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Why Coffee Zone?
The fact that travelers in the post-covid times are looking for tourist destinations where mass-tourism can be avoided and people can relax in more remote places in nature, together with a grown preference for nature over urban destinations, makes the coffee zone a wonderful place for tourism.
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Coffee
It is here, in this Coffee Triangle, where Colombian coffee is produced and processed. Many want to visit a traditional coffee farm where they can taste Colombia's best coffee and observe the whole process, from seed to end product.
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Birding
The three departments that make up the region are also home to more species of birds than almost any other part of the country. So it is the place to have some of the best birding experiences you can have on a visit to Colombia.
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Landscapes
The Coffee zone is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. It is characterized by the rugged green mountains of the Andes, coffee plantations, welcoming people, and superb birding options. The ‘Coffee Cultural Landscape’ as designated by UNESCO consists of the three rural departments of Caldas, Quindio, and Risaralda. .
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Ecotourism
The Coffee zone is all about nature and ecotourism. It offers a great variety of outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, thermal baths, and rafting, etc. To top it off, everywhere you look you will see tropical forest, plantations, rugged green mountains, fruit trees, and exotic flowers.
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Cocora Valley
The region is also famous for having the highest palm trees in the world, which are even endemic. This draws a lot of tourists to the coffee zone. You can visit these palm trees in the different places over the region. But they are most famous in the spectacular Cocora Valley where you can hike under the huge palm trees and in the nearby cloud forest.
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Coffee Villages
The green and mountainous sceneries are dotted with hundreds of these gorgeous, traditional villages that are known for their colorful facades and crafts, making them the best place to buy souvenirs in the country. The most pretty and popular ones include Salento, Pijao, Marsella, Salamina, Filandia and many more.
Location
Location
Leave the city behind to explore the great outdoors at our Reverie Jungle near Filandia, in the heart of Colombia’s lush Coffee Zone.
Colombia as a tourist destination
Colombia is a country of fascinating contrasts. From remote beaches to vibrant cities and mystique architecture, the country has everything you could wish for during a well-deserved after-Covid rest.
Even more, the country has led the way in South America biosafety and is making important progress in sustainable tourism.
Hence, no surprise that it has experienced a great increase in popularity as a tourist destination in the past few years.
Security has improved steadily and crime rates have seriously gone down.
Nowadays it is a safe travel destination and it is considered the new ´it´ place to visit as it serves archeology and history enthusiasts as well as nature and city life fans.
But what are the main reasons why Colombia will stay a popular destination in post-covid times?
(Post)-Covid Safety of the destination
The pandemic has heightened the sense of risk associated with travel, making health and hygiene in travel more crucial than ever. A poll by ProColombia, Colombia’s Tourism Board, found that 60% of visitors believe that their decision-making would be influenced by how destinations have handled the issue and the precautions they have taken to reduce the danger of infection. The government of Colombia has effectively handled the issue by announcing a national emergency, sealing its internal and external borders, and implementing biosafety policies and protocols that made the use of masks and temperature monitoring obligatory. Additionally, it helped draft the World Tourism Organization's after-COVID travel guidelines and was a founding member of the alliance for sustainable tourism.
Avoiding Mass-Tourism
Post-COVID time is the perfect time for those locations with special magic to shine. When travel is resumed, 59 percent of passengers surveyed by Tripadvisor said they prefer to travel to slightly more remote locations where it is possible to relax on a secret beach, take in the scenery from a small boutique hotel, or breathe fresh air in the middle of the jungle—all away from crowds—as a result of social isolation and tougher health precautions. In addition to Colombia's already well-known locations, there are a number of places where quiet, seclusion, and uniqueness are the watchwords, without making it too complicated to reach these areas.
Nature over urban destinations
People will be more inclined to engage in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and trekking in nature rather than visiting indoor locations like museums and large cities where the likelihood of being exposed to large crowds is higher. There is a new and relevant need to feel safer and isolated and have the chance to truly relax and enjoy themselves. Recent Google searches demonstrate a rising trend in people looking for these kind of locations. According to the research of destination analysts, the perception of safety is also stronger in locations like beaches, nature preserves, and national parks. In addition to having a wide range of habitats that range from paramos to mangroves, Colombia is the second-most biodiverse country in the world and is home to the greatest number of bird species. This makes the nation particularly alluring for people looking to take a nature vacation and enjoy distinctive activities to connect with stunning scenery and their inner selves.
