The center of the Coffee Cultural Landscape as named by UNESCO

I often walk about or drive through places experiencing the effects of what I see. I don’t look nor mention typical tourist places since I am doing my best at trying to live here, meet people and places in slow-motion dynamics that come differently with every single day. And here I wrote about it.

Being the world’s greatest coffee fan, living at Pareira is like being in the world coffee capital! And I know what you might say: there are numerous cities, all “top 5 places” in the world known for the best coffee experience, and Pereira is not one of them. But tell me this: does London grow coffee beans? Maybe Melbourne? No! And again, what kind of experience would you prefer to enjoy while drinking coffee: a comfortable chair with a marzipan cake aside or a clear view of the coffee fields and surrounding wonders of nature just a step away?

Now seriously, the city of Pereira is situated in one of the most coffee-growing regions in the state of Colombia. It is most famous for its Arabia beans. But the city itself is hiding many historical sites and nature parks.

Although the topographic name came from the Portuguese “pear tree”, this city is nationally known as the center of the Coffee Cultural Landscape as named by UNESCO.

If you decide to visit the country, this is the place where you want to go. The lead landmarks are Bolívar Square, the 19th-century Cathedral, César Gaviria cable-stayed bridge, Pereira Art Museum, and Otún River. But the surroundings and the atmosphere I enjoy the most is the one that I experience when I take a ride out of the city and meet some extraordinary nature reservations and thermal springs, and I wrote about one of them just here, so please visit and check out, it is so worthwhile!

In Bolivar Square, you may find a rather unusual statue. It is one way to honor Bolivar Desnudo, the Libertador, Simon Bolivar. The work itself belongs to Rodrigo Betancour, a great Colombian sculptor. It is a statue 14 tons heavy, made of copper, and it depicts Simon Bolivar on the horseback. It is monumental, and standing in front of it is amazing!

Pereira Cathedral or The Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral is the Catholic church dedicated to Virgin Mary and elevated to the cathedral in 1952. It is in the very city center, a grandiose establishment.

Cesar Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge connecting Pereira and Dosquebradas. It is 440 meters long with a central span of 211 meters and a width of 26 meters. The bridge reduces traffic in two cities and the time needed to travel between them. It is also infamous as a suicide site. An interesting fact is that two people have survived the fall! The bridge is named after the former president of the country.

Pereira Art Museum is a three-floor display of Colombian contemporary art. It includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, collage art, fashion design. Museum has an auditorium where a visitor may see performances and artistic films. This is indeed a place where you may spend a couple of hours!

The amazing things about the city and the area are the fact that almost at every corner there are bistros where you can sit and grab the best coffee you’ll ever have! And every bistro is telling a little story. Some had grown just near the coffee fields, which are later harvested and prepared for use at that same very place. And others are luxurious places where you can have that same coffee, but with that feeling of being highly appreciated. And boy aren’t there so many great places in between the two!

But not everything is about coffee. Visit also:

Pereira has the largest zoo in Latin America and it is called Old Zoologico Matecaña. It is now only a zoo, but also a veterinary clinic, a dreamy botanical garden, and two museums – natural science and an anthropological museum.

Metropolitan Park Café Pereira is a place where you want to bring your family to. It has a waterpark with pools, slides, and a playground with monkey bars, swings, picnic areas, football fields, jogging/walking/biking tracks. You can come and spend all day in!

If you are more of a sightseeing and nature type of person, do visit Cerro Canceles. It is an amazing public park in an elevated area and because of it, the views that it offers to its visitors are stunning. Want a tip? Bring on your food and drinks. Want another one? Come here at night. And I will say nothing more about it!

To experience a close encounter with local animal species is something you’ll just want to avoid. But if you wish to learn more about the real connection of all living beings – tarantulas, butterflies, snakes, spiders included – Bonita Farm is the place you’ll want to visit.

There are many churches, cathedrals, colonial and architectural beauties to explore, but I want to recommend Replica of Pereira. It is an amazing museum settled in a park, a small village containing all characteristics of the city of Pereira: cabins, art products from different regions, local dishes and specialties, stores, souvenirs, and exhibits of photographs, memorabilia items, and antiques. Do not miss it!

So, to answer one of the most frequently asked questions – is Pereira worth visiting – let me reply with a question: what do you think?

Do visit my YouTube channel to learn firsthand about motorcycling, walking, and simply living in the Pereira for a while.

A Six-Hour Night Drive

Just a few days ago, I was involved in the most dangerous ride I’ve ever had! It was a six-hour motorcycle ride, and on the top of everything – a night one! 20″ of unknown depth puddle to ride through, next to a 300-foot cliff. Anything right or left is too soft.

These dangerous roads had my heart pumping. This journey started in Manizales and headed north to Medellin. We did a loop from Neira, Salamina, Filedelfia, and then back to Manizales. What a wild day this was! We were driving along cliffs two feet from several hundred-foot drop-offs.

Beautiful and unbelievable and fascinating is just not enough to say! It was the craziest night of my life and the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life! However, the sight during the daylight was amazing.

Taking a Break

We stopped in Salamina for a coffee and a bite in a restaurant with ridiculously low prices. We’ve had coffee for as high as 800 pesos, which is 20 cents. At this place, they do it all: harvesting the beans, roasting the coffee, and making it. It’s a real thing!

Here, you can hear the sound of vuvuzela and roosters cock-a-doodle-doo, you have great seats inside and out. It is on a hillside with a picturesque view of the coffee farms, rather rich wildlife of the area, and the city of Manizales.

Exploring and Learning

I had the opportunity to visit Casa de la Cultura Rodrigo Jimenez Mejia here in Salamina Caldas. It is called the house of culture, and the house of the devil. It was inhabited by the Jimenez Mejia family. It is an archeological museum, gallery, and museum where you may learn about a lot of different eras.

It was founded on February 14, 1972. Grand house is built in two levels, every containing large rooms organized by themes with archeological artifacts: dishes, furniture, items of clothing, paintings, and various artifacts.

Grand inside the garden is dominating the view. It was built in the spirit of old times when all life was happening inside the yard. It incorporates a library, photography studio, conference room, exhibition salon, and archeological setting with more than 230 artifacts that just can’t be exhibited properly because of the lacking of infrastructure.

This is a place of many workshops, seminars, conferences, educational events, and exhibitions, just to name a few.

It was something else to feel the spirit of old times here. While I was visiting the upper floor and admiring the view from the terrace, I’ve witnessed a funeral procession. On one side, a life of old times was trying to be captured. In the streets, one soul had been escorted to the land of spirits. And there was me, out of this world, trying to inhale the fullness of life.

I would highly recommend that you visit my YouTube channel for real-life experience. I had tried to capture as much of the surroundings as I could. Sometimes pictures do speak thousands of words. Enjoy: