“En abril, flores mil y mil lluvias / In April, a thousand flowers and a thousand rains” – This post shares an easy looped scootering itinerary in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. This region is found to be easier to scoot in, as the elevation is less than 2,000 meters. As it is situated at a high elevation, the climate is suitable for coffee growing. This region is famous for the Coffee Triangle around the big cities Manizales, Pereira, and Armenia. It is also home to charming towns like Salento, Filandia, and Manizales. It’s known for coffee culture and the incredible diversity of coffee plants. Here, drinking coffee is practically the same as drinking water—it’s part of everyday life and impossible to live without.
April signals the start of the rainy season, especially in the Andes and the Amazon. Riding a scooter along the lush, forest-clad mountain roads, it is quickly realized that the landscape around is made up almost entirely of coffee farms. One of the best ways to experience the region is by going to coffee cupping and staying at a traditional coffee farmhouse, surrounded by rolling green hills and the aroma of fresh coffee.
April is the first Rainy Season. What do you need?
I bought an $8 set of scooter ponchos in the small town of Quimbaya. It came with a shoe cover, pants, and a poncho. It lasted till the end of my trip. I definitely recommend a whole set, unless you drive in sandals. Clothing and shoes don’t dry fast in the rainy season. Backpack covers are essentials. Rains just pour from the sky at 4 PM while driving on a highway. Sometimes it is lucky to find shelters.
Don’t forget to bring a pair of hiking/waterproof shoes, a rain jacket, extra shoes/ socks, and quick-dry clothing. During the rainy season, it is humid, and clothes don’t dry fast.
Where to rent a scooter/motorbike?
Rent a scooter from Motorental Col Eje Cafetero in Pereira. They have both scooters and motorbikes for rental for approximately $23 a day. It costs slightly more for daily insurance. Contact them on WhatsApp for a reservation and pick it up on your arrival (+573506844348). The owner speaks English and is very helpful.
Carry Cash: I always exchange currencies in the airport, unless you find a better deal on the streets. ATMs are available in Salento and Filandia, and in big cities, but not in villages. Some individual farm lodges prefer cash.
How to get to Pereira?
Pereira is a growing, bustling city. It has an international airport, Aeropuerto Internacional Matecaña, and connects to all big cities by bus and flights. The bus takes about 8 hours for as low as $21. I took a bus from Medellin to Pereira in about six hours.
Itinerary
3 Days in Salento: Periera – Salento 37 kilometers
3 Days in Filandia: Salento to Filandia 21 kilometers
Day trip to Quimbaya: 17 kilometers
3 Days in Marsella: Filandia to Marsella 64 kilometers
Day Trip to Chinchina: 29 kilometers
1 Day in Periera: Marsella to Periera 33 kilometers
3 Days in Salento
From Pereira to Salento is about 1 hour driving on Highway 29. It is a busy highway. Salento is a colorful, touristy town. It has many independently owned coffee shops serving a variety of beans from the area. The bustling square has parking spaces, where restaurants and ice cream parlors are found. When driving in the town, the brightly colored houses immediately caught the eye. Small coffee shops hidden in small alleys. It has supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, etc. Having a scooter means that I don’t have to stay in town. Many eco-guesthouses are outside of town. Jeep is a popular local transport, hop-on and off.
Where to stay?
We stayed in La Cabaña Eco-Hotel ($60 – 76 / 2 pax) for 3 nights; it offers a comfy bed, hot shower, and a heater. It has two properties: one is near the main quarter, and another is by the riverside – a short walk from the main house. It is in a convenient location, on the main road to Cocora Valley. Spacious common shared balcony, where games, books, and a sofa are, and it offers 24-hour tea, etc. Take a short walk to the roaring river and listen to the frogs croaking if you stay in the riverside bangalow. Conveniently, the ecolodge offers a Colombian menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had our delicious dinners here for 3 nights. This hotel is in a cattle ranch. View of the calves and cattle from the dining room, and the milkman in a sprung cart in the morning.
Short Hike
Hiking here is a bit tricky with highly concentrated land ownership. Cattle roam in the rolling hills, making it seem easy to reach the hilltop. After a night of rain, the streams glide calmly through the grass fields. The hotel manager will be able to guide you to the narrow entrance from another property to the entrance of the hill. The trail is muddy, wet, and tall grass over the trail. Spot the signboards that direct you to the back of the hotel property entrance. There is no clear trail once you enter someone’s property, but fenced properties after one another. A few with electrical shock, just be careful. This is the only hike I did not bring my hiking shoes. Fortunately, the hotel has a heater that was on for the whole night to dry my running shoes.
Half-Day Cocora Valley
Cocora Valley combines surreal natural beauty with easy access for local and international travelers. After a night of rain, we are embraced by the sun as we drive toward the valley, a cool breeze brushing our faces. The paved road winds through private farms and is quiet in the early morning – only a few jeeps with tourists passed us. Cocora Valley is home to the tallest palm trees in the world, and standing beside them—hugging their narrow trunks—feels almost unreal. From the top of the hill, lush green hills stretch along the distant horizon, giving the place the feel of a natural theme park. In the morning, the valley is calm, and the horse caravans are ready to take the tourists to the hilltop. This is the best time to arrive before 10 AM to avoid the crowd.
