Last updated on March 3, 2024.
Basics on Pereira, the biggest city in Colombia’s Coffee Region. It’s known mostly for its great food and nightlife and as a base for nearby natural attractions.
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Matecaña International Airport
Matecaña International Airport is located a convenient 10-15 minute taxi ride from the city center. It was originally built between 1944 and 1947, and replaced with a new terminal in the early 1970s. Thankfully, a much nicer and more modern terminal building opened in 2020.
The airport contains a decent food court, underground parking, and some shops. In the arrival area, there are a few places to rent a car.
There are frequent domestic flights to cities like Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena. International flights arrive from Miami, New York City, and Panama City (as of January 2024).
Pereira Bus Terminal
The bus terminal is located near the city center. Several bus companies run routes to major cities and smaller, regional towns and villages. There’s frequent service to major cities like Bogotá, Medellín, Armenia, Manizales, and Cali.
Getting Around Pereira
Getting around town is easy on foot and via taxi. It’s generally safe to walk around Pereira during the day, but you need to be careful in certain parts. You’ll recognize a seedy area if you see it. At night, take a taxi if you’re outside the Circunvalar area.
Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas
Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas, which is covered in a separate entry, is the home of Pereira’s football club, Deportivo Pereira. It can accommodate over 30,000 people. It also holds concerts.
Shopping in Pereira
For shopping, the nicest place is Parque Arboleda on Circunvalar, which has upscale shops, a movie theatre, and good restaurants.
Victoria Mall, just south of the city center, has a few decent stores as well and is a bit cheaper. It also has a movie theatre and some decent places to eat.
There’s also Unicentro (near the airport) and Pereira Plaza (next to the Movich Hotel) which are both filled with good shops and restaurants as well.
Nightlife in Pereira
Nightlife in Pereira is great. Avenida Circunvalar has several clubs and bars. We tried La Cantaleta but ended up leaving because they required us to buy a bottle if we wanted to enter. There are several other places up and down the strip to visit, including BARcelona (which also serves decent food).
Just across the bridge in Dosquebradas is Paradise, a huge nightclub. Doors open around 8pm. We got there at 10pm and were told it would be about a two hour wait to get in. It’s best to get there as early as possible.