Coffee Country Escape

Arrival into Armenia El Eden airport today, normally via a short, 45-minute flight from Bogotá.

The coffee region is the heart and soul of Colombia, and a must for lovers of coffee and nature. The region officially spans three departments or provinces, but for us the best is in Quindio (Armenia is the capital). Here you’ll find a lush landscape of rolling hills and mountains covered by coffee plantations, farms, and charming villages with colorful houses. Equally impressive are the hardworking, fun-loving, open and friendly people who tend the agricultural richness that fills the valley (coffee is far from the only crop grown here).

Here, you can enjoy a few days learning about the “coffee culture” through visits to small family-run farms, hiking among the soaring wax palms of the Corcora Valley, horseback riding, and relaxing at Hacienda Bambusa, your exclusive ranch house-turned-boutique hotel set on a working 500-acre farm.

This is by far our favorite place to stay in the region, offering comfortable accommodations with a mix of European and Colombian flair, incredibly warm and personal service, and great food sourced as much as possible from their farm or nearby farms.

Your private driver will welcome you just outside baggage claim (it’s a very small airport!) for your private transfer to Hacienda Bambusa – a short 30-minute drive away. The friendly staff will welcome you and show you to your room to settle in.

We suggest a leisurely welcome hike (approx. 2 hours) around the Bambusa farm, including walks through the cacao plantations and the bamboo forest, as well as the chance to familiarize yourself with the local birds and neighbors who live on the farm. This evening, enjoy a tasting menu under the stars. (Water, coffee, tea, house wine and beer included. Additional wines and spirits available at an additional cost paid directly to the hotel.)

This morning, enjoy breakfast on the front terrace of your hotel for the spectacular morning views. You’ll of course have fresh coffee made from beans grown right there on the farm, as well as hot dishes made to order and a variety of local fruits and homemade baked goods.

Your Exeter Latin America representative will work with you prior to your arrival to select the perfect activities for your stay based on your interests and desired level of activity. The activities included here are some of our most popular, but there are many options including horseback riding, river rafting and even hot air ballooning (extra cost). Your stay includes your choice of 1 activity per paid night, plus the welcome hike. Additional activities are possible at an additional cost.

After breakfast this morning, you’ll be met by a Colombian sociologist and expert in the “coffee culture” who will be your private guide (and driver) for the day. Although raised in Bogotá, your guide has devoted his life to this region, and today he will take you into the daily life of people living in the rural coffee village of Pijao.

For those who would like a more active day, your guide can take you on a 2-hour (or shorter) hike through stunning landscapes. (This can easily be tailored to accommodate all fitness levels and ages.)

This afternoon, your guide will take you to a small, family-owned and operated coffee farm, where the owner will show you around the farm and explains the ins and outs of coffee production and sales, before inviting you to join for a simple, but fresh homemade lunch. (Please note that arrival to the farm is normally via a Willy jeep along bumpy country roads.)

Return to Hacienda Bambusa and enjoy some time at leisure, perhaps watching the hummingbirds frolic around the feeder on your private terrace before another tasting menu dinner. Hacienda Bambusa varies the menu, venue and presentation of dinner daily to ensure each night is truly memorable.

You’ll begin this morning by heading with your guide and driver to the breathtaking Corcora Valley, home to the tallest wax palm trees on the planet. Depending on your fitness level and interest, there are various routes you can hike, stopping along the way to take in the scenery and snap some photos.

After the hike, you’ll head to Salento, a bustling colonial market town at the center of the Coffee Region. It has a lively buzz, perfectly conserved architecture and great restaurants, making it our favorite in the region. If you are curious, try your hand at “tejo”, a pre-Colombian traditional game. You’ll have as much time as you like to explore the town and have lunch before returning to Hacienda Bambusa.

As previously mentioned, there are quite a few other options that can be arranged for you either day. All activities are completely customized to your preferences.

Here are several more ideas:

• Take a sunrise hot air ballon ride with our experienced crew (additional cost applies)
• Spend a few hours horseback riding along the Quindío river
• Enjoy a longer hike in the Corcora Valley, or into the Andes to hike Peñas Blancas or Rio Verde
• Float down the La Vieja river through lush scenery on a bamboo raft, a favorite leisure activity of locals and great way to escape the modern world for a few hours
• Go paragliding or zip lining
• Check out the region’s Botanical Garden and its butterfly house in Armenia
• Visit a handcraft workshop of an artisan in Filandia who makes baskets from banana trees
• This evening, cap off your stay with another tasting menu dinner at Hacienda Bambusa.

The day is yours to take advantage of the amenities offered to you by Hacienda Bambusa. Speak with your Exeter Latin America travel advisor to decide how you’d best like to spend your time here.

Enjoy a leisurely morning before checking out. Then, you’ll have a private transfer (driver only) back to the Armenia airport for your flight to Bogota. (Air not included. Transfer surcharge applies for Pereira airport transfers.)

Upon arrival (flight not included), you’ll meet your Exeter Latin America driver and English-speaking guide just outside baggage claim (holding a sign with your name on it) for your private transfer to Four Seasons Casa Medina. After check-in, your guide will take you for a half-day visit to the Colombian capital. Today’s exploration will give you a sense of the city’s history, as well as its place in Colombian society and in the context of the events of the last century. You’ll walk the streets of La Candelaria, the historic center of Bogotá. Here, you’ll walk in the steps of history, from the colonial period to independence to the turbulence of the second half of the 20th century. Also in La Candelaria you’ll find some of the city’s most important museums. Among these, our favorites are the Botero Museum, dedicated to the work of the greatest Colombian contemporary artist known for his signature style of painting oversized people and objects, as well as the Gold Museum, which houses up to 34,000 pieces of gold from 13 pre-Hispanic civilizations. Evening at leisure.

After breakfast, meet your driver and English-speaking guide for your private transfer to the airport, for your journey onward.