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Cerritos is a suburb just west of Pereira, Colombia. It’s mostly residential but there are a few great hotels and restaurants in the area. Bioparque Ukumarí and Parque Consotá are also located there.
Sonesta Hotel Pereira
If you’re looking for a great weekend getaway while in Colombia’s Coffee Region, the Sonesta Hotel Pereira has just about everything you need.
Sonesta Hotel Pereira is a luxury hotel with a friendly staff and a gourmet restaurant on-site. There are 149 rooms in the main tower and 16 separate villas. The villas can sleep an entire family and come complete with a kitchenette.
Rooms at Sonesta Hotel Pereira
We stayed in a king room in the main tower. The room was very spacious and modern with a comfortable bed. We loved the electronic shades that gave us complete darkness at night, and the silence as well. It was the best quality sleep we could ever expect. The view was also excellent, although we didn’t have a balcony.
Amenities at Sonesta Hotel Pereira
The hotel features a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar, but unfortunately we weren’t allowed to be served there. There’s also a kid’s pool. A gym, Turkish sauna, jacuzzi, and spa are steps from the pool area, which is surrounded by the villas.
The views from the hotel are incredible. From the upper floors, you can see the entire area which is almost completely green except for Pereira.
Breakfast at Sonesta Hotel Pereira
A buffet breakfast was included and was served in the restaurant on the ground floor. It was a madhouse when we arrived without an empty table in sight. After we waited for some space to clear up, we got in line and served ourselves. The only negatives are that the food was cold and could have been better quality for such a nice hotel.
Where to Eat in Cerritos, Pereira
Cerritos is a suburb of Pereira west of the city. Most of our meals have been at Cerritos del Mar, which is a small upscale strip mall on the western outskirts of Pereira. It’s got a few shops but is better known for its good selection of restaurants. We’ve also eaten at the Sonesta Hotel Pereira.
Octavo by Rausch
The eight floor of the Sonesta Hotel Pereira hosts Octavo by Rausch, a revolving restaurant run by award-winning chefs the Rausch brothers. They serve a wonderful variety of gourmet starters, fish, meat, and pasta dishes in a lovely setting. Reservations are highly recommended.
We tried the pulpo a la plancha (grilled octopus) to start. Marisol had a salmon dish while I tried the beef bourguignon. The portions were large and everything was delicious. We would definitely go back there again.
Zakani
On our first trip to Cerritos del Mar we had lunch at Zakani. In addition to sushi, they serve rice and noodle dishes, nikkei cuisine, and Japanese-inspired specialties.
Looking at the menu, there’s a very good variety of sushi at Zakani. We ordered a few rolls and we liked all but one. We also ordered a breaded crab stick appetizer to start. The food was good, service was efficient, and we would go back again.
El Correo y Amada
At the end of Cerritos del Mar is El Correo y Amada. It’s an upscale steakhouse and pastry shop with a few branches elsewhere in Colombia. We stopped in for dinner one night and left impressed with both our meal and service.
We started with an order of edamame and salmon croquettes. The croquettes are excellent, and both dishes were a great way to kick off our meal.
For my main course, I had the black sterling, which is a thick cut of steak encrusted in a variety of spices, including garlic, chile, sea salt, and a mix of peppers. It was incredibly tender and juicy. Marisol had the churrasco, which she also enjoyed.
For dessert, we shared a tentación, which is a cottage cheese and apple cake covered in almonds. It comes with a warm salted caramel sauce to pour on top.
Céntrico (Permanently Closed)
Céntrico, which is also at Cerritos del Mar, offers a creative twist to Colombian and international dishes using locally sourced food. Service is very friendly and they do a great job of explaining each dish.
I tried the shrimp ravioli while Marisol had the salmon on a bed of chontaduro purée . We each washed our meal down with a fermented passionfruit soda, which I wasn’t too crazy about. The food was good and we appreciated the excellent service and effort, but the food was very expensive for Colombia.
Cosku
For dessert at Cerritos del Mar we stopped into Cosku, a frozen yogurt place. They offer both frozen yogurt and natural yogurt with a number of delicious toppings to choose from.
Mae Asian Cuisine
Mae Asian Cuisine is an excellent restaurant located at Castilla Plaza. They have a big menu offering sushi, pad thai, rice and noodle dishes, and curries.
We visited for dinner on the way home and had the tasting menu. It’s perfect for two people and is a great way to sample some of their best dishes. It comes with Asian tacos, two beef gyozas, a dragon roll, Thai rice, beef curry Mae, a dessert, and two drinks, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. We also ordered edamame.
The meal was fantastic and service is excellent. Our server did a great job of introducing each dish and was very attentive throughout. Every dish is delicious and left us wanting more. We can’t wait to get back to Mae for another amazing meal.
El Llanerito
We stopped for lunch at El Llanerito, a roadside restaurant on the way to Pereira. They serve carne a la llanera and they do it well.
We shared a picada for two, which is a perfect mix of freshly made carne a la llanera. It’s served with a complementary guiso as a starter and a plate full of baked potatoes and yucca. For dessert, we got a chocolate mousse. The food is delicious and service is friendly. Portion sizes are perfect and the prices are fair. We’d go back again.
El Garaje
El Garaje runs with a motorcycle theme. There’s a covered outdoor dining room with a bar and stage for occasional live music as well as a dirt bike track. They’re typically open at 3pm on weekdays and 1pm on weekends.
El Garaje has very good burgers and decent steaks. Drinks are great, service is friendly, and we enjoyed the atmosphere. Prices are reasonable.
La Finca de Rigo
A great place in Cerritos for both families and groups is La Finca de Rigo. It’s owned by professional cyclist Rigoberto Urán. In addition delicious food, there are plenty of options to keep kids entertained.
Food at La Finca de Rigo
Let’s start with the food. As a starter, we had the chicharron melao, which is chicharron, potatoes, and arepas drizzled with honey and pico de gallo. It was a great way to kick off our meal.
As a main course, on one visit, I had a nacho bowl and Marisol had the churrasco. The nachos are topped with pulled pork, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar, bacon, pico de gallo, and a coriander aioli. The churrasco was juicy and full of flavor.
On another visit, I had the La Chismosa burger, which is certified angus beef covered in Monterrey jack, mozzarella, double cream, and cheddar; pulled pork in a tamarind barbecue sauce; and nachos. It was delicious. We have both been very happy with our choices and look forward to going back for more.
For dessert, we’ve shared the troya, which is an affogato topped with peanuts, and the red velvet cake. The cake was a little dry but still tasty.
Entertainment at La Finca de Rigo
To keep our little one entertained, we visited the farm. It’s free to visit, but for an extra fee you can buy carrots to feed the animals. On display you’ll find ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, and rabbits.
Outside the entrance to the farm is a small aviary. You can pay a fee to enter and take photos with exotic birds. We thought it was a little overpriced for the short amount of time you get inside.
There are two playgrounds at La Finca de Rigo. One of them is free and the other is paid. The paid playground has a bouncy house, trampoline, a sandbox, and an activity center where kids can paint and draw. It’s also possible to rent bikes and ride around a dirt track.
