Antioquia & Coffee Region

From Medellín, the "City of Eternal Spring," to the World Heritage coffee cultural landscape, with colorful mountain towns, coffee farms and wax palm valleys as its signature sights.

This region comprises Antioquia in the western Andean region and the three departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío, known as the "Coffee Axis." Antioquia's capital, Medellín, lies in the Aburrá Valley with a mild climate and a widely known record of urban renewal: riding the metro cable cars up the hillsides, joining a graffiti tour in Comuna 13, and visiting Parque Arví and Plaza Botero are all standard stops. The top day trip is Guatapé, where you can climb more than 700 steps up El Peñol rock for a view over a reservoir dotted with islands; the colonial town of Santa Fe de Antioquia and the mountain towns of Jericó and Jardín are also worth a stop. Heading south into the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (a World Cultural Heritage Site), Salento in Quindío is the most popular base. From here a jeep takes you to the Cocora Valley, where you can hike among wax palms, the national tree; Filandia, coffee-farm picking and roasting experiences, and the Santa Rosa de Cabal hot springs are all regular activities. Manizales, the capital of Caldas, is the gateway to Los Nevados National Park. A classic plan is 3–4 days in Medellín plus 3–4 days in the coffee region, about a week in total. Medellín's international airport is in Rionegro, and Pereira, Armenia and Manizales all have airports; intercity buses are frequent, but mountain roads are winding and slow. The highlands are cool in the morning and evening, mountain roads are prone to landslides in the rainy season, and in some rural areas you should learn about local security before traveling.

Destinations

Itineraries