Manizales is one of the three major cities located in the Coffee Region of Colombia.
My Posts on Manizales
Introduction to Manizales
Manizales was founded on October 12, 1849, by a group of 20 settlers from the towns of Neira and Salamina. It became the capital of the newly-formed Department of Caldas in 1905, and the economy flourished with the arrival of the railroad in 1919. Although Manizales was largely destroyed by fires in 1922, 1925, and 1926, it continued to develop, prioritizing the promotion of culture, education, and industry. The city grew in importance as the country’s epicenter of coffee production from the 1950s through 1970s.
Today, Manizales is the second largest university city in Colombia. It also hosts one of the country’s most important cultural festivals, the Feria de Manizales, which was inaugurated in 1951 and includes bullfighting events as well as an international beauty pageant. Manizales has a cool climate and a slightly more European feel to it than other Colombian cities. It’s among the cities with the best quality of life in the country. Some rural areas of Manizales are included in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Manizales is a surprisingly nice city. I didn’t expect so much during my first visit, but on every visit since, I’ve found the city to be clean, safe, and friendly. There are lots of entertainment options, especially in the Zona Rosa, which is along Avenida Santander in the Cable Plaza area and around Parque La Estrella. There are a few good malls and plenty of good restaurants.
Getting to Manizales
The bus terminal is located at the bottom of the hill on the south side of the city. The nearest major city is Pereira, just an hour away. There’s also a small airport, La Nubia, which has connections to Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín. It has a small runway and frequent weather issues, so it might be easier to fly into Pereira.
Getting Around Manizales
You can get around easily by bus. The main bus line runs from east to west along Avenida Santander and can get you from Chipre in the northwest through the historic city center and on to Cable Plaza in the east. Taxis are plentiful and the cost is quite reasonable.
Manizales Cable Car
The cable car line opened on October 30, 2009. Line 1 runs from Fundadores Station in the city center down to Los Cámbulos Station at the bus terminal. From there, you can take Line 2 to connect to the town of Villamaria. Tickets cost COP$2,900 per person, and kids under 100 centimeters ride free (as of April 2025). Line 3 is currently under construction and will connect the bus terminal with Cable Plaza. It’s expected to open in July 2025 (as of April 2025).
Where to Stay in Manizales
We’ve stayed in a handful of different hotels over the years on our trips to Manizales.
QUO Quality Hotel
The best hotel we’ve stayed at in Manizales is QUO Quality Hotel. From the very moment we pulled up the car, the staff greeted us with smiles and did everything possible to make us feel welcome.
The hotel has spacious comfortable rooms with large bathrooms and a minibar. Standard rooms have a small workspace just inside the door while junior suites have a small kitchenette and living room.
Deluxe suites have two rooms, a kitchenette, and living room. The only negative was the noise of loud guests echoing into the room from the hallway.
The ground floor has a restaurant with good food. A simple breakfast is included in the room rate and includes eggs made to order, arepa, mini chorizo, cheese, ham, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice.
The jacuzzi on the rooftop terrace is a nice treat and a great place to wind down a long day. The views from up there are beautiful.
Hotel Carretero
A great place to stay near the city center is Hotel Carretero. It’s billed as a four-star hotel and has a restaurant, gym, spa, and a wonderful staff.
The rooms are spacious and comfortable although a bit dated. We had a room on the seventh floor with great views. A very good buffet breakfast was included in the rate.
Hotel Varuna
Hotel Varuna is located on a quiet street in the Zona Rosa, a short walk from several restaurants. Staff is friendly and helpful, the room was huge, and the bed was very comfortable. The buffet breakfast was decent as well. We loved our stay there, but we feel it was a bit overpriced.
Mountain Hostels
On my first visit to Manizales, I stayed at Mountain Hostels. It’s located in a nice area near Cable Plaza in a quiet residential area. I booked a private double room with breakfast included. The hostel was clean and most of the staff were very friendly and helpful – except the guy that checked us in. The staff was also able to arrange a tour for our first visit to Nevado del Ruiz.
Hotel Los Cambulos
If transiting through Manizales (or for a budget stay), Hotel Los Cambulos is a good choice. Located a short walk from the bus terminal and cable car, rooms are small but clean and comfortable with good WiFi. The only issue is the noise from the highway outside. A restaurant serving traditional Colombian food is on the ground level. They have huge breakfasts for an additional cost.
