Colombia Coffee Region Tour Standard

Private Guided transfer from José María Cordova International airport in Medellín to hotel. Free time to rest & settle in.

Full-day city tour & Social development tour. The city tour will take in all principal sites and locations of this fascinating location. These sites will include the “Plaza Botero" the famous Botero sculpture park where many giant sculptures of Colombia most famous artist and Medellin born sculptor Fernando Botero are exhibited. A ride on the city's famous metro and cable car system will not only provide great views of the city but will be a chance to understand a bit more about the geography and social make up of Colombia's second city. Medellin has undergone a major positive transformation in the past 10 years, one of the main pillars of which is urban architecture. The construction of parks, pedestrian zones, museums, transport systems, libraries and schools, public spaces has not only improved the city’s public spaces, but has also had a strong positive influence on its social dynamics. The tour will take place in the working-class neighbourhood of San Javier, famous for its open-air electric escalators, which were built in 2011 to replace the 350 stairs leading to the top of a steep hill and thus to improve the local residents ‘mobility. Your guide will take you around the neighbourhood and give you some special insight into some of the social initiatives that are taking place in the area. After visiting the San Javier library park, you will have the opportunity to ride on the aforementioned electric escalators and enjoy a beautiful view of the city from the top of the hill. The city tour will also take in all principal sites and locations of this fascinating location. These sites will include the “Plaza Botero" the famous Botero sculpture park where many giant sculptures of Colombia most famous artist and Medellin born sculptor Fernando Botero are exhibited. A ride on the city’s famous metro and cable car system to reach Santo Domingo.

Located atop the spectacular mountains which surround the city of Medellín, and offering a perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city, Arví Park is a stunning natural environment of 16,000 hectares which was developed for the enjoyment of the residents of the city and the surrounding villages. There are multiple trails of different lengths which can be enjoyed in a fresh cooler climate with bubbling mountain streams and pint forests. A spectacular cable car route links the park with the neighbourhood of Santo Domingo affording some of the best views of Medellin and the surrounding mountains. Alternative the park can be accessed by road from the Poblado sector of the city. After the visit to Arví, you will continue to Santa Helena. This is a small flower growing village located less than one hour from the city, but very close to Parque Arví, just 15 mins drive. During the festival is the Centre of activity when the cut flowers are woven into tapestries which are then mounted onto wooden frames which the inhabitants of the town will carry on their backs in the parade through the streets of Medellin. The flower carriers are known as “silleteros” or saddle men and generations of different families in Santa Helena have carried out this tradition over the years. Here you will visit a typical flower farm. The cultivation of cut flowers for export is an important industry in Colombia and one of the main centres of cultivation is in the cooler climate of the mountains surrounding Medellin.

Private transfer from hotel to Enrique Olaya Herrera airport in Medellín. Then you will take a domestic flight from Medellín to Armenia or Pereira Once you arrive you will have a private guided transfer from El Edén or Matecaña International airport to the hotel.

Hacienda Bambusa is set amongst some of the most spectacular countryside in Colombia and you will encounter a plethora of birds and butterflies, see the workers in the plantain and pineapple plantations and walk past the pastures grazed upon by herds of Brahma cattle. A hike in this region of the Coffee region permits you to experience the tranquillity of the countryside and also offers the opportunity for adventure or for friendly encounters with local going people going about their daily lives. The backdrop is always the mountain studded vista and at 1200 meters above sea level the Valle de Maravelez (Maravelez Valley) enjoys an average temperature of 23 degrees and is home to grasslands, dense forest and clear fresh water streams and rural life continues as it has done for centuries with the harvesting coffee, plantains (a type of Banana) and many other fruits such as cocoa and coffee in this lush and fertile land.

