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Several Colombian friends had suggested I visit the town of Quimbaya, about 40 minutes from Armenia. I decided to take their advice and visit this town that’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia one afternoon.
We arrived and had a quick lunch. That’s where the excitement ended. We asked the server for some suggestions of what to see in town and she answered by shaking her head slowly and uttering a firm “nada” (nothing). She was right.
The town itself wasn’t bad, but one friend did a great job of building it up way too much. It lacked the colonial buildings most small towns in the Coffee Region have and was so modern the streets looked like any other city. Maybe I’m missing something.
Plaza
We walked around the plaza for a few minutes which was full of families entertaining their children. Some Saturday mornings, there’s a farmer’s market with fresh products from the region or a craft market.
Church
Next, we visited the church. It seemed to be quite new. It’s a nice brick structure with some beautiful stained glass work.
Craft Shop
We stepped into the craft shop to take a quick look around. The Quimbaya History and Art Museum (Museo de Historia y Arte Quimbaya) used to be next door but was closed on my latest visit.
Other Plaza
We then decided to grab a bus back to Pereira from another plaza just a few blocks away. This plaza was where all the jeeps loaded up and headed into different towns nearby. It was also a bit unsavory and Marisol was uncomfortable there.
Getting There and Away
If coming from the Pereira bus terminal, Expreso Alcalá has the only direct service to Quimbaya. Buses leave roughly every 15 minutes. Our bus ride back to Pereira took a good hour and a half. It made a quick stop in the nearby town of Alcalá, which isn’t anything to write home about. The rest of the trip was down a winding country road through lush green hills and the occasional bamboo forest.
Buses to Montenegro and Armenia leave from a small building just a couple blocks from the main plaza.
Balcón de Miramar (Permanently Closed)
For lunch, try Balcón de Miramar overlooking the plaza. The food was good. We both had chicken with melted cheese on top.
Guanapalo
For an even better lunch, try Guanapalo. It’s a few steps from the main plaza and has great meat dishes. We got the picada for two and it was a ton of food for a decent price.
Toscana
Toscana is a decent café on the corner of the plaza. They have good service and a nice atmosphere. There’s also a full menu serving a variety of dishes.
PANACA
One major tourist attraction is located near Quimbaya, which is probably the best reason anyone has to pass through town. PANACA is an agricultre-based theme park where visitors get hands-on access to farm animals and agriculture. Buses leave from Quimbaya’s main plaza with Coomodequi and take about 20 minutes to reach the park.
Balsaje
Another great activity that leaves from Quimbaya is a bamboo rafting trip on Río La Vieja.
