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If you find yourself in Pereira with extra time to kill, head across the bridge to the suburb of Dosquebradas.
Overview of Dosquebradas
Dosquebradas is a working-class city just north of Pereira. It was founded in 1844 and originally belonged to Santa Rosa de Cabal before becoming its own municipality on December 6, 1972. The city began growing as an industrial zone in the 1940s, and the construction of low-income housing in the 1970s led to a population boom. Many residents still commute to Pereira for work.
The name Dosquebradas comes from two creeks — Santa Teresita and Las Garzas — that run between it and Pereira. The city remains heavily industrial, with many textile and food factories, but there are also coffee farms in the hills outside town. Some rural areas of Dosquebradas are included in the UNESCO-listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Parque Lago de la Pradera
In Dosquebradas, you’ll find a pleasant park around a small lake that’s great for families and couples. Parque Lago de la Pradera has plenty of activities, and the entry fee is only COP$2,000 (as of July 2025). Extra activities cost more.
You can ride paddle boats, go swimming, play basketball, tennis, or football, go rollerblading, play paintball, or even ride horses. There are vendors selling fresh fruits and drinks and a few small cafeterias on the grounds.
A few small islands in the lake have chickens and rabbits, and feeding the ducks and fish is popular with kids — you can buy food from vending machines on the bridge. A couple of small ponds around the park have giant lily pads and bamboo near their shores.
Planning Your Trip to Dosquebradas
Here’s some practical info to help you plan your trip to Dosquebradas:
How to Get to Dosquebradas
A taxi is the easiest way to get to Dosquebradas from Pereira — just a short ride over the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct bridge that connects the two cities. When you need to get back to Pereira from one of the restaurants listed below, they can usually call a taxi for you.
Where to Stay in Dosquebradas
Lodging is generally better in nearby Pereira, but there are a few rural places in Dosquebradas that might suit your stay.
Best View Aparta Hotel
Best View Aparta Hotel is in the hills on the west side of town. It’s a simple place with a swimming pool and phenomenal views of Pereira.
We stayed in a large room with a balcony and kitchenette, and a mediocre breakfast was included. Unfortunately, our room didn’t have hot water.
Although the room was comfortable and we enjoyed the pool, we felt the place was terribly understaffed. The only staff member on duty — though friendly — struggled to run the hotel. Our original room hadn’t been made up when we arrived in the afternoon, apparently because the housekeeper never showed up. They ended up giving us a smaller room that wouldn’t fit our family. The staff member was nice enough to clean it herself, but there was no excuse for our room not to be ready at check-in.
Where to Eat in Dosquebradas
There are some decent places to grab a bite in town while enjoying views of Pereira.
El Columpio Parrilla
El Columpio Parrilla sits in the middle of an industrial park and serves steaks and traditional Colombian dishes in a laid-back atmosphere. We stopped in for lunch one afternoon and sat on the patio with great views of Pereira.
Our meal started with a complimentary arepa and guiso. We also ordered a portion of patacones. I had the personal-sized tomahawk ribeye — and while the menu says “personal,” it could easily feed two or three people. It was thick, juicy, and a bargain for the price. Marisol had a churrasco, which was more manageable for one. We really enjoyed our meal and the service was excellent.
Mirador Las Camelias
Mirador Las Camelias is on a hill on the outskirts of town with great views of Pereira and the surrounding area. Our meal was very filling: a picada for two was big enough to share among three people, with a variety of grilled meats. The space has been updated since my last visit.
El Parche Picnic
Just up the hill from Mirador Las Camelias, El Parche Picnic has several picnic tables — some with shelter — spread throughout a yard. In the evening you can see Pereira lit up in the distance.
The menu offers a good variety of steaks, burgers, fish, and Colombian favorites, plus an extensive drink list. Service is efficient and friendly, and overall it’s a nice place for a meal.
Nightlife in Dosquebradas
Dosquebradas is sometimes called the entertainment zone of Pereira because it has several bars and nightclubs that get packed on weekends.
Paradise
Paradise is one of the better-known nightclubs here and features theme parties and concerts. Doors open around 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. We showed up around 10pm and were told the wait to get in was about two hours — so it’s best to get there as early as possible.
Where to Shop in Dosquebradas
There are a couple shopping malls in town with decent stores.
Único Outlets
Único Outlets has some good deals, with stores from major brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma, as well as Colombian brands such as Gino Passcalli, KOAJ, and ELA. Prices here are usually better than at malls in Pereira.
El Progreso
A bit further down the road is El Progreso. It’s much bigger, with a movie theatre and a better food court. It also has some good stores.