This tour will give you a true impression of the life, culture and nature encompassed by the Coffee region. Coffee is the heart and soul of this area and today you will see how this simple bean affects every part of the region. Throughout the Coffee region you will find an impressive variety of Flora and Fauna, of incredible diversity and colour. The botanical gardens in Calarca, Quindío hosts a wide collection of trees, plants and insects that live in and flourish in the three departments of this region and beyond. The butterfly house within the gardens houses thousands of stunning florescent and colourful butterflies. Walking through the different modules of the house with its small waterfalls and abundant blossoms the butterflies around you fill the air with a spectrum of colours. Away from the butterfly house, Heliconias, Ferns and Palms, of which there are 235 different species growing in Colombia, fill the gardens. The garden is home to 71 species of Heliconias of which there are 120 that grow in Colombia. You can walk through the thick bamboo forest by means of a bridge, enabling you to see how high the Guadua species of Bamboo grows. You will be accompanied by a specialised guide throughout your tour in the botanical gardens. After visiting the botanical gardens, the next stop will be lunch and a very interesting visit to a local coffee hacienda. These coffee haciendas take their coffee very seriously, and have built their entire existence around the germination, classification, and preparation of Colombian coffee. If you have ever had the pleasure to experience a wine tasting session, then now is your chance to learn the art of cupping, the tasting and classification of flavours, aromas, and bodies of different types of coffee bean. It can get noisy, but once the slurping commences there are tastes and sensations abound that you probably couldn’t imagine. There is even a chance to learn from the expert barista (taster) who will teach you how to make the perfect espresso or cappuccino. You will also walk through the coffee plantations and nursery and there will be an explanation as to how the plant grows and is cultivated before the final bean reaches the coffee cup. At the end of the tour you will be an expert in all things related to Colombian coffee.

 This tour will take you from the far northeast of Quindío to the beautiful Valle Cocora where the magnificent Wax palm grows, in one of its few natural habitats, then onto the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era. As you enter into Salento, the first stop, you know you are in the Coffee region of Colombia. The main square has not changed in appearance or in character in decades. Salento does not have an attraction to visit; Salento is the attraction. A coffee break in one of the many small coffee shops will allow you to take in the quaintness of uninterrupted lines of brightly painted houses in this traditional Pueblo of the region. From Salento you will drive to the Valle Cocora (Cocora Valley). Starting at the collection and drop off point for horse riders and jeeps from Salento, the trek heads north and then down into the valley. Passing the trout farm that supplies most of the restaurants in the town. The river crossing is by a stable but sometimes slippery and basic foot bridge. From then on the trek follows the bridle path that grants good panoramic views up along the fringes of the mountains and the wax palm tree. This is an excellent photographic opportunity for taking images of the incredible backdrop of the Wax Palm tree and the central cordillera of Los Nevados National Park. The Valley is the principal location for the Wax palm which is now a national symbol of Colombia and a protected species. From this point the trek ascends into the cloud forest once again. This is an easy ascent in respect to the incline; however, there are several slippery turns, ups and downs over tree roots and traversing the river. The vegetation becomes denser. There are excellent bird spotting opportunities especially when there are less trekker’s en-route. There are several river crossings by basic bridges and stepping stones. Only one person should cross at one time. A short ascent and then you reach the Acaime reserve where there will be the opportunity to get close to between 6 and 12 different species of humming birds. The birds fleet around the bird feeders set out by the friendly reserve manager. Photography of humming birds can be a painfully frustrating experience at the best of times but this is your best opportunity! Hot Coffee and Panela or soft drinks are available at the reserve and snacks.

After breakfast, you will be picked up by your guide at the hotel and continue on a 45 mins drive to the starting point of the activity. The river where you will be venturing today is name Rio La Vieja, a 53km long river. You will have the opportunity to explore the coffee region from a different perspective and cruise downstream on bamboo boats, whilst spotting wildlife on the riverbanks. There will be a stop for typical lunch before you return to the hotel. A canopy tour is a great way to see Colombia’s landscape and agriculture from above. To get started, you step into a harness that tightens and secures you around your legs and waist. From there, you climb an elevated launching deck where your harness is secured to two cables that will take you to a secured landing spot. On each flight, you and your harness are connected to two zip line cables for double security, and you only need to sit and relax with your weight in the harness as you fly from Point A to Point B. After you land your guide disconnects your harness from the zip line, and you walk (or hike, as the case may be) to the next launching deck for more action. The Lines pass over coffee plantations and terrain that can be appreciated form this higher elevation, and speed!

After breakfast, you will take a private transfer from your hotel to the International airport for your international departure flight