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Barcelona is the nearest town to the touristic Recuca coffee plantation in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Introduction to Barcelona, Colombia
Barcelona was founded in 1914 and belongs to the municipality of Calarcá. It’s quite a large town and I’m surprised it’s not a municipality itself. To be honest, there’s no real reason to visit but we decided to stop and check it out while passing through on our way to the towns of Buenavista and Pijao.
Plaza de Bolívar
The focal point of the small town is Plaza de Bolívar. It’s a decent sized plaza that has a few nice buildings, the unattractive Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen), and not much more.
Where to Eat in Barcelona, Colombia
There’s a great place just outside town we like to stop at for lunch. We’ve also had coffee on the plaza.
Alfredo Café
Looking to grab a cup of coffee, we had two choices. We spotted a quirky looking place on the plaza called Baracoa and Alfredo Café across the street. Baracoa was completely empty while Alfredo Café had a good crowd. The choice was simple.
Alfredo Café has fast and friendly service and a decent atmosphere but the coffee is so-so. Good thing we were on our way to Café San Alberto in Buenavista!
El Mirador La Mona
On another trip through the area, we stopped for lunch at El Mirador La Mona. It’s located just a few minutes drive past Barcelona at the turn to Pijao and Córdoba.
This roadside hole-in-the-wall serves the best bandeja paisa I’ve ever had in Colombia as well as a delicious sancocho. We’ve turned it into a must-stop just about every time we pass through.