3 Cities of Colombia’s Coffee Axis

The medium-sized triplet cities of the coffee region don’t get much love. Though they’re not as visually appealing as the tiny towns dotting the surrounding hillsides nor as famous as glitzy Medellín to the north, Pereira, Armenia and Manizales have a cozy appeal all their own. Most visitors don’t spend much time in any of these cities, primarily using them as a stopping point to change transport on the way to one of the larger cities or to smaller towns like Salento or coffee fincas tucked away in the hills. Still, all three are more than just airports or bus terminals – each has its own distinct personality within the regional coffee culture, and a few attractions that merit more than just a passing glance.

Armenia

Scrappy Armenia, the smallest and southernmost of the coffee axis cities and the capital of the Quindío department, has had a tough run at times. Perched above a very active fault line, the city is periodically remodeled by earthquakes. The last serious one hit in January 1999, a 6.2-magnitude tremor that killed more than 1,000 people, displaced almost half the city’s population and destroyed a majority of the older buildings, including historic churches and other structures. The city was forced to rebuild almost entirely from scratch, which is why the architecture looks more modern and uniform than in the other cities. Armenia, home to about 293,000 people, is a primarily working-class town – thanks to its location in the heart of coffee country, its main economic activity is based around coffee growing and exporting, as well as other agricultural products like plantains and bananas. While in town, it’s worth a stop by the Museo del Oro Quimbaya, designed by famous Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona, which highlights pre-Columbian gold artifacts and other art, including ceramics, dating back to the Quimbaya civilization. For a breath of fresh air, there’s the Parque de la Vida, a lovely green space in the heart of the city, filled with winding paths and waterfalls. If you happen to be in town during the city’s annual celebration, in October, don’t miss the Yipao, a parade of the shiny, colorful 1950s-era Jeeps that many people in the region still use for transport and carrying local produce.

Willys Jeeps typical in the region – photo courtesy of Natalie Southwick

Armenia is also an access point to the Los Nevados national park, and the spot to get transport to the picturesque towns of Filandia and Salento or the kitschy and inexplicably popular Parque Nacional del Café, an eco/amusement park run by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros, the folks behind Juan Valdez.

Pereira

Like its smaller sibling to the south, sunny and warm Pereira has a large agricultural economy, but the Risaralda department capital is also a manufacturing center, particularly for clothing. One of the city’s modern landmarks is the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct, a 440-meter cable-stayed bridge connecting Pereira with its twin city Dosquebradas. In addition to its 460,000 inhabitants, Pereira is also home to one of Colombia’s largest zoos, the Pereira Matecaña Zoo. The zoo contains more than 1,200 animals, but is unfortunately located right next to the small airport, making it a less-than-tranquil experience for visitors (and undoubtedly for the animal residents as well). Farther from the runways, in the city center, one can find the requisite Plaza de Bolívar. Almost all Colombian cities have such a plaza, centered around a statue of the Libertador, but the Pereira one is unique, as sculptor Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt chose to portray Bolívar completely nude – in fact, the statue is commonly known as the “Bolívar Desnudo” (Naked Bolívar).

Elephants in the Pereira zoo – photo courtesy of Triangulo del Cafe Travel

The best time to visit Pereira is in August, when the Fiestas de Pereira, celebrating the city’s founding, kick into gear, with music, dance, art and food events popping up all over the city for a few weeks. If you’d rather steer clear of the concrete jungle, Pereira also provides access to the Nevado de Santa Isabel, one of the more accessible mountain hikes in the Los Nevados park, which rises to a peak almost 5,000 meters above sea level at the tri-border of the Risaralda, Caldas and Tolima departments. Close by is the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal, which Colombians widely agree has the country’s best hot springs.

The Pereira viaduct – photo courtesy of Edgar Jimenez

Manizales

College town Manizales has a very different feel than the other two cities, and not just because it seems like a never-ending sequence of hills. The city, home to about 390,000 and perched at 2,150 meters above sea level, is cooler and rainier than its coffee country compatriots – in fact, Manizales has eight unique microclimates within the city limits, making the daily act of getting dressed a mystery that requires guessing what the weather may be like across town. The city is a center for coffee production and sales, and is home to a significant number of respected universities, giving Manizales a younger population than Armenia and Pereira and supporting what seems like a borderline-unnecessary number of bars and pizza joints.

View from the top of the cathedral in Manizales – photo courtesy of Natalie Southwick

Manizales’ Plaza de Bolívar also has its own unique statue – while this one isn’t naked, it has an interesting portrayal of Bolívar as a sort of half-human, half-bird of prey, called the “Bolívar Condor.” The statue is dwarfed by the massive shadow of the Catedral Basílica Nuestra Señora del Rosario looming over the plaza. The towering cathedral, Colombia’s tallest, reaches 113 meters at its highest point. Visitors can take a guided tour up to near the top of the cathedral’s spire – the tour provides amazing views of the city and surrounding region, but the rickety ladders and narrow walkways are not for those who have a fear of heights. To continue the aerial theme, Manizales also has several functioning cable cars that serve as public transport – one connects the center with the bus terminal, while another is more scenic and intended primarily for tourism. An older version of the cable car was once used to transport coffee from the farms below up to the city – this route is no longer in operation, but the city has left the original tower and station, which is now part of the National University and, appropriately, sits right next to a Juan Valdez café.

Peak season in Manizales is late January, when the Feria de Manizales fills the city with bullfighting fans and fighters from across the world. The controversial practice is the central draw of the fair, but there are plenty of other worthwhile artistic and cultural events for those who prefer their entertainment a bit less violent.

LAN Airlines and its affiliates take you to coffee country with daily flights to Bogotá and domestic connections to Pereira.