How long is the Colombia Coffee Region: Medellín to Bogotá route?

This route takes 10 days taking in 6 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Medellín to Bogotá in Eje Cafetero, Colombia.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is December to March.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Easy-going. Easy-going and accessible for most fitness levels.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Balanced — a good mix of sightseeing and downtime.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Culture, Food & drink, Nature, Adventure, Scenic.

Colombia Coffee Region: Medellín to Bogotá

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The route · 6 stops

Medellín

2 nights

Colombia's second city sits in an Andean valley, connected to hillside barrios by metro cable car. The transformation from the world's most dangerous city in the 1990s to one of South America's most visited is the defining story of modern Colombia. Two nights allows the Arví cable car, El Poblado's street art and the city's outstanding food scene.Colombia's second city sits in an Andean valley, connected to hillside barrios by metro cable car. The transformation from the world's most dangerous city in the 1990s to one of South America's most visited is the defining story of modern Colombia. Two nights allows the Arví cable car, El Poblado's street art and the city's outstanding food scene.

Recommendations

51m · 61 km drive to Guatapé

Guatapé

1 night

The area's landmark is El Peñol: a 220-metre granite monolith rising from a reservoir lake, topped by a 650-step staircase to panoramic views. The lakeside town of Guatapé is one of Colombia's most colourful, with painted zócalos decorating every building. Speedboat tours around the reservoir islands depart from the pier.The area's landmark is El Peñol: a 220-metre granite monolith rising from a reservoir lake, topped by a 650-step staircase to panoramic views. The lakeside town of Guatapé is one of Colombia's most colourful, with painted zócalos decorating every building. Speedboat tours around the reservoir islands depart from the pier.

Recommendations

2h 27m · 176 km drive to Manizales

Manizales

1 night

The gateway to the Eje Cafetero, set at 2,150 metres with views of Nevado del Ruiz volcano on clear mornings. A cable car (teleférico) connects the lower bus terminal to the historic centre. Coffee farm day trips around the village of Chinchiná run harvest demonstrations and tastings at working fincas.The gateway to the Eje Cafetero, set at 2,150 metres with views of Nevado del Ruiz volcano on clear mornings. A cable car (teleférico) connects the lower bus terminal to the historic centre. Coffee farm day trips around the village of Chinchiná run harvest demonstrations and tastings at working fincas.

Recommendations

53m · 63 km drive to Salento

Salento

2 nights

The most photographed town in the Eje Cafetero: painted colonial streets overlooking cloud forest valleys producing Colombia's finest coffee. The Valle del Cocora, 30 minutes south, is home to the Andean wax palm, Colombia's national tree, reaching 60 metres tall. Two nights allows a full-day valley hike and a morning at a coffee farm.The most photographed town in the Eje Cafetero: painted colonial streets overlooking cloud forest valleys producing Colombia's finest coffee. The Valle del Cocora, 30 minutes south, is home to the Andean wax palm, Colombia's national tree, reaching 60 metres tall. Two nights allows a full-day valley hike and a morning at a coffee farm.

Recommendations

18m · 22 km drive to Armenia

Armenia

1 night

The capital of the Quindío department is the commercial heart of the coffee region, with the Museo del Café (Coffee Museum) and the Jardín Botánico del Quindío, where wax palms and cloud-forest species are preserved at botanical scale. A useful overnight base for the coffeelands before the highway drive to Bogotá.The capital of the Quindío department is the commercial heart of the coffee region, with the Museo del Café (Coffee Museum) and the Jardín Botánico del Quindío, where wax palms and cloud-forest species are preserved at botanical scale. A useful overnight base for the coffeelands before the highway drive to Bogotá.

Recommendations

3h 14m · 233 km drive to Bogotá

Bogotá

2 nights

Colombia's capital at 2,600 metres. The colonial La Candelaria quarter, Monserrate hilltop sanctuary and the Museo del Oro's 55,000-piece Muisca gold collection anchor the first day. The gastronomy scene in the Macarena and Usaquén neighbourhoods ranks among South America's best.Colombia's capital at 2,600 metres. The colonial La Candelaria quarter, Monserrate hilltop sanctuary and the Museo del Oro's 55,000-piece Muisca gold collection anchor the first day. The gastronomy scene in the Macarena and Usaquén neighbourhoods ranks among South America's best.

Recommendations

Route highlights

Activity
Valle del Cocora Wax Palm Hike
A 16-km loop through Colombia's most iconic valley, home to the Andean wax palm, the country's national tree. The palms reach up to 60 metres through the cloud forest of the Cocora valley, 30 minutes south of Salento. Rent rubber boots at the trailhead; the path is muddy in all seasons but passable year-round.
Viewpoint
El Peñol de Guatapé
A 220-metre granite monolith rising from the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir, topped by a 650-step staircase cut into the rock face. The viewing platform at the top gives 360-degree views over the flooded valley, its islands and the surrounding Andean hills. One of the most photographed landscapes in Colombia.
Activity
Coffee Farm Tour in the Eje Cafetero
Colombia's Eje Cafetero produces some of the world's most sought-after arabica coffee. Working finca (farm) tours around Manizales and Salento cover the full journey from bush to cup: picking, wet-milling, drying and hand-roasting, with tasting at the end. Most tours take 2-3 hours and cost $15-25 USD.
Activity
Medellín Metro Cable
The world's first urban metro cable system, built to connect Medellín's hillside comunas (neighbourhoods) to the city's metro network. The Line L cable car climbs from Acevedo metro station to Parque Arví at 1,800 metres, with views over the valley the city inhabits. A symbol of Medellín's transformation.
Culture
Museo del Oro, Bogotá
The Gold Museum in Bogotá holds 55,000 pieces of pre-Columbian Muisca goldwork, the largest such collection in the world. The centrepiece is the Muisca raft, which depicts the legend of El Dorado. The museum is in La Candelaria, walkable from most downtown hotels, and is free on Sundays.
Food & drink
Bogotá and Medellín Gastronomy
Colombia has one of the most exciting restaurant scenes in South America. Medellín's El Poblado and Laureles have the best range; Bogotá's La Macarena concentrates its finest contemporary kitchens. Regional specialities include bandeja paisa (the Antioquian meat platter), arepas de chócolo and the Bogotá Sunday street food market in Usaquén.

Colombia Coffee Region: Medellín to Bogotá