Last updated on December 20, 2023.
Sitting high in the mountains in the department of Caldas, Aguadas is known not only as the sombrero capital of Colombia, but also the home of Colombia’s best pionono pastry, the capital of pasillo music, and last but not least, the city of “brumas” (clouds that frequently engulf the town). If that’s not enough, Aguadas is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. That’s quite a lot to live up to.
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Eating
For food in Aguadas, there aren’t many options. We ate twice at Milagros, a fun restaurant with lots of choices and very good food just off the plaza. They have steaks, sandwiches, salads, fast food, arepas, patacones, and more.
Venecia is on the corner of the plaza to the left of the church. Food is cheap and of a decent quality. Sit outside on the balcony to take advantage of the views.
We also had a quick lunch at Restaurante María C. The service was friendly and food was cheap, but we weren’t too impressed with the quality.
Hotel Sueño Dorado
We stayed at the Hotel Sueño Dorado. It’s a decent hotel with clean rooms and lukewarm water but not so good wifi. There are two locations. The main location is a half block from the plaza. The other location is another 2 blocks down a steep hill in an unmarked building. There are no differences in the rooms in either location.
Watch Your Step!
Aguadas has some steep hills in town. Be very careful if it’s raining. It can get very slippery. I wiped out on a sidewalk even when being careful.
Getting There
Aguadas is off the beaten path. Getting there could take a lot of patience traveling down bumpy gravel roads that can’t be avoided no matter which city you come from. The nearest major cities with direct bus service are Manizales and Medellín. From Medellín, it takes about four hours.
From Manizales, there are two routes. The faster route is via La Pintada and could take about four hours. The slower route is through Salamina and takes roughly five hours. The bus terminal is just a block from the main plaza.