Eje Cafetero: the wonderful things about Risarlda

This is the second part of the Eje Cafetero, so if you want to know more about it you can click here, and read my last post so you can understand better what I am talking about. To refresh a little bit, the Eje Cafetero is the zone where Colombian Coffee is cultivated, it is very famous as it has the best quality in the world. So, in this blog, I will focus on the Quindío department, which is the one with more touristic places, and also, the most important in the “Triángulo del Café”.

Salento

Salento is a town located near Armenia, the main city of Risaralda. This is one of the most visited places in the department because of its ancient streets, coffee, and proximity to Valle del Cocora and Finca del Ocaso. Salentinos are the pioneers on the production of coffee so if you want to taste a real coffee with the best quality, this is the right place. Also, if you are a curious person, and you want to know the process of this exquisite drink you can go to La Finca del Ocaso or "Ocaso Farm", which is located 4 km away from Salento. They offer a tour for you to learn about the sowing, post-seeding and roasting process, a hotel, and obviously a lot of coffee. On the other side, there is Valle del Cocora or "Cocora Valey", located 10 km away from Salento. In this area, you will find the highest Wax palm in the world, which at the same time is Colombia’s emblematic tree, fauna, and flora in danger of extinction. Once you are there, you will be able to hire a guided tour that can be walking or by riding a horse, and it can be from 3 to 8 hours depending on your wishes.

Panaca

Panaca is a natural park in which you will find more than 4.500 animals, trails, extreme activities like canopying, animal shows, tours, hotels, and gastronomy. This is located 40 minutes away from Armenia and 250 km from Medellin, the time will depend on the transport mode you choose, as you can take a plane or a bus to Armenia. Once you are there you will have to go to Quimbaya park and take an inter-municipal bus that will drive you until the principal entrance. In order to get a ticket, you have different options, the first one is that you can buy a pass for the day which includes transport, food, medical assistance, a guided tour, and 5 shows. It is possible to take if you are in Armenia, Pereira, Cali, Ibagué, or Manizales. The second option is the Terra Passport which costs 70.000 COP, and the last alternative is the Especial Event Passport which costs 89.000 COP. The difference between them is that the more expensive it includes one more show, so I advise you to think about your priorities and the time.

For further general information about the park, you can visit their webpage here, or you can call from Medellin to the number 415 7700 Ext. 45020 - 45062

For more information about the ticket day, you can call +57 310 610 6273 if your start point in Armenia.

Parque del Café / Coffee Park

If you want to feel strong emotions and learn a lot about the coffee, and the culture of this part of Colombia, then you have to come to this park, as it is one of the most famous theme parks in Latin America, owing to its numerous attractions and the coffee culture inside it. This is the reason while you can relax watching the beautiful views it offers you and at the same time the adrenaline from the different attractions. This is located 20 minutes away from Armenia, which means that you can take a bus to get there. As in Panaca, el Parque del Café offers different tariffs depending on what you want, being the cheapest 44.000 COP and the most expensive 58.000 COP. We recommend you book your tickets on their website before you go, in order to be sure that will be able to get in once you are there.

For further information, you can visit their website here.

Well, I really hope this post will help you to enjoy the Eje Cafetero, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, and don’t forget to keep reading the content we prepare for you!

Written by Daniella Niño