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Pijao is the perfect destination if you’re looking to go off the beaten path in Colombia’s Coffee Region.
Introduction to Pijao
Often referred to as “Salento without the tourists”, Pijao is gaining more recognition as one of the region’s most beautiful towns. Included in UNESCO’s Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, the small town features the same traditional architecture as Salento, complete with the colorful doors and windows. A breath of fresh air for many visitors is that you won’t find an overload of souvenir shops – and most likely other tourists – while enjoying the town.
The first settlers arrived to the area in the 1890s from the department of Tolima. They were later joined by other settlers from Manizales and the department of Antioquia. The town was officially founded on May 15, 1902, as San Antonio de Colón. It originally belonged to Calarcá until it became its own municipality in 1927. The name changed to Pijao in 1930. The very first road to town didn’t open until July 20, 1938.
Getting to Pijao
To get to Pijao, there are frequent buses from Armenia. It takes about 90 minutes. If you have enough time, it’s a good idea to combine a visit to Pijao with Buenavista to sample the coffee in both towns. Your taste buds will thank you.
Where to Eat in Pijao
We didn’t have a meal, but we did find some great coffee.
Café La Floresta
If you want to try some of the best coffee in the entire region, visit Café La Floresta, which is located just off the plaza. It’s a tiny place with just a few tables and they produce an excellent coffee.
The owner was happy to tell us about their finca and what sets their coffee apart. We had their honey coffee in a Chemex and a pintadito (coffee with milk).
Plaza
The obvious place to start exploring Pijao is the main plaza. There you can see the lush green mountains surrounding the town.
The plaza is surrounded on all sides by the most colorful traditional buildings in town. On the north side you’ll find the Church of San José de Pijao (Iglesia de San José de Pijao).
Town Hall
The Town Hall (Alcaldía) sits on the southeast corner of the plaza. Inside is an exhibition of ceramics made by the indigenous Pijao people for whom the town is named. The Pijao actually called themselves “Pinao” but because the Spaniards encountered them naked, they called them “Pijao”. In old Spanish it means having the sexual organs exposed.
Exploring Pijao
There are a few streets in town where you can find the most colorful traditional architecture outside of the plaza. To the north of the plaza you can walk down La Planta.
To the south of the plaza is Calle Real.
There are also some beautiful buildings just off Calle Real.
If you walk east of the plaza, there are a few colorful homes. That street leads to a bridge crossing the Río Lejos.
