has. Charming towns and incredible jewels of nature are also hidden in the Coffee Region. in this post We tell you the 10 best places to see in the Coffee Axis.
Contents of this article
10 BEST PLACES TO SEE IN THE COFFEE AXIS
1. Cocora Valley
A jewel of the Coffee Region, without a doubt, is the Cocora Valley. It is a wonderful place for hiking. You will be surrounded by endemic nature like the wax palm. A tree that can measure up to 80 meters height, grows at no more and no less than 3,000 meters above sea level. Seeing them is quite a peculiar spectacle! You would not imagine seeing palms in the middle of a cloud forest at the top of the mountains.
Visiting the Valle del Cocora is quite an adventure. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and traversing some pretty rough country. If you pay attention you can discover magnificent fauna of the place. Us we saw a young andean condor flying a good time about us. This is the largest flying bird in the world. It was a magnificent experience in one of the best places what to see in colombia!
Guide to visit the Cocora Valley
2. El Ocaso coffee farm, an unmissable place to see in the Coffee Axis
If you visit the Coffee Region, the main reason will be to try an excellent coffee. But the true and most complete experience will be lived if you go to a coffee farm. Here you can learn about the entire process that is carried out to make coffee and tour the coffee plantations.
The number of farms is countless, there are many in the Coffee Region, but we made a 3-hour tour with a sensory workshop included at the El Ocaso Coffee Farm. It is located in Salento and is one of the best ways to do the coffee tour.
We harvest coffee fruits with small baskets like real coffee pickers. We pulped our fruits in a machine while they explained and taught us each step of this process. On this tour you will tour the farm’s facilities and coffee plantations. Nothing like seeing up close where the coffee you drink in the morning comes from! It is an incredible experience and the farm is very beautiful.
But the big difference between this 3-hour tour and the traditional one-hour tour is the sensory workshop and tasting. Together with a barista, an expert in coffee, you will activate your 5 senses to the maximum to discover what is the taste of excellent, medium and low quality coffee.
3. Los Nevados National Park
Los Nevados National Park is a ideal place for hiking and immerse yourself in the pure nature of the mountains. This is one of the best places What to see in the Coffee Axis. A long walk to disconnect from everything will be the perfect plan in Los Nevados. You can do it in one day or stay overnight for a couple of nights to explore the park in depth.
The environment in which you will walk is a unique wasteland ecosystem, far from any trace of civilization. you can even climb a glacier above 5,000 metersOf course, you will need an expert guide since the park is immense and you could get lost in the middle of the vegetation. The access points to the national park are Manizales and Salento.
4. Salento, one of the most beautiful towns to see in the Coffee Region
Salento is one of the best towns in Colombia. It has a wonderful charm with its houses and colored facades. In fact, for the Charm movie of Disney, the producers were inspired by this small and magical town. Visiting Salento is the best way to learn about the culture and traditions of a typical Colombian coffee town. It is quite a tourist place so we recommend get up a little early to see the empty colorful alleys and with businesses closed. So you can better admire this beautiful town.
This is also a popular destination of the Coffee Region because many tourists base themselves here to visit the Valle del Cocora, Filandia, the coffee farms and other charming places to see in the Coffee Region. You should definitely include Salento in your route through Colombia.
15 things to see and do in Salento
5. Filandia
It is It is a town very similar to SalentoIt’s just a little bigger. What sets Filandia apart are the viewpoints with incredible views that it has in every corner. And it is that the landscapes that surround the town are based on green, leafy mountains and with coffee plantations that you can distinguish from a distance. Some are free and some are paid, but wherever you go, you’ll love the views, especially if you go at sunset. Everything seems to become a work of art!
Filandia also falls in love with its streets with colorful doors, flower-filled balconies, and the atmosphere of a typical coffee town from Colombia. In addition, the church of Filandia has a very beautiful design that adorns everything perfectly. It is a quieter town compared to Salento since it is not so famous. So there will be fewer tourists and you will be able to enjoy Filandia much more.
10 things to see and do in Filandia
6. Barbas Canyon, one of the best places to see in the Coffee Region to explore nature
Located between Filandia and Armenia, The Barbas River Canyon is the habitat of several endemic species of fauna like the curious howler monkey. While you go through these biological corridors, pay close attention to your surroundings since nature can surprise you at any time.
The source of this river is 2,200 meters above sea level, at the top of Morro Azul. It is part of the Central Cordillera, so you must prepare for the landscape to take your breath away. The Barbas Canyon is a magical place in the middle of nature What to see in the Coffee Axis.
7. Hot springs in Santa Rosa de Cabal
Like out of a movie, The hot springs in Santa Rosa de Cabal are a magnificent landscape to see in the Coffee Region. Without a doubt, you should set aside time to visit them. It is a natural hot spring with a complex built around it. You can relax in this outdoor spa, where its waters have some minerals that have healing properties.
Also, if you are looking for a bit of adventure you can explore the river through trails, suspension bridges that will guide you to its impressive waterfall. The landscape of the area is a spectacle of nature. The baths are located very about Pereiranext to the small town of Santa Rosa de Cabal.
8. Pijao
Pijao is one of the most beautiful municipalities of the Coffee Region, after Filandia and Salento. It is a beautiful town that is not well known by tourists. So it is calmer and nothing exploited. You will be delighted with Pijao! It has small streets adorned with the typical architecture of coffee towns. So you will come across several white houses full of colorful details and flowers that give the balconies a cheesy touch. On the other hand, if you like street art, Pijao has an authentic street gallery, a new way of looking at graffiti and street art.
Pijao also keeps a natural jewel, It is the Laguna de las Mellizas which belongs to the Los Nevados Natural Park. Get ready! To get there you will have to make a 5 hour hike approximately. But the trail is quite naughty as there is a lot of mud. This is one ideal experience for hikers and nature lovers.
After all that journey, the reward makes it all worthwhile since you will arrive at an incomparable landscape. a beautiful lagoon that stands out in the middle of the green mountains of Colombia. A marvel before your eyes!
9. Armenia
Armenia is a legend in the middle of the cities of Colombia. It is the capital of Quindío that surprisingly has withstood the worst seismic activity region of. In 1999, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake collapsed more than a third of the city, damaging almost every downtown building. But, thanks to the tenacity of the Antioqueños, the city was rebuilt in 15 years. This is considered a great feat!
In fact, Armenia was nicknamed as “The Miracle City”. Today the structures are anti-seismic and welcome hundreds of tourists who base themselves in Armenia to visit the wonderful places that surround it.
10. Manizales and its Cathedral Basilica Nuestra Señora del Rosario, one of the most imposing buildings to see in the Coffee Region
We finish our post of the best things What to see in the Coffee Axis with Manizales, the capital of the department of Caldas. This city keeps super interesting places. One of them is the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. ohWith its 113 meters high it impresses all visitors!
In addition, it has a design that combines the Gothic and Byzantine style. Another emblematic place of Manizales is the Cyprus neighborhood; here you should visit the Monument to the Colonizers, which recalls the founding of the city after the colonization of Antioquia, and the Cyprus Viewpoint. From here you will have amazing views of the entire city!
LOCATION OF THE BEST PLACES TO SEE IN THE COFFEE AXIS
On the following map you will find marked the 10 best places to see in the Coffee Region.
Source: https://lostraveleros.com/que-ver-en-el-eje-cafetero/
