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.
Chinchiná is a large town located about halfway between the cities of Manizales and Pereira. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
These two small coffee towns in the department of Caldas, Neira and Aranzazu, are both part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Neither one are particularly worth visiting, but they both have beautiful settings and its an enjoyable ride through lush green mountains.
Café El Polo in Salamina has a couple unique local delicacies that must be tried when visiting. They’re called huevos al vapor and la macana. Although they can be found in other places around town, Café El Polo is the original café where they were invented back in 1955. The café is located on Calle Real, a short walk from the plaza.
Salamina is one of the most beautiful towns in the Coffee Region of Colombia. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, and gets barely any visitors compared to places like Salento and Filandia.
Recinto del Pensamiento is one of the best attractions in Manizales. It’s a peaceful nature park with a very relaxed and easy guided walk that can be done by people of all ages. Recinto del Pensamiento is located within the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Los Yarumos Ecopark (Ecoparque Los Yarumos) is a nature and recreational park near the city center of Manizales. Admission was free when we visited and there were great views of the city, but the rest of the park was kind of a waste of time. The easiest way to get there is by taxi.
The most important building in Manizales is the Manizales Cathedral (Catedral de Manizales). It’s located on Plaza de Bolívar.