Region Coffee Triangle & Antioquia

The center of the world-famous Colombian coffee lies between the three major cities of Armenia, Manizales and Pereira, and is therefore also called coffee triangle. The fertile slopes of the Andes provide the ideal conditions for growing coffee and the best varieties in the world come from here. The ‘Zona Cafetera’ offers two extremely attractive National Parks with the well-known Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados and lesser-known but no less attractive Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá. Montane rain forests, rivers, waterfalls, cloud forest, beautiful views of the ranges of the Andes and of course the so typical vegetation zone of Colombia, the Páramo, can be found here. But the ‘Zona Cafetera’ offers even more - in particular there are numerous coffee fincas for tourists, individual accommodation full of charm and plenty of excursions in the region. A good option also for travelers, who do not envisage multi-day treks in the national parks mentioned above. We highly recommend a visit to the nature reserve ‘Otún Quimbaya’, which is very close to Pereira and can also be easily combined with a visit to the National Park Los Nevados. Salento is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Colombia. Located near Armenia, the village has preserved the traditional architecture of the coffee zone. It serves as a starting point for hiking through the beautiful countryside. In particular, through the nearby valley ‘Valle de Cocora’, which is famous for its wax palms, a landmark of Colombia. From here, multi-day trips can be made to the National Park Los Nevados with its snowy peaks. Antioquia is essentially the region around Medellin and offers many destinations. Thus, for example, the colonial city of Santa Fe de Antioquia, the nature reserve ‘Río Claro’ invites for a swim. The nearby Hacienda Nápoles, once the country seat of the legendary drug lord Pablo Escobar, is no longer a place of horror. The rock ‘El Peñol’, with its stunning views over the lakes on the edge of the colonial village of Guatapé, is another unforgettable attraction of this region. Also, there are places that are less well known, but equally worth a visit. To be mentioned here is Jardín, a small village in the middle of the Andes, surrounded by coffee fields, waterfalls, rainforest and the fascinating ‘Esplendor Cave’. Medellín itself is often called the ‘city of eternal spring’, because the climate throughout the year there is very pleasant, not too hot, but never too cold. Medellín is Colombia's city of fashion; every year they host the most important fashion show in the country - the ‘Colombiamoda’. The most important cultural event each year is the ‘Feria de las Flores’ (flower festival), a huge city festival, which takes place in early October. Pablo Escobar once made millions in drug business, today he is even marketed himself in Medellin as a tourist attraction. Colombia's violent cocaine king died in 1993 in a hail of bullets. Once Medellín had the reputation of being the 'most dangerous city in the world', today it she a magnet for tourists. On the Plaza Botero, the sculptures of the artist Fernando Botero can be admired. Furthermore, there are many churches in Medellín, museums and monuments that are worth a visit. For example, the 'Catedral Metropolitana', the 'Iglesia de la Candelaria' or the 'Museo de Arte Moderno'. Also recommended is a visit to the 'Pueblito Paisa', a reconstruction of a typical village of the region. Situated on a hill, it offers a wonderful view of the city. The 'most innovative city in the world' is best viewed from the air. In a cable car of the 'Metrocable', that connects since a few years the poor neighborhoods on the slopes with the public transport system in the valley. The view wanders over tin roofs and busy streets of Santo Domingo district, where formerly rival drug gangs fought each other. A unique opportunity to observe the social reality of the city.