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Viterbo is a small town in the Caldas department of Colombia. It sits in a valley and is approached via a gorgeous tree lined road with a bike path.
Introduction to Viterbo
The land around Viterbo was originally inhabited by the indigenous Apías, Umbrías, Chamíes, and Chapatas. The modern town was founded by Presbítero Nazario Restrepo Botero on April 19, 1911, and was officially made a municipality on December 31, 1951. It was named by Fr. Nazario Restrepo to honor his friend Monsignor Ragonesse who was born in Viterbo, Italy.
The town’s principal industry is sugarcane, and it’s becoming a vacation destination due to the many condos that have been constructed in and around the town. In fact, it’s nicknamed “The Tourist Paradise of Caldas” (El Paraiso Turistico de Caldas).
Getting to Viterbo
Viterbo is located just over an hour from the bus terminal in Pereira. It’s served by Transporte Zapata and Transportes Viterbo.
Tunnel of the Samanes
The road heading into town is called the Tunnel of the Samanes (Túnel de los Samanes). Huge samán trees line both sides of the road creating a tunnel almost all the way into town.
Since 2016, a local artist, Chalomenez Xkultr, has been creating sculptures along the road out of samán trees that have died. We were able to catch him in action and have a quick chat about his work.
He carves the trees and another local artist paints them. The last time we counted, there were eight sculptures in all with another not yet unveiled. There are plans to create more sculptures out of a few more trees that have died.
Plaza de Restrepo
While the entrance is very scenic, there’s not much to see in the town itself. Plaza de Restrepo, named after Fr. Nazario Restrepo, is the highlight. It’s filled with trees and surrounded by a few nice colonial buildings.
Church of the Immaculate
On one end of the plaza is the Church of the Immaculate (Iglesia de La Inmaculada). Before there was a church in Viterbo, Fr. Nazario Restrepo and other priests would celebrate Mass roughly every two weeks on Alto Palatino. The parish was founded in 1927 and a chapel was built out of bahareque. It was inaugurated on August 18, 1928, by Bishop Tiberio de Jesús Salazar y Herrera. The current structure was built between 1938 and 1944.
Mirador Alto Palatino
A few blocks uphill from the plaza is Mirador Alto Palatino, which is a tower with a restaurant and café. It’s free to climb up to an observation deck with beautiful views of the town and countryside (as of October 2024). There’s a mural opposite the entrance.
Polideportivo Municipal
If you’re looking to cool off from the extreme heat in town, head to Polideportivo Viterbo. This recreation center has a big pool as well as a kids pool, basketball courts, football fields, and more. There’s also a decent snack bar serving good food. We attended an event there and enjoyed the sancocho for lunch and empanadas as a snack.
Where to Eat in Viterbo
We’ve had a few meals while visiting the town over the years.
La Costeña
When we asked some locals for a restaurant recommendation, most of them steered us towards La Costeña. We each had the set menu and were both unhappy with the quality of the food. The meal consisted of meatball soup, grilled chicken breast, fries, salad, and a drink. It brought back not-so-fond memories of my elementary school lunches.
When we first visited in 2015, La Costeña was situated on the plaza next to the church. It has since moved a couple blocks away.
La Fonda
Since that first visit in 2015, a new local favorite has popped up. La Fonda is tucked away on a road near the entrance to town. It’s run by the same owners as La Fonda in Belén de Umbría and has the same menu. This one, however, is situated on a large finca outside town. There’s plenty of space for kids to run and play, and it’s in a peaceful environment.
The food is just as good as La Fonda in Belén. I had the frijoles montañeros, which is beans with a plate of chicharron, chorizo, patacón, rice, salad, and a fried egg.
