Travel guide: Quindío

Salento, single-origin coffee and wax palms

• The fincas are mostly in Armenia, Montenegro and Quimbaya.
• Salento and the Valle de Cocora, home of the wax palm, Colombia’s national tree.
• Some fincas charge per person: ask how the price is worked out.

Salento, Filandia and the Valle de Cocora

Salento (about 1,900 m above sea level) is the most visited town in the department. From its main square the Willys, vintage jeeps used as shared taxis, drive up to the Valle de Cocora, home of the Quindío wax palm, the national tree, which grows taller than 50 meters (about 165 ft). Filandia (about 1,900 m above sea level) has the Colina Iluminada lookout tower and fewer visitors than Salento. Pijao holds the international Cittaslow (slow town) certification.

Montenegro and Quimbaya

Montenegro (about 1,300 m above sea level) is home to the Parque del Café, a coffee-themed amusement park. Quimbaya has the PANACA farm theme park and, in December, the Festival de Velas y Faroles (candles and lanterns). The fincas in this area have a mild climate and many have a pool.

Getting there

El Edén airport, in Armenia, has direct flights from Bogotá of about an hour; Avianca flies the route. By road from Bogotá it is 6 to 8 hours via Ibagué and the Túnel de la Línea, a tunnel opened in 2020. From Cali, about 3 hours via Buga. Within Quindío: Armenia to Salento, about 40 minutes; Armenia to Montenegro, about 20; Armenia to Filandia, about 35.

What they won't tell you

Salento and the Valle de Cocora fill up on holiday weekends (Colombia moves most public holidays to a Monday, creating long weekends) and driving in becomes slow. If you can, go on a weekday. The roads to many fincas are unpaved and get difficult in the rainy season: ask whether you need a high-clearance vehicle.