The valley is easily accessible by scooter or jeep, and many hotels organize tours for solo travelers. Landowners have converted their land into parks and charge entrance fees, and there are several paid parking lots from 2,000 to 5,000 COP. There are several ways to explore the valley. If you are into long hikes, consider a 5-kilometer and a 12-kilometer looped trail. The trail is obvious and easily accessible. You have to pay at the entrance.
Coffee Farms Hopping
Coffee farms are on the outskirts of Salento. Salento’s coffee farms are easy to visit and provide a perfect day trip for travelers interested in culture and nature. It offers experience in rich coffee culture and local flavor. Many of them offer a coffee tour with a glimpse into how coffee is prepared from planting, picking, washing, drying, and roasting. The tour introduces a wide variety of coffee plants in Colombia and the varieties actually exported.
Coffee farmers are artists of their beans, and every one of them has a distinctive flavor or a hint of it. I would recommend visiting a big farm for more varieties and flavor, and small farms for artisan flavor. I bought one bag from each farm I visited. Roads to coffee farms are not always paved, some with high-grade downhill, making it a challenge to visit some faraway coffee farms. Driving on the Salento-Vda-Palestina road, coffee farm signboards are along the road. It is driven into many villages. My first stop is Las Acacias Coffee Farm. Two ways to sustain farming practice by all coffee farms are to offer coffee tours and coffee drinks. Nonetheless, enjoy a cup of espresso with a strong chocolate flavor and a hint of berry, while looking out at the coffee farm and banana trees. Ocaso Coffee House is a large coffee plantation in the Salento. It offers lodging, tours, and a coffee shop. On top of that, its coffee varieties are stunning, especially Geisha, originally from Ethiopia gained a strong hold in the area. Later, saw their coffee shop in the Plaza de Bolivar. I loved the natural process with a hint of fruitiness.
While in town…Coffee Hopping
Every corner you turn in the Salento streets, there is a coffee shop with each has its unique flavor. While taking a scooter to Salento, many parking spaces are available in the Plaza de Bolivar or on the street for free. They are small and sometimes unique in their flavors. Kairos Coffee is a surprise find, offering a cozy environment with a few tables. Their menu includes food and drinks. A customer met there who loved their iced coffee, as he said that not many places serve it. I always go for espresso. Café Origenes Col is a local roastery that has an urban-sleek interior and hand-pour coffee. While enjoying a cup there, you slowly sink into the dense smell of coffee. While coffee hopping, it winds around the colorful houses and takes endless photos. Plaza de Bolivar is the central square in Salento, where you will take your final rest.
3 Days in Filandia
It’s only 28 KM from Salento to Filandia. It can be done on a day trip. We left for Filandia a little after breakfast. It is always at the back of mind to avoid afternoon rain. After Highway 29 takes the turn in Las Cruces, the 7.3 KM road to Filandia is bumpy. I found Filandia is quieter than Salento, which still has the vibe. The vibrant colors of buildings on every block make the two-color church in blue and white recognizable in the main plaza. The small town offers a few great gastronomic choices. We had lunch at “La Casa Rosada,” and I loved their Marranitas de Helena. It seems to be a popular dining place with an English menu. This is what I missed while not staying in town: a variety of food and enjoying the bustling town. This also means that we explore the surroundings of Filandia.
3 Days in Filandia
Where to stay?
There are many budget guesthouses in town, as well as lodging in coffee farms. I am not worried about booking a week in advance. We reserve as we go. Casa Laureles, 5.7 KM from Filandia, is a well-maintained and simple coffee farm estate. The annex room with a balcony and a cabin is made out of bamboo. A bamboo garden is not far from the farm where the water stream flows. We stayed in the cabin for $240,000 COP per night / $63 USD. The owner, Gloria, prefers cash, and paying by card is subject to a transaction fee from the merchant. How do you make a reservation? WhatsApp is the best communication app to make a reservation. She is prompt at replying. Don’t forget to tell her if you prefer to have dinner.
Filandia
Filandia is pleasant to walk around in. The town is built on the hills, and the Mirador Colina Iluminada, a wooden tower, gives an overlook of the mountains. In the corner of the plaza, it is not possible to miss the bright logo of Café Municipal de Filandia. It carries a great selection of coffee from the region. Go in to smell a good variety of coffee beans and get a cup for 2,000 COP. This is just an introduction to the coffee of the region. Many small and modern cafes in town, the best for coffee hopping.
Day Trip to Quimbaya
A day trip to nearby towns is usually less than an hour, passing by many small villages. Filandia to Quimbaya is about 23 KM through the hilly farms and ranches. This day trip is not about the destination, but about seeing the coffee region. Quimbaya is not a touristy town and is less vibrant than Salento and Filandia. However, it is still worth walking around the town and the plaza.
On the way back to Filandia, lunch at Café y Platano restaurante with an oven-baked trout and soup. Trout is a signature dish of the coffee region, and can be prepared grilled, baked, or served with garlic sauce. Spicy is what I missed the most. The owner served it with Ají sauce to add flavor to the taste buds. Not many restaurants or coffee shops on this road, or they are closed.
3 days in Marsella
Marsella is on the other side of Pereira. It is 61 KM from Filandia, takes about 2 hours with pit stops. We have to route back to Pereira and take the Pereira-Marsella Highway. It is 30 KM from Pereira. Marsella is a quaint small town,