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Belalcázar is a town in the Caldas department of Colombia. It’s located up on a high ridge in the mountains and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. It was founded on November 29, 1888.
Getting to Belalcázar
Belalcázar is located just over an hour from Pereira. Flota Occidental and Sociedad de Transportadores La Virginia have service to Belalcázar from the bus terminal .
Cristo Rey de Belalcázar
The main attraction in town is Cristo Rey de Belalcázar. It happens to be the 4th tallest Christ the Redeemer statue in the world and the tallest in Colombia. The statue stands 45.5 meters tall from the base of the pedestal to the tip of the head. The figure of Christ itself is 30 meters tall.
The statue was built between 1948 and 1954 by a local priest, Antonio José Valencia Murillo, for prayer and religious protection from violence that hit the region in the middle of the 20th century. It’s located on the southern end of town.
Out front, there’s a nicely manicured lawn with a gazebo, sitting areas, and souvenir stands, while the base of the statue holds a small chapel. There’s a small crypt inside the chapel as well.
Opposite the statue is a small restaurant serving coffee and snacks with breakfast and daily lunch specials. Staff is very friendly and excited to try speaking English with me.
Climbing Up Cristo Rey
Cristo Rey is the only Christ the Redeemer statue in the world that allows visitors to walk up to the top. There’s an interior staircase with 154 steps. Admission is COP$10,000 (as of February 2024).
The first floor of the statue contains a viewing platform where you can see several different cities and departments on a clear day. Inside is a collection of panels indicating the tallest Christ the Redeemer statues in the world.
My favorite view is at the very top of the statue. A window inside the head lets you peer out at the outstretched arms, which creates quite a poetic scene of the hand of Christ reaching into the clouds. There are also great views of the entire town and surrounding landscape.
Plaza in Belalcázar
There’s not much to the town center. The main road through town runs through the main plaza.
The plaza is small but scenic, surrounded by bars, restaurants, and shops as well as the town hall. There are some great views from the streets intersecting the plaza.
Immaculate Mary Church
Immaculate Mary Church (Iglesia María Inmaculada), is quite plain and nothing to write home about. It looks more like a barn than a church to me.
Eating at Rosa María
If you’re looking for an excellent meal in Belalcázar, there’s a great restaurant at the southern exit of town just past Cristo Rey. Rosa María serves delicious traditional Colombian food in a colorful setting with fantastic views.
Marisol and I took our friend Wes from Chicago to lunch there after visiting the statue and we all loved our meals. The only problem was that our first choices from the menu weren’t available, but other than that the service was great and the prices are fair. We all shared an appetizer of patacón while Marisol had the sancocho. I tried the frijoles (beans) while Wes had chicken in mushroom sauce.
On another visit with some tourists from Denver, Colorado, we all had calentao for breakfast. All of our guests were happy with their meals.
1 Comment
Why is the statue in the Chapel has Jesus covering his eyes, or his face with the cross on his back?