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Fresno is a town in the far north of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It sits along the main road between Manizales and Bogotá.
Introduction to Fresno, Tolima
Fresno, on the edge of the Coffee Region, was first settled in 1850 by colonizers from Antioquia. A village was formed in 1857 and originally called Mosquesada, in honor of four-time Colombian president Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera (1798-1878) and Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579). The latter founded a settlement around 1554 called Santa Águeda del Gualí, which was in the vicinity of modern-day Fresno but has left no trace.
Mosquesada was an important stopover for travelers heading between Mariquita and towns further west such as Anserma or Supía. The name changed to Fresno in 1858 or 1859, to commemorate a flowering tree abundant in the area. The village officially became a municipality on October 13, 1887.
The first economic activity of Fresno was mining, but around 1890, it became a coffee-producing center. By 1915, the town had a station on the Manizales-Mariquita Cableway allowing for distribution and marketing of coffee and other goods. The highway opened in 1930 and the cableway became obsolete and stopped operating in 1968.
Fresno suffered from political violence that gripped the region from the late 1940s through early 1960s, drug cartels and guerrillas in the late 1970s and 1980s, and paramilitary groups in the early 2000s. The violence has had a lasting effect, giving rise to societal and social problems and stunting the town’s development.
Today, in addition to coffee cultivation and other agricultural products, Fresno, Tolima, has a growing ecotourism sector.
Parque Principal in Fresno, Tolima
Parque Principal is the main plaza in Fresno. It’s a pleasant space with tall trees, a band shell, and a small coffee kiosk. There are also street vendors as well as games for kids.
The plaza is surrounded by a mixture of modern and colonial buildings. They’re occupied by restaurants, shops, banks, and the town hall.
Cableway Monument
Near the band shell, you’ll find a monument dedicated to the town’s farmers and the Manizales-Mariquita Cableway. It was designed by Benjamín Castaño and built by sculptor Orlando Guerrero, and dedicated in 2005.
Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro) is on the west side of the plaza. The parish was founded on December 13, 1913. At the main altar is a copy of the original Byzantine icon of the church’s namesake, painted on the island of Crete in the 15th century.
Where to Eat in Fresno, Tolima
We’ve stopped into a couple places for lunch and coffee while passing through town.
Café Tertulia
Café Tertulia, just a block east of Parque Principal, has become a go-to coffee stop for our trips towards Bogotá. It’s got a pleasant atmosphere, great service, and most importantly, excellent coffee. We’ve tried the Chemex and americano.
In addition to coffee, Café Tertulia has a full menu with sandwiches, cakes, and specialty drinks. We’ve ordered a few sandwiches to go, including the tertulia and viejo oeste, which are both delicious. For drinks, we’ve had the piña fresa (pineapple strawberry) and fresa romero (strawberry rosemary). The red velvet cake is a great way to add some sweetness to your visit.
Mirador Santo Domingo donde Lenin
Located high above Fresno is Mirador Santo Domingo donde Lenin. It’s a little hard to reach, up an extremely narrow two-way road, but it’s worth the effort. Once there, you’ll find friendly staff, entertainment in the form of video games and air hockey, and of course good food at reasonable prices.
There are a few different areas to sit and enjoy your meal. At the main building, where you’ll find the games, there’s both an outdoor and covered area.
The circular building has amazing views of Fresno and the surrounding area, and so does another small outdoor section that you have to cross a bridge to reach.
As for the views, you can see all of Fresno as well as the hills and mountains to the east. On a ridge to the south is town of Palocabildo.
For lunch, we ordered patacón con hogao to start. I had the punta de anca while Marisol had the cazuela de frijoles. Others in our group tried the grilled trout and nuggets. Everything was great except for the nuggets, which are topped with an abomination of cheese, sauces, potato chips, and other things. It was just too much to handle. My steak was a little on the salty side but the meat was otherwise good and tender.
