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A large town in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, Caicedonia is located in the department of Valle del Cauca. It sits only 45 minutes from Armenia.
Caicedonia is an interesting town because it belongs culturally to the Coffee Region even though it’s in Valle del Cauca. It’s a relatively new town, founded in 1910, so there really isn’t much in the way of architecture. The nicest thing about Caicedonia is its large, open plazas.
Getting There
On my first trip to Caicedonia, I used Coomoquin to travel there from Armenia. The bus terminal is attached to the Market Plaza, which sits on Plaza de las Palmas (see below). On the second trip, we drove in our car. No matter the mode of transportation, it’s an easy trip and very scenic along the way.
Parque del Carmen
Parque del Carmen is the main plaza in Caicedonia. It’s a very nice plaza full of life, with tall trees and palms and surrounded by several shops, restaurants, and cafés. On my first visit to town, the plaza was under renovation, so it was nice to see the results on my return trip.
The south side of Parque del Carmen contains a row of coffee shops. They have covered seating overlooking the park and it’s a great place to enjoy a nice conversation with friends or family.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
On the south end of the plaza is Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuestra Señora del Carmen), which is the main church in Caicedonia. The interior is simple but it’s nice to pop in if it’s open.
Plaza de las Palmas
Plaza de las Palmas, officially named Parque Gutiérrez y Arango, is full of tall palms and is a couple blocks north of Parque del Carmen. It’s a very nice space to walk through. The park is dedicated to the town’s founder, Daniel Gutiérrez y Arango, and a bust of him is located at the park.
A statue of Cacique Chanama sits in the center of the park. Chanama was a leader of the Burila tribe. The statue was sculpted by Darío de Jesús Villa and unveiled on November 12, 1992.
Unfortunately, Parque de las Palmas wasn’t very clean and didn’t exactly attract the best crowd of people. While there were a few couples and older men sitting and chatting, we saw a fight break out in the plaza after a few drunk men stumbled out of the bar across the street. That involved some beer bottles being thrown and shattering all over the sidewalk.
Market Plaza
The large building across the street from Parque de las Palmas is the Market Plaza (Plaza de Mercado), which is usually full of action. Many small bars blasting loud music line the outside of the market, as well as jeeps filling up with supplies.
Cultural Center
Finally, a few blocks south of Parque del Carmen is the Cultural Center (Casa de la Cultura). It was closed when I walked by but supposedly contains a small archaeological museum.
Ambrosias Heladería
For a nice treat, we popped into Ambrosias Heladería, which is located on Parque del Carmen. This ice cream shop has a good variety of flavors as well as a ball pit for kids.
