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.
PANACA is an agricultural based theme park in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. It features several different species of domesticated animals and many that are exotic to Colombia.
The TelefériQo is a cable car in Quito that takes visitors 2.5km up the side of Volcán Pichincha. At the top is a lookout at an altitude of 4100m.
If you find yourself in Pereira with extra time to kill, head across the bridge to the suburb of Dosquebradas. This city is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
A good place to visit while in Medellín is Pueblito Paisa. It’s a a small replica Antioquian village on top of Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara), a small hill in the middle of the city.
El Totumo is a unique mud volcano found halfway between Cartagena and Barranquilla. It’s a popular tourist destination for the healing powers of the mud, which we were told has over 50 minerals. For me, it was fun just to flop around in it. Day trips from Cartagena are very easy to book.
The biggest social event in Medellín is the annual Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores), held annually in August.
I arrived in Pereira, Colombia, on 1 August to start volunteering with the Nukanti Foundation. My job is to enhance the quality of English education in a public school in the Risaralda department of Colombia, the heart of Coffee Country. I will aid the English teachers in improving their own English to better serve their students, and provide a cultural exchange for the students in the school. I’m really looking forward to getting started!