Quindío in 3 days

Practical tips · 3 min read

Quindío wax palms · © Ricardo Gonzalez Arango · CC BY-SA 4.0

Three days is the ideal time to feel Quindío without rushing. Enough to see the wax palms, wander through two or three villages and taste coffee where it grows. This is the itinerary we recommend to our friends when they visit us in Quimbaya or Filandia. Every day starts the same way: a tinto on the square, then we climb into the Willys.

Before you go: where to stay?

Base yourself in Quimbaya or Filandia for all three nights. Our tours leave from these two villages, with Willys transport included: no car to rent, no mountain road to learn. In the evening you come back to the same place, and in the morning Daniel is waiting for you on the square.

If you arrive by the airport, through Armenia or Pereira, you can add a pick-up as an option when you book.

Day 1: Salento, Filandia and the Cocora Valley

For a first day, nothing beats the great classic. The Salento, Filandia and Cocora by Willys tour brings together in one day what most travellers come to the Eje Cafetero for.

We start with the Cocora Valley and its wax palms, the tallest in the world. Then Salento, with its colourful balconies and steep streets. Lunch is included. In the afternoon we head to Filandia: you wander through the village, then watch the sun set over the mountains of Quindío.

Bring a light jacket, good shoes and sun protection: in the mountains, the weather changes fast.

Day 2: La Carbonera, away from the crowds

The next day, change the mood. The La Carbonera tour leaves at 7 am, while the mountain is still cool. The Willys leaves the tarmac for the dirt track and takes you to the largest wax palm forest, far from the queues of Cocora.

On the way back, a stop in Salento gives you time to see the village in a different light. You are back around 4 pm, with the evening free for a quiet dinner on the square.

If you are travelling with children, swap this day for the Family Day: the Mil Caminos maze in the morning, a traditional lunch, then a coffee tour in the afternoon.

Hill of wax palms in the mist, Cocora Valley · © Nicole Arango Lang · Unsplash

Day 3: the Mountain Villages Route

To finish, head to the south of Quindío and the mountains, where villages still live to the rhythm of coffee. The Mountain Villages Route leaves at 8 am and links four villages: Buenavista, perched on its ridge, Pijao and its colourful balconies, Córdoba, then Río Verde.

Between villages, Daniel tells you about the families, the fincas and the festivals of the region. Lunch, coffee and forcha are included. A full day to see a Quindío most travellers never get to know.

Daniel’s blue Willys, registered in Quimbaya

What if you have an extra half day?

Two short ideas, leaving from Quimbaya or Filandia:

the Maze by Willys, the largest hedge maze in the region, about 20 minutes away by road, ideal for families;
the Monkey Tour, to listen to howler monkeys and cool off at the foot of a waterfall.

The right pace

A willysero's tip: don't try to see everything. Three full days are worth more than five rushed visits. Keep your evenings for the village squares, a tinto in hand. That is where Quindío tells its story best.

And if you are not sure yet which day suits you best, write to us: we ask you two or three questions and build your trip with you.