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Manizales is one of the three major cities located in Colombia’s Coffee Region and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. It’s mainly a university city and is home to one of the most important festivals in Colombia, the Manizales Fair (Feria de Manizales), which includes bullfighting events and an international beauty pageant. It also has a slightly more European feel to it than other Colombian cities.
Manizales is a surprisingly nice city. I didn’t expect so much during my visit but I found the city to be clean, safe, and friendly, with lots of entertainment options, especially along Avenida Santander in the Cable Plaza area. There are two major malls I visited with plenty of restaurants and movie theaters – Fundadores and Cable Plaza.
Getting There
The bus terminal is located at the bottom of the hill under the main part of the city. The nearest major city is Pereira, just an hour away. There’s also a small airport, La Nubia, that isn’t of much use because of a small runway and frequent weather issues.
Getting Around
Getting around is done 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 old city center to Cable Plaza in the east. There’s also a cable car line that runs from the city center down to the bus terminal. Taxis are plentiful and from one major part of town to another the cost is quite reasonable.
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, their staff greeted us with a smile and did everything possible to make us feel welcome.
The hotel has spacious comfortable rooms with large bathrooms and a minibar. There’s a small workspace just inside the door. The only negative was the noise of loud guests echoing into the room from the hallway.
The ground floor has a gourmet restaurant. A simple breakfast was included in the room rate and included eggs made to order, arepa, mini chorizo, cheese, ham, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice.
The jacuzzi on the rooftop terrace was a nice treat and a great place to wind down a long day. The views from the top were beautiful.
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 it was a bit overpriced.
Mountain Hostel
On my first stay, I stayed at Mountain Hostel. It’s located in a nice area near Cable Plaza in a quiet residential area. I booked a private double room and got 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 able to arrange our tour 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.
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 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.
