Updated August 30, 2026, with information verified on the ground.
Since August 10, when an earthquake shook western Colombia, we keep getting the same question: “Can I still visit the Coffee Region?” The short answer is yes. The long answer is this guide.
We won’t pretend nothing happened: it did, and we lived it up close. But this is also what we see every day since then: Pijao is standing, tours are running, the airport is receiving flights, and the travelers who have come left happy. Here is, fact by fact, what you need to know to plan your trip.
The current situation, verified
- Pijao and Buenavista are operating normally. The town came through the earthquake without major damage and our experiences are running on their usual schedules. We have been welcoming travelers since August 16; the first were visitors from Spain, and they left delighted.
- El Edén airport (Armenia) is open and has been operating commercial flights since August 11.
- The La Línea mountain road is fully open. The overland route from Bogotá is running normally.
- All of our tours are active: WakeCup, the Wax Palms Expedition, Salento and Cocora, Pijao’s Gardens and Sí Génova.
Visiting now isn’t insensitive. It’s a real way to help
Some travelers have asked us, kindly: “Isn’t it a bad time to come?” We understand the question, and the honest answer is the opposite: this is a good time to come.
The Armenia Chamber of Commerce put it in one line: «Reabrir también es resistir», “to reopen is also to resist.” Quindío lives on coffee and rural tourism, and that economy is not abstract: every visit pays a guide’s day of work, a lunch at a farm, a Willys jeep driver’s trip, the coffee a grower planted, roasted and packed under their own name. When you come, that support goes straight to the families of this territory.
And there is something numbers don’t show. A full farm dining table, a town square with visitors asking about coffee, all of that lifts a town’s spirits too. The travelers we’ve welcomed since the earthquake didn’t come to look at damage; they came for what people have always come for: the coffee, the towns, the people. And that is exactly what they found.
How to get here
By air. The closest airport is El Edén (AXM) in Armenia, about 33 km from Pijao (around one hour by road), with direct flights from Bogotá and Medellín of about 45 minutes. If you’re coming from abroad, Pereira (PEI) receives international connections (Miami, New York, Panama). Confirm routes and schedules directly with the airline; they change by season.
Overland. There are direct buses from Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, and the La Línea road, the arrival from Bogotá, is open and running normally.
From Armenia to the towns. Buses leave from Armenia’s terminal to Pijao and Buenavista. If you’d rather have a private transfer from the airport, write to us on WhatsApp and we’ll arrange it.
When to come and what weather to expect
The short answer: any time of year. Quindío has a mild climate (18-24 °C / 64-75 °F) year-round. Pijao sits at about 1,700 meters and Buenavista at about 1,400: gentle altitudes, with no acclimatization issues for most travelers.
- December-February and June-August: dry season, ideal if you want clear days.
- March-May and September-November: short, intense showers (an hour or two a day) and greener landscapes.
- April-June: main coffee harvest. October-November: the smaller harvest, with a quieter atmosphere that is just as authentic.
Every tour has a plan B for any weather. And if you go up on the Wax Palms Expedition (up to 2,400 meters), it gets colder up there: bring a warm layer.
What to pack: the short list
- A rain jacket, whatever month you travel.
- Layers: the climate is mild, but Pijao runs a bit cooler and the high mountain is cold.
- Cash: withdraw it in Armenia before heading up to the towns.
- Bottled water or a water filter if you’re staying in Pijao.
- Plan outdoor activities for the morning, especially between September and May.
What to do: five experiences running today
You’ll be inside the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. The designation doesn’t reward a monument: it recognizes the unique relationship between coffee culture and the Colombian Andean landscape. That means 44,000 farms where people live on coffee and for coffee, with traditions and ways of life that are still alive. Here is what you can experience with us:
- WakeCup Tour: a full day devoted to coffee. The whole chain, from seed to cup, with the growers who make it happen.
- Wax Palms Expedition: high-Andean forest up to 2,400 meters, centuries-old wax palms and the refuge of the yellow-eared parrot.
- Salento and Cocora Valley: the region’s classic, with a guide who explains what you’re looking at.
- Pijao’s Gardens: the town, its gardens and the hosts who tend them.
- Sí Génova Peace Tour: the living history of a town that grows coffee again.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to visit Colombia’s Coffee Region in 2026?
Yes. Pijao and Buenavista came through the August 10 earthquake without major damage, we are operating normally and we have been welcoming travelers since August 16. If you have a specific question about your route or your dates, write to us and we’ll tell you how things look that week.
Is the Armenia airport open?
Yes. El Edén has been operating commercial flights since August 11, with direct flights from Bogotá and Medellín.
What is the condition of the La Línea road?
Fully open. The overland arrival from Bogotá is running normally.
Are the tours running?
Yes, all of them: WakeCup, the Wax Palms Expedition, Salento and Cocora, Pijao’s Gardens and Sí Génova, on their usual schedules.
Does my visit actually help?
Yes, and directly: guides, drivers, farms, kitchens and coffee growers who sell their own coffee. Rural tourism is part of how this region moves forward.
Coming? Write to us on WhatsApp and we’ll plan your visit, or start with our tours in the Coffee Region.
