Written by: Luis Duque
As one of fastest growing cities in Colombia, Pereira is a highly visited location for various tourists. Pereira, commonly known as “la trasnochadora, querendona, y morena”, is located in what was declared World Heritage Site: the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia in 2011 by the UNESCO. I (Luis) lived all my life there before moving to the United States, so I have a lot of appreciation for the city. After visiting last December with Callie, it is safe to say she also fell in love with the nature, the people, and all the places there are to visit. We decided to create a list of our favorite places to visit, including some fun places we were able to see while there and others that due to time limitation we couldn’t but that I have visited in the past. The following list it is not in any specific order and some places are not specifically in Pereira but are within driving distance for a day trip.
1. Santa Rosa Balneario Hot Springs (Termales Balneario de Santa Rosa)
How to get there & What is the weather now!
Just about a 45-minute ride, you will immerse in the Andes mountains jungle to find a “hidden” paradise. A small walk up the side of the hill with a stream of water next to you will make your body feel a thousand times lighter. Once you make it to main pools, the smell of the hot springs is so vivid and natural that all you will want to do is jump inside. It is worth mentioning that the water from the pools is natural, it comes from an inactive volcano close to this location. The natural waterfall (shown in the picture) serves as a cooling off from the warm water, it is good for your health to go from warm water to cold and then to warm (you will feel so much better afterward). After you are done bathing in this natural hot springs, don’t forget to stop by the town of Santa Rosa to get some awesome souvenirs and “chorizo Santarosano”. The chorizo Santarosano is very famous in the region, it is similar to a sausage but with stronger flavors that make your mouth water. Fun fact, the town of Santa Rosa in Colombia held the world record for the longer chorizo in the world in 2011, it measured 1,917.8 m (6,291 ft 11 in) and wrapped around the main square (Source, Guinness World Records).
2. Coffee National Park (Parque Nacional del Cafe)
How to get there & What is the weather now!
As you may expect from its name, this beautiful theme park is full of coffee, I am serious, there is coffee everywhere. This has been one of my favorite places since I was little, there are so many fun things to do, other than drink coffee. The park is about a 90-minute drive from Pereira and it is located just outside of Montenegro, Quindio. From the moment you enter the park, you can see the open green areas with coffee plants. Nice museums, walking paths through coffee plants, and wonderful scenic views will capture your attention right away. There are so many cool things to do here, and especially for young people. Besides learning how coffee is made and tasting a non-ending list of coffee products, the park offers roller coasters and many more fun attractions such as go-karts, train rides, and live shows. This is a must visit if you are in the land of coffee, don’t miss out.
3. Salento / Cocora Valley ( Salento / Valle del Cocora)
How to get there & What is the weather now!
When walking through this small and touristy town, you can expect wonderful people, crafty souvenirs, coffee in every corner, and best of all, the famous “patacon”. Patacon is an appetizer typical of this region, it is basically a pressed fried plantain. It is truly impressive how they make this dish, the patacon served in this town is almost a foot long, they are huge!. If you want to learn how to make this delicious dish, go to “My Colombian Recipies“. The street that you see in the picture is a nice walkthrough were the handmade souvenirs are sold, at the end of the street is a small hill with stairs to the top; I recommend you go up there and then go to the side of the hill to the lookout, the views are impressive. After you walk around the town and taste the delicious cuisine, make sure you go to the Cocora Valley. There is transportation available from the main square, or if you have a car, it is about a 20-minute drive there. The drive is a nice descent from the mountain to the valley, don’t forget to make frequent stops to admire the wonderful wax palms, they grow as tall as 160 feet and are the national tree of Colombia. Once you make it to the bottom, stop by the restaurant Las Palmas de Cocora for a delicious trout and some more patacon.
4. Serrania Alto del Nudo
How to get there & What is the weather now!
This is probably one of the best views of Pereira, it is just a 10-minute ride away. One of the main attractions here is all the fauna and flora you can spot while driving or hiking through this magnificent mountain. Some of the exotic animals you may spot include the anteater, oncilla, nasua, bush dog, among others (source). This is a perfect location for the adventure seekers that want to see some of the wild sides of the city. To enhance your experience, you could book guided tours such as this one recommended by Lonely Planet. The trip includes a ride in a Jipao (traditional Jeep of Colombia), lots of site seeing, hiking, lots of coffee (of course!), among other fun things.
5. Tour of Pereira
How to get there & What is the weather now!
Before you end your visit to this wonderful city, don’t forget to tour around the city. Some of the best places you can visit are the Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, the art museum, the city zoo, the Bolivar main square, drive across the viaduct connecting Pereira and Dosquebradas (adjacent town), among others. Pereira is a very commercial city so don’t forget to also check the shopping malls. Some of the things you need to eat before you leave are bandeja paisa, arepas, and honey gold pineapples. The bandeja paisa is the typical dish of the region, it is extremely big but you won’t want to stop eating. It has beans, rice, chorizo, ground beef, fried plantains, fried eggs, avocado, arepa, and chicharron, believe me, this dish could feed a small army!. If you want to give it a try, here is an easy recipe from the Food Network.
I hope you find this quick guide useful and if you are ever in Pereira or anywhere in Colombia and are unsure of where to go or what to do, send us a message and we are more than glad to help you figure it out.
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