MANIZALES

This city, the capital of the department of Caldas, was founded in 1848 on rugged terrain at the foot of fertile lands near the Nevada del Ruiz. Several earthquakes and fires destroyed a good part of the oldest buildings in Manizales, which makes it today a modern and dynamic city. The traditional Manizales Fair, one of the liveliest in the country is celebrated in January. In September the city is also host to the International Theater Festival.

PEREIRA

It is the capital of Risaralda and was founded in 1863 on the banks of the Otún River. It is a thriving city with a pleasant, warm atmosphere. Pereira possesses good tourist infrastructure and facilities for congresses and conventions. Its Matecaña Zoo houses autoctonous fauna, as well as one of the few existing examples of , a cross between a tiger and a lion. You can also visit the Tzoboto Orchid garden, one of the most beautiful in the world.


The architecture of the coffee region is characterized, among other things, by the use of bamboo and other woods, the combination of colors and decoration with plants. Below, a sculpture on Simón Bolívar (Naked Bolívar) in Pereira, and the Cathedral of Manizales. 

ARMENIA 

This is the capital city of Quindío, and dates from 1889. The Quimbaya Museum, a tribute to the Quimbaya Indian culture which populated the region in pre-Columbian times, is situated in the city. Here you can appreciate very interesting gold pieces and archaeological finds. 

Other villages and cities in the coffee region worth mentioning are Chinchiná, an important coffee center, Calarcá, where the National Coffee Beauty Contest is held, Cartago, famous for its embroidery, Filandia, known for its basket-weaving, and Salamina, Salento and Circasia. 


The coffee region is full of surprises for the visitor. Above, the Quimbaya Museum of Armenia, regional dress, the renowned wax palm tree of Quindío, country of troubadours, thermal baths, and coffee picking. To the left, a painting by Fernando Botero, who was born in the city of Medellín. Opposite page: mountaineering in the Central Cordillera.

POPAYAN

Popayán, the capital of the department of Cuaca, was founded in 1537 by Sebastián de Belalcázar and played an important role during the Colonial period thanks to its location on the route between Cartagena in the north, and Quito and Lima in the south. As a result, Popayán is one of the most traditional cities in Colombia and one of its principal architectural treasures. Although a large part of its colonial buildings were destroyed in the earthquake of 1983, the majority of the buildings have been reconstructed.


Places of interest include the Chapel of Belén, built on a promotory with a good view of the city, the Ermita, the churches of San Francisco, El Carmen, La Encarnación, San José and Santo Domingo, and the convent and church of San Agustín. The museum of religious art contains valuable colonial objects. The Casa Caldas, the Martinez Museum, the Casa Valencia, the Casa Negret and Cauca University are also worth a visit. Other places of interest include the Humilladero bridge, the Clock Tower, the Morro de Tulcán hill, and the Hotel Monasterio, which operated in the ancient ranciscan monastery.


Silvia, a typical village of adobe houses and a traditional marketplace, snuggles in a mountainous region of beatuiful landscapes 34 miles from Popayán. The Guambiano Indians, a community with deep-rooted ancestral customs, inhabit the surrounding countryside. Another attraction in the region is the Puracé National Park, covering over 200,000 acres, where lakes, waterfalls, volcanoes, snow peaks and thermal springs abound.