Travel South from Medellin for four to five hours and one will discover the beautiful region known as the Coffee Country, or "Eje Cafetera". The climate is very pleasant, and the landscape consists of lush green valleys and spectacular snow clad peaks. This is still very much Paisa territory, with some of the prettiest Paisa towns and haciendas in Colombia.
The three main cities of Pereira, Manizales and Armenia all make good bases to explore the region, or you can rent a small villa / "finca" at very good value. Those looking for a hacienda in the Coffee Country could consider the Hacienda Malabar (just outside of Pereira - no website), which is remarkably good value and highly recommended. Exploring the lush coffee plantations and hiking in the Andes are the main activities in Colombia's Coffee Country.
Manizales & Around
Manizles is a pretty city that is the perfect base for organising tours to the nearby Los Nevados National Park. There's numerous tour operators in town that can arrange such tours for you. A good travellers hostal here is Mountain House.
Salamina is one of the oldest towns in the coffee country and maintains a typical pueblo paisa feel. The unusual cathedral will interest visitors to Salamina. The town makes an interesting day trip from Manizales, and combines well with a tour of the nearby Paisa town of Neira. Manizales is also the best staging post for trekking trips to Los Nevados National Park.
Pereira & Around
Pereira is one of the best cities in which to stay to explore the Coffee Country as there are numerous nearby tourist attractions to discover. Nearby Marsella is a typical Paisa town with a quirky cemetery and beautiful botanical gardens. Santa Rosa de Cabal is a small town on the Pereira to Manizales road - nearby are thermal pools and and a spectacular 180 metre waterfall. Termales de Santa Rosa is a nearby spa hotel, or consider EcoTermales San Vicente which has camping, restaurant, hotel, cabanas and more hot springs. There's various pleasant walks and scenic waterfalls nearby.
Another great day tour from Pereira is a visit to the Santuario Otun Quimbaya, a nature reserve just outside of the town, which has various ecological paths in which to go hiking. In addition, visit the nearby beautiful Park Ucumari, a forested park where you might spot the Andean specacled bear. Chivas depart for the Park Ucumari every morning from Pereira. It's also possible to go balsa rafting (drifting down rivers in traditional indigenous rafts) in neighbouring Quindio department.
Armenia & Around
Armenia is another good base to explore Colombia's Coffee Country. While the town is nothing special in itself, there are various tourist attractions nearby. The Parque National de Cafe is a theme park in honour of the coffee bean. It's a little bizarre, and a bit tacky, but interesting none the less. Another much visited nearby Park is that of Panaca, which is essentially a Farm Park, and rather boring.
Filandia is a small but beautifully preserved Paisa town just 30 km north of Armenia. An alternative would be to visit the laid back town of Salento, an hour from Armenia - it's like stepping back in time into a tiny Paisa village. Various local crafts can be bought in the village, and the Alto de la Cruz hill nearby provides some great views over this stunning region. Valle de Cocora is a beautiful nearby National Park with some lovely hikes amongst high altitude giant palm trees. Plantation House (an old coffee plantation house) is a fine small hotel that's nearby if you want to explore the region.
