Last updated on March 23, 2024.

Roldanillo is a hot town in the Valle del Cauca department of Southwest Colombia. It’s a popular spot for paragliding.

 

Introduction to Roldanillo

Roldanillo was founded as Villa de Cáceres on January 20, 1576, by Francisco Redondo Ponce de León. Due to fierce resistance by the indigenous population, the town moved in 1602 to its present site, which was a farm known as Estancia de Roldanillo. It’s a mostly flat town with very hot weather and there’s not a whole lot to see. The mountains outside Roldanillo are popular for paragliding.

 

Getting to Roldanillo

There’s no real bus terminal in Roldanillo. Buses leave from each company office. We arrived from Pereira using De Occidente. There are also frequent buses between the town and Cali, Armenia, Cartago, and nearby La Unión.

 

Parque Elias Guerrero

The main plaza of Roldanillo, Parque Elias Guerrero, is typical of the region with many trees and a fountain in the center. It’s also surrounded by a few historic buildings.

Parque Elias Guerrero in Roldanillo Valle del Cauca Colombia
Parque Elias Guerrero
Fountain in Parque Elias Guerrero in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Fountain
Building on the plaza
Building on the plaza

 

Church of San Sebastian

On the plaza is the Church of San Sebastian (Iglesia de San Sebastián), which is very modern in design. It contains some gorgeous stained glass windows, but we didn’t have a chance to enter.

Church of San Sebastian in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Church of San Sebastian

 

Calle 8

Calle 8 runs off the plaza. It’s a pedestrianized street containing a few cafés, restaurants, and shops.

Calle 8
Calle 8

 

Rayo Museum

If you’re passing through the area, the Rayo Museum (Museo Rayo) may be worth the detour. This small art museum was opened in 1981 by Omar Rayo (1928-2010), a Colombian abstract artist who worked mainly with geometric shapes. He was born in Roldanillo and also died there. The museum sits a block off the main plaza along Calle 8. Adult admission is COP$12,000 (as of June 2023) and it’s open daily.

Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Rayo Museum

The museum is housed in a unique building topped with domes and short hallways linking them to the lobby. In the permanent galleries, Rayo’s work features geometric shapes in both color and black and white.

Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum
Permanent gallery at the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Permanent gallery
Permanent gallery at the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Permanent gallery

In another gallery, temporary exhibitions of works by other artists are on display. The artists featured during my visit were Feliza Bursztyn (1933-1982), who made sculptures out of scrap metal, and textile artist Olga de Amaral. Both artists are Colombian.

Sculpture by Feliza Bursztyn at the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Sculpture by Feliza Bursztyn
Textiles by Olga de Amaral at the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Textiles by Olga de Amaral

After walking through an outdoor space which includes a small auditorium, a final gallery featured Rayo’s works on paper and a short video about his life.

Outdoor auditorium at the Rayo Museum
Outdoor auditorium
Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum
Rayo Museum

Omar Rayo’s grave is also on the museum grounds, flanked by two tall palm trees. Even the headstone was designed with a beautiful geometric optical illusion.

Grave of Omar Rayo at the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Grave of Omar Rayo

 

The Hermitage

A few blocks away, Hermitage Park (Parque de La Ermita) is another large plaza with many trees and benches. On one end is the Chapel of the Hermitage (Capilla de La Ermita), a national historic landmark. It dates back to the 17th century.

Hermitage Park in Roldanillo park Colombia Valle del Cauca
Hermitage Park
Chapel of the Hermitage in Roldanillo Colombia Valle del Cauca
Chapel of the Hermitage
Hermitage Park
Hermitage Park

 

Where to Stay in Roldanillo

We’ve visited Roldanillo a few times, mostly to see Marisol’s cousins. They’ve all been short trips except for one overnight.

 

Campos Verdes

On our one overnight stay, we spent the night at the lovely Campos Verdes. It’s a short drive (or long walk) from the center of town and contains a few private cabins as well as a larger building with a handful of rooms.

Campos Verdes in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Campos Verdes
Campos Verdes in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Campos Verdes
Outdoor sitting area at Campos Verdes
Outdoor sitting area

We stayed in a spacious cabin that could sleep up to eight, but it seems like it would be just comfortable enough for four. The cabin was comfortable and very clean with a loft and plenty of fans. We slept very well that night.

Cabin at Campos Verdes in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Cabin
Cabin at Campos Verdes in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Cabin
Bathroom in the cabin at Campos Verdes
Bathroom

Facilities include a pool, jacuzzi, and a restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant only opens on weekends and holidays, so we had to go into town for dinner. Breakfast was extra and worth the cost.

Pool at Campos Verdes
Pool
Restaurant at Campos Verdes
Restaurant

 

Where to Eat in Roldanillo

While we usually eat a home-cooked meal prepared by Marisol’s cousins, we have been out to eat once in Roldanillo.

 

L’Roma

We found a nice outdoor spot near the main plaza, L’Roma. They specialize in pizzas and burgers as well as a few other fast food type dishes. I had a delicious brick oven pizza. Service was a little slow but the pizza was worth the wait.

L'Roma
L’Roma
L'Roma in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
L’Roma
Pizza at L'Roma
Pizza

 

Heladería Frutalia

I grabbed an ice cream at Heladería Frutalia, right on the main plaza on pedestrianized Calle 8. Other than cups and cones of ice cream, they have a good selection of creations like banana splits, sundaes, and more.

Heladería Frutalia in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Heladería Frutalia

 

Map of Roldanillo

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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