El Eje Cafetero It is one of the most important and famous regions of Colombia. Since 2011, it has also been World Heritage, so if you visit this beautiful country it is a destination that you should not miss.
In our article today we will learn about this Colombian region, when to go, which cities make it up and which farms are open to visits. Today, a cultural trip to the coffee heart of Colombia.
What cities make up the Coffee Axis
The Coffee Axis is a cultural, economic, geographical and ecological region of Colombia which extends across several departments: Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas, but also parts of Tolima, Valle del Cauca and Antioquia.
Coffee is synonymous with Colombia. Today in this country There are 914 thousand hectares destined for coffee plantations, and the land and climate could not be better. The lands are close to the equator, there are high mountain ranges, lots of water and jungles everywhere so the soil is a treasure trove of minerals.
The first coffee plant was brought here in the 18th century by the colonizers. At the beginning it was very local, its production and consumption, but over time the plantations expanded and coffee farms were created, which gave rise to the famous Coffee Axis.
The Coffee Triangle is in the Andes, in the central western region of the country, between the cities of Cali and Medellín, but The most important cities here are Pereira, Dosquebradas, Santa Rosa de Cabal, La Virginia, Cartago, Calarca, Circasia, La Tebeida and Montenegro.
Any tour through the Coffee Region focuses on Pereira, Manizales and Armenia These are its best-known, picturesque and beautiful cities, to which are added special towns. We can start with Salento, a picturesque little town with its pastel-colored houses, its huge coffee farms and the Cocora Valley, beautiful and so green…
What time is best to visit the Coffee Axis?
The Coffee Axis can be visited all year round because here the climate is cool and there are usually no days longer than 25ºC. Colombians call this climate the "Eternal Spring" (this is also the case in Medellín), so you don't have to worry too much about the dates. And thank goodness, because any tour involves spending a lot of time outdoors traveling in a Willys jeep, trekking or hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking.
How many days does it take to tour the Coffee Axis? The ideal is between four and five nights, so there is time not to leave out the most important coffee farms and the best towns in the area. Only spending a few nights will you be able to enjoy all this beauty, but yes, if you are in Medellín or Bogotá and you don't have that much time There are shorter trips. You can even visit a single farm and the Coffee Park, a theme park that promotes and publicizes the coffee culture.
What to visit in the Coffee Axis
El National Coffee Park It is an interesting site, created by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, in the department of Quindío. It gives you a good image and a lot of knowledge about the coffee tradition and industry in the country.
The Hot Springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal They are another great destination.The thermal water springs from the depths of the earth and mixes with the fresh water that comes down from the mountains forming showers and waterfalls everywhere. They are located almost 18 kilometers from the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal, in Risaralda, and almost 13 kilometers of the route are not paved so it is an adventure to get there.
Salento It is a colorful and picturesque town, It is the oldest in the department of Quindío, and is the birthplace of the national tree “The Wax Palm.” retains much of its original architecture, with its central square and its colorful houses.
After visiting everything you can rent a Willys jeep and go to the Cocora Valley, a most beautiful and green landscape crisscrossed with hiking trails. If you come from Armenia it is to the north, nine kilometers from the route that connects Armenia with Pereira. It's a good place to stay, too, and try the tasty local cuisine.
Of course you cannot leave the Coffee Axis without visiting a coffee producing farm and in this sense you can go to Good view, just over an hour by car from Salento, between mountains and humid landscapes. For this area There are many farms that open their doors to guided tours and one of the best known in the San Alberto Estate. Another, less known but highly recommended is the Don Leo's Alsacia estate, just about 10 minutes from the town.
Here the guided tours last three hours, between 10 am and 2 pm. It all starts with having a coffee in the town and then, yes, walking to the farm to learn everything about coffee cultivation. Another farm is called Sundown, also very prestigious in Quindío.
Another town in the Coffee Axis can be Filandia, at 2 thousand meters high, also in Quindío. His little streets are beautiful, with typical Antioquian houses, colorful, one or two floors, and the Plaza Simón Bolívar as the center and the beautiful Stopped Time Street. After 20 minutes of walking you reach the Filandia Viewpoint, an illuminated hill with beautiful panoramic views of the coffee landscape.
Pijao is another tourist town, the town without haste, surrounded by green mountains with coffee plantations that can be explored following special trails. The town itself is colorful, classic, with its central square and its church.
And finally, you can visit the Botanical Garden of Quindío, near the city of Calarcá, with its three-hour walks, the town of Cordova, precisely near Buenavista and Pijao so they usually meet together. After knowing Pijao and Buenavista, it is Cordova, rural, authentic and simple town, between a stream, waterfalls and coffee plantations. And if you have time, if you decided to stay four nights in the end and not take short trips, you can close with a visit to Circassia.
Circasia is north of Quindío and It is known as the Land of free men and women because long ago its first settlers managed to stay away from the all-powerful influence of the church. In fact, in his cemetery it did not matter what religion the dead man taught.
The advice is that you walk through its streets, stop at its Plaza Simón Bolívar and go up to the Alto de la Cruz viewpoint to have a good overview. And if you like nature, you can always follow one of the hiking routes within the Bremen Nature Reserve.
Practical information for visiting the Coffee Axis:
- The Coffee Axis It is made up of three departments and you must get to some of them to start getting to know them: Caldas, with capital in Manizales, Risaralda, with capital in Pereira, and Quindío, with capital in Armenia. All three cities have airports.
- The best way to get there is fly directly to Manizales, Pereira or Armenia, from Medellín or Bogotá. If not by plane you have to take a bus and it takes a long time. From Bogotá it takes about nine or ten hours by bus. From Medellín about six hours.
- Once here you can rent a car and do the tour on your own. The routes are good and it is a safe area. There is public transportation to move between towns and in the towns, jeeps to go to the coffee farms.
- In general, travelers stay in Filandia and then in Salento, because they have hotels and good restaurants.