Quindillo Cordillera Coffee Tour

A tour of the Cordillera will give you a true impression of the life and culture encompassed by the Coffee Region. From quaint towns and stunning views, this is a full day insight into the "Triangulo Del Café".

You visit the National Bamboo Centre, the settlements of Cordoba, Pijao, and Buena Vista, enjoy a typical lunch in a traditional finca and learn about the coffee process. During the walking visit to the centre you learn about Guadua bamboo, and others, and how its incredibly durable form is used in a variety of applications. It is estimated that approximately 11% of every Andean forest is covered by bamboo, and approximately 11 million hectares of Latin America. Colombia has a diversity of 60 species of bamboo, the most famous being Guadua.

Córdoba, Pijao and Buena Vista Córdoba is one of the 12 municipalities that form the department of Quindío and one of five which are located along the Cordillera central (central mountain range).

Pijao is known as the town "where the herons come". They say that every sunset the herons arrive to find the highest trees and dance, the ritual of conquest between male and female. Again another town running the ridge of the Cordillera, Pijao's plaza takes centre stage for the town folk, who are never in any rush, whilst they sit in the cafés, and sip coffee and talk. From far and wide coffee plantations bring their crop to Pijao to be graded and weighed, and this is a perfect opportunity to learn how a simple grain can be part of a critical categorisation in order for you to have the perfect cup of coffee at the breakfast table.

Buena Vista is the final port of call along the Andean route. Sitting at 1,450 m above sea level with a population of just over 3,000, Buena Vista's main source of employment is of course coffee, but also the production of plantain, black currants and to some extent, cattle.