Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 540

5

centre has been repeatedly destroyed by
earthquakes, the most recent striking in
1999. However, it's closer to many of the
region's coffee incas and thermal springs.
Pereira's Plaza de Bolívar is unique
among the uniformly named central
plazas of Colombia for its modern
sculpture of Bolívar Desnudo - the
El Libertadór nude on horseback,
a controversial pose when it was
unveiled in 1963 but now a beloved
city symbol. Also on the plaza is the
town's magnificent Catedral , built in
1875. Nondescript from the outside,
the Catedral's single-nave interior is
supported by an elaborate latticework
of twelve thousand wooden beams
forming a canopy like a spider's web.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Pereira's international Aeropuerto Matecaña
( T 6 326 0021) is 5km west of the city centre. A taxi down-
town costs around COP$10,000, or jump on one of the
frequent buses for COP$500.
Destinations Bogotá (8 daily; 50min); Cali (4 daily; 30min);
Medellín (5 daily; 35min).

By bus The bus terminal ( T 6 321 5834) lies 1.5km south
of the city centre at C 17 No. 23-157. A taxi to the centre is
COP$4000; a bus will set you back COP$500.
Destinations Armenia (every 10min; 1hr); Bogotá (hourly;
9hr); Cali (hourly; 3hr 30min); Manizales (every 15min;
1hr 15min); Medellín (hourly; 6hr); Salento (3 daily, hourly
on weekends; 50min); Santa Rosa de Cabal (every 10min;
45min).
Tourist information The tourist o ce (Mon-Fri 8.30am-
noon & 2-6pm; T 6 325 8753, W risaralda.com.co) is on the
corner of C 17 and Cra 10 on the first floor of the Centro
Cultural Lucy Tejada.

ACCOMMODATION
Pereira has few accommodation options for budget travellers,
so it's worth staying at one of the converted fincas , many of
them former coffee plantations, between 5km and 35km
from the city (see below). Most have swimming pools, offer
meals and are accessible by bus from Pereira.
Hotel Cumanday Cra 5 No. 22-54 T 6 324 0416. Solid
downtown option, with reliable hot showers, cable TV
and a place to wash your dirty togs. If you ask nice ly, the
staff will let you cook in their kitchen. COP$55,000
Kolibrí Hostel C 4 No. 16-35 T 6 331 3955, W www.kolibri
hostel.com. New hostel run by a wonderfully friendly Dutch-
Colombian couple. The rooms are bright, the atmosphere

STAYING ON A COFFEE FARM
Coffee is the planet's most-traded commodity after oil and Colombia is one of its largest
producers, with 500,000-plus growers and the unique benefit of two annual harvests.
Recognized for producing world-class coffee, coffee fincas in the Zona Cafetera are now
following in the footsteps of the wine industry and opening their doors to curious tourists.
Fincas range from traditional estates still attended by their owner to deceptively modern
rural hotels where the only coffee you'll find comes served with breakfast. Scenically, the farms
look out on lush slopes, overgrown with the shiny-leaved coffee shrubs and interspersed with
banana plants and bamboo-like guadua forests. Many will also arrange horseriding and walks,
and they make an ideal base to explore the region's many attractions.
To locate the best fincas for your needs, ask other travellers; you can also enquire at the local
tourist o ces or hostels in Manizales (see p.542) or Pereira (see above).
FINCAS
Hacienda Guayabal Cra 3 No. 15-72 Chinchiná
T 314 772 4856, W www.haciendaguayabal.com.
Runs tours, in English, of their postcard-perfect coffee
farm (COP$30,000). Guests can stay in the main house,
and the price includes a tour, three meals and use
of the swimming pool. To get there, take a bus from
Manizales or Pereira to Chinchiná (30min) and then
travel the last 3km by taxi or catch a bus from in fr ont
of the church to the farm. Per person COP$50,000
Ì Hacienda Venecia C 59 No. 24A-18 T 6 885
0771, W haciendavenecia.com. This fourth-generation,
family-owned working coffee farm is an essential stop

for anyone who wants to learn more about coffee
production, roasting techniques, trade and aromas.
Proud owner Juan Pablo exports coffee as well as
roasting for the domestic market. Tours (COP$30,000
including pick-up from Manizales) of his sprawling
plantation allow visitors to observe the production
process from start to finish. Spend a night at the guest-
house, swinging in a hammock on the veranda, firefly-
spotting and listening to the croaks of happy frogs
in the swimming pool. Breakfast included. To get there,
catch a taxi (COP$35,000) or take a jeep from the Plaza
de Mercado in Manizales (3 daily at 6am, midday and
5pm; COP$3000). Per person COP$30,000