Where to Eat in Manizales
I’ve had some great experiences with restaurants in Manizales. There are all kinds of restaurants to choose from, including traditional Colombian, Mexican, sushi, and more.
KOMO
KOMO is an excellent sushi restaurant near Parque Estrella. It’s one of our favorite places in Manizales, serving some of the best sushi we’ve had in Colombia. We’ve visited a couple times and have had nothing but great experiences. I’ll leave you with a bunch of photos of the rolls and other items we ordered.
Al Chile Taquería
At the end of the next block you’ll find Al Chile Taquería, which serves up delicious authentic Mexican specialties. We popped in for dinner one night and shared an order of guacamole to start as well as taquitos (mini tacos) al pastor and carnitas. Everything was fantastic. We finished off with an amazing plate of flautas. If you’re looking for great Mexican food, this should be at the top of your list.
Sushi Time
Sushi Time is located next to Hotel Varuna. They serve very good sushi and have friendly service. On our first visit, we ordered a boat with 36 pieces.
On our second visit, we started off with edamame and shared a bowl of noodle soup, which has a tomato base and is filled with ramen and pieces of steak.
We also shared four different rolls of sushi. Each roll has 10 pieces and comes in a beautiful presentation. Unfortunately, you can’t order ½ rolls like in some other sushi restaurants in Colombia.
Urban Picnic
Urban Picnic is located along Avenida Santander a couple blocks form Cable Plaza. It’s a place you’ll want to avoid. Service is horrible and the food isn’t that great. By far it was the worst experience we’ve had eating out in Manizales.
Bozko
On the eastern outskirts of Manizales is Bozko. It’s a fun place overlooking the city with amazing food and great service. They offer traditional Colombian favorites with a gourmet twist as well as pizzas, burgers, and tacos. They also make very good cocktails.
We visited with a group for lunch and all shared a couple starters. The patatas bravas are very good although a bit different than the authentic Spanish specialty. The ceviche is delicious as well.
Our main courses were varied. I had a juicy burger topped with bacon and mozzarella while Marisol had the mariscada (seafood rice). Others had a churrasco and chicken tender tacos. Everyone loved their meal.
Santo Kaffeto
Further down the road seemingly in the middle of nowhere is Santo Kaffeto. This small coffee joint serves very good coffee as well as lunch and desserts. While the coffee is very good, we felt the place was dirty. The main branch is in the city center, so you’re probably better off going there instead.
La Azotea
La Azotea is on the top floor of the BCH Building on Plaza de Bolívar. Head to the elevator and the attendant will get you on your way to a great meal with a view.
We started off with a bowl of tomato soup and ceviche. The soup is excellent and great way to kick off a meal. The ceviche is also good but we felt the portion size was too small for the price.
For our main courses, I had the New York strip while Marisol had the cazuela pacífico (Pacific seafood stew), which comes with coconut rice, avocado, and patacón with guiso. The steak was perfectly cooked and the stew was fantastic.
After you finish your meal, don’t forget to check out the amazing 360° views of Manizales, with Plaza de Bolívar below.
Tazzioli Café
Tazzioli Café is definitely a unique place to have coffee. It’s located on the second floor of the Manizales Cathedral, accessible via the elevator on the east side of the building. They have very good coffee and great views of Plaza de Bolívar.
Solo Raices
Mirador de Chipre is lined with food trucks, and we stopped at Solo Raices for a quick bite. We each had a combo with fries. I had chicken strips while Marisol had a mix with beef, pork, and chicken. Service is friendly but the food isn’t that great.
Coffee Jeep
Also at Mirador de Chipre is a jeep café. It’s a nice novelty with the attendant dressed in traditional Colombian clothing, but the coffee is horrible.
Shopping in Manizales
Manizales has a good collection of shopping malls. Fundadores is near the city center while Mall Plaza, Cable Plaza, and Sancancio are on the east side of the city. Our favorite by far is Mall Plaza. Sancancio isn’t very good.
Artistic Manhole Covers
Something to look out for while exploring Manizales are the artistic manhole covers. There are nearly 50 of them scattered throughout the city, each depicting an important landmark. A panel gives a brief description of the landmark, the artist’s name, and a QR code for more information.
Views of Nevado del Ruiz
If the weather cooperates, Manizales is a great place to see Nevado del Ruiz. This volcano, located within Los Nevados National Park, is usually visible early in the morning between the hours of 5am and 7am.