The Coffee Zone as a must
Digging deeper: Filandia
Filandia, is a small village in the Quindio area with only 6,000 residents in its center. Some state it is the most valuable undiscovered gem in Colombia’s coffee region.
The town is located at an altitude of 1923 m.a.s.l and is tucked away among lush vegetation, coffee farms, and breathtaking waterfalls. The breathtaking scenery is one of Filandia’s biggest attractions.
As a result, Filandia is home to a large number of viewpoints. The town itself consists of colonial buildings’ facades, relaxed ambiance, quaint coffee shops, and a couple of surprisingly good restaurants!
Native Americans known as the Quimbaya lived in Filandia before it was established by Spanish settlers in 1878.
The meaning of the name Filandia, can be brought back to or “Daughter of the Andes,” or “Edge of the Andes”.
It is the location of renowned wicker basket manufacturers. These basket weavers are an essential component of the community’s culture and are safeguarded by the local Artisan Association.
Originally used by local farmers to gather coffee beans, these baskets are now valued for their decorative appeal and they can be bought as original souvenirs in the many cute shops in town.
Maria Lorena Gutierrez, the minister of trade, has been collaborating with smaller towns and villages by introducing the “sustainable tourism” certification.
The certification aims to “create wealth, productivity, and opportunity for everyone while being environmentally, economically, and socially sound.
Filandia, received the certification in 2019, totalling the villages with this certification at 12.
While you won’t read about Filandia in most guidebooks, it is the perfect place if you want to experience the true coffee region feeling.
Life here is still very much the same as it was hundreds of years ago, despite the good selection of hip restaurants, cafes, and things to do around.
Only 2 kilometers away, you can find natural reserve Barbas-Bremen. This is a protected area where you can hike and admire local flora and fauna like the howler monkeys.
Filandia is very well connected as it is only about 30 minutes away from coffee zone hotspot Salento and its endemic palm trees in the Valle de Cocora.
Compared to Salento, Filandia also has a rich culture, food, coffee, and natural environment. However, Filandia stands out because it still has a sense of being relatively unexplored by other travelers.
Visitors who desire to leave the commotion behind and return to the quiet existence of the little coffee towns, prefer Filandia over Salento.
International tourists will most likely travel by plane and use the international airport of Pereira, which is a 50 minutes’ drive away.
It is also possible to arrive (or leave) from the Armenia Airport, which is a drive of a little bit over an hour.
Besides its connection to both airports and hotspot Salento, it is also interesting to keep in mind that Filandia is located at only 1 hour 35 of the Thermal hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal.
Our Reverie in Bambuco Bajo
Where
Bambuco Bajo is a locality that officially belongs to the village of Filandia, but it is located in the rural part.
A slightly downhill road leaving Filandia from the south brings you there. The first 3 kilometers of the road are over a comfortable paved part that meanders through the landscapes.
The last 5 kilometers, you dive really into nature over a gravel road, and you can let your eyes feast on the many plantations, forest, and little farms on the way.
Distance
Bambuco Bajo is a wonderful place as you will find yourself in the middle of nature, get the feeling of somewhat being remote while surrounded by tropical forest and being treated to spectacular views over the mountains.
The advantage is that it takes only about 25 minutes to get to Filandia by car. It is even walkable for the more adventurous ones among us.
Temperature
As Bambuco Bajo is located 200 meters lower than Filandia, at an altitude of 1700 m.a.s.l., the temperature is less temperate, and actually pleasant all year round.
Thanks to this delightful temperature of 20-24 °C, the vegetation is lush and tropical flora and fauna grows abundantly. This also makes it a paradise for colorful birds and creates opportunities for birdwatchers to come spot birds in one of Colombia’s most relaxing and tranquil places.