If you are looking for tours in Quindío away from the usual circuit, head south. About an hour by road from Armenia, the mountains around Buenavista, Pijao and Génova keep Colombia's Coffee Cultural Landscape the way people actually live it. We run four day tours there: the WakeCup Tour, to understand coffee on a real farm; the Pijao Gardens Tour, to see the town from the inside; the Wax Palms Expedition, a hike into the cloud forest; and the Si Génova Peace Tour, to hear the story of a town rebuilding itself. Here is what each one involves and how to choose.
Why southern Quindío?
Quindío is the smallest mainland department in Colombia, yet one of the most diverse for its size: close to 30 percent of the country's bird species live here. It is also the heart of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. The listing recognises the bond between coffee culture and the Andean landscape, and ways of life that are still very much alive.
Most travellers visit the north of the department, Salento and Filandia, and then move on. But from Armenia, in about an hour by road, you reach a different Quindío: the southern mountain range. In Buenavista, Pijao and Génova the architecture is intact, coffee shapes daily life and the landscape is built by the people who live in it. Someone may well invite you for a tinto, the small black coffee Colombians share with anyone, and tourists are still a curiosity rather than the norm.
Jeep Willys here are not an attraction. They are working vehicles, used alongside horses and mules. Coffee and plantain grow together on the slopes and shape the local economy.
We started in Buenavista, and our heart and base are in Pijao. That is why our southern tours happen here: three start in Pijao and the Si Génova Peace Tour starts in Génova, all with bilingual guides who were born or trained in this territory. You will find them all on our Coffee Region tours page, with details and current rates.
WakeCup Tour: coffee from seed to cup
This was our first tour and it is still the centre of what we do. Six hours in Pijao, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: the town square, El Patio medicinal plant nursery, the growers' co-operative, and then a Jeep Willys ride up to Don Leo's farm. There you share a traditional lunch, pick coffee with the family, see small-batch roasting alongside the growers and taste specialty coffees.
The physical effort is very low and it suits all ages. It is the tour for anyone who wants to understand coffee from the inside, with the people who grow and sell it. Details on the WakeCup Tour page.
Pijao Gardens Tour: the town from the inside
A short walk of about three hours through the gardens Pijao's residents tend with pride. Families open their doors as if to old friends and share flowers of every scent, shape and colour. The highlight is Casa Solaz, Doña Olga's heritage house with its inner courtyards and planters. The walk also stops at El Patio and includes a coffee or an herbal infusion.
It runs on request, with the time agreed when you book. It is a good half-day option if you are short on time or want to pair it with something else. More on the Pijao Gardens Tour page.
Wax Palms Expedition: into the cloud forest
This is the nature day. A Jeep Willys takes you up from Pijao to the La Palmera area, in the cold highlands, and from there you hike 4.5 km uphill through Andean cloud forest, among ferns, mosses and tiny orchids, to a sanctuary of century-old wax palms at 2,400 m above sea level. The wax palm is Colombia's national tree, and these mountains became a refuge for the yellow-eared parrot, a threatened species you look for with binoculars.
It takes about seven hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and includes a traditional lunch at a partner farm and walking poles. The difficulty is moderate: it suits regular walkers, not people with reduced mobility. Everything is on the Wax Palms Expedition page.
Si Génova Peace Tour: a town's memory
Génova lies in southern Quindío, in the Central Andes. It was settled by migrants who crossed the mountains looking for land, and for more than fifty years it lived through the armed conflict. Today it is a town rebuilding itself, and this tour tells that story with its own people: those who stayed, those who came back and those who still grow coffee on the same land.
It is not dark tourism or a show of suffering. It is memory told with dignity, by guides trained to talk about the post-conflict with respect. Six hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with Jeep Willys transport, a chef-prepared meal with a vegetarian option, coffee and English translation. For a first taste of those stories, read "That This Land Can Grow Coffee Is a Symbol of Peace". The tour page is Si Génova Peace Tour.
What about Salento and the Cocora Valley?
Salento and the Cocora Valley are Quindío's most visited destination, and for good reason: the valley's wax palms are spectacular and Salento's main street is known for handmade crafts. We also run a full day there, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a walk in the valley, a lunch of trout and patacón and a short barista class at a café in town, before ending on Calle Real. It is not a coffee tour; it is nature and town.
The difference with the south is pace. In Salento you will share the trail with many more people; in Pijao, tourism is still not the main industry. We compare the two in more detail in Pijao: The Same Wax Palms as Cocora, an Hour and a Half from Salento.
Which one should I choose?
It depends on what you came for:
- For coffee, the WakeCup Tour. It is the most complete day to understand the process with the people who do it.
- If you only have a few hours or want to know the town, the Pijao Gardens Tour.
- If you like hiking and want nature without crowds, the Wax Palms Expedition.
- If you are interested in Colombia's recent history, the Si Génova Peace Tour.
- If you want the classic Cocora postcard, the Salento day trip.
Two tours on the same day are possible at a special rate, which our team prices case by case depending on group size. With more days, the tours link up into packages such as the Nature Plan, which combines coffee, birdwatching or horse riding, Cocora and hot springs.
Getting there and when to go
Your base city is Armenia, Quindío's capital. Pijao is 45 minutes to an hour by road from El Edén airport. Transport to each tour's meeting point is not included, but we arrange it as an extra from Armenia, Salento, Buenavista or our partner lodges.
Tours run all year. Mountain weather changes during the day, so pack a light jacket, comfortable shoes, insect repellent and sunscreen. If it rains, tours still go ahead; we adapt them. Bring some cash too: along the way you can buy specialty coffee directly from the people who grew it.
How do I book?
You book with a 50 percent deposit and pay the balance on the day. If you travel solo, you can join one of the scheduled group departures. Tell us what catches your eye, how many of you there are and which days you have, and we will help you plan it.
Message us on WhatsApp and we will reply with availability.
Keep reading
- To see every tour in one place, go to our coffee region tours.