We decided to stay in the smaller town of Manizales during our month’s arbitrage to Colombia because we wanted to use it as a jump-off point to explore The Cocora Valley. Little did we know that the town would be full of lush green hills, hidden gem restaurants, a bustling nightlife scene, and tons of day-trips and glamping excursions. Manizales is the capital of the Caldas region of Colombia and is located at an elevation of 2,160 m (7,086 ft). It is in the heart of the coffee triangle and we felt super safe during our entire month here.
To learn more general tips about traveling to Colombia, check out our Destination: Colombia Travel Guide. Interested in hiking Los Nevados National Park or Cocora Valley? Here’s our guide with everything you need to know!
HOW TO GET HERE
If you are coming from the United States or any international destination, there is no way to fly into Manizales directly. Most people fly into Medellin, Cartagena, or Bogota. From these major cities, you can either take a domestic flight, bus, rent a car, or take the train to get to Manizales.
We flew into Medellin and drove a rental car. Of note, the only rental car company we found to make a one-way drive to Manizales was Localiza. At the time of our travel (January 2022), this route was very frustrating as we had to make frequent, prolonged stops due to heavy road construction.
If flying, domestic airlines such as Avianca and Easyfly have frequent flights to La Nubia Airport in Manizales.
If coming by bus, Coomotor and Expreso Bolivariano offer service from many cities across the country. It is easy to book a ticket at any major bus station.
WHAT TO DO
*Walk around @ Avenida Santander: Avenida Santander courses through all of Manizales. At the Southeastern tip of the city, it makes a U-shape, and this section is where all the action is at. If you only visit one street in Manizales, make it this one. Full of adorable trendy restaurants, tons of bars, and everyone out and about walking their furry friends. Nearly every place on the southern side has beautiful mountain views, while the northern side gets great city views. After sundown you will watch this street transform as the local youth pours in on their party buses livening up the area even more. Manizales is known for its nightlife and you will find no shortage of drinks, music, and late-night eats. Come here for a good time!
*Soak in the views @ Mirador de Niza: Great little viewpoint with green space to relax in, a Juan Valdez coffee shop (basically Colombian Starbucks), and 360 panoramic views of Manizales. There is a metal red staircase painted by local artists that you can climb (or elevator) for an even higher vantage point. Nice place to come chill and take in the views on a clear day.
Drink coffee @ Hacienda Venecia: Everyone says this is the best coffee finca in Manizales. Hosted in a traditional-style Colombian house with a pool overlooking rolling green hills, you can also stay on the property as a hotel guest. Between Costa Rica and our last Colombia trip, Dr. S and I were a little coffee-toured out, but if that’s not something you’ve done before Hacienda Venecia sounds like a lovely place to do so.
*Visit Los Nevados National Park & Cocora Valley: Manizales is a convenient jump-off point to explore Los Nevados National Park. You can either hire a taxi from Manizales or take the public bus through Perreira to Salento. Los Nevados is one of the most beautiful national parks in Colombia and features the unique paramo high-plain wetlands landscape as well as the tallest palm trees in the world. Read more about exploring and hiking the Cocora Valley/Los Nevados National Park in our post here.
Centro Commercial Mall Plaza: Huge mall complex with everything you need! Shopping, a SmartFit gym, a movie theater, playground, pharmacies, and even a grocery store. We lived right next door and came here frequently for gym and groceries.
Cable Plaza Mall: Another mall, much smaller than MallPlaza. Cute coffee shop/bar on the top floor with nice views overlooking Manizales.
Estadio Palogrande Sports Complex: A HUGE sports complex with multiple basketball courts, clay tennis courts, soccer field, running track, green space, and indoor basketball court.
DAY TRIPS/GLAMPING
Termales del Ruiz: Looking for a more lux way to experience the thermal landscapes of Colombia? Termales del Ruiz has an on-site natural hot spring that feeds into pools and hot tubs within the hotel property. Guests of the hotels get exclusive access to multiple thermal hot tubs with vistas of the cloud forest. If you are not a guest, you can still enjoy their main pool (which is definitely more of a pool vibe) for a small fee of 50,000 COP (~12$)- however, you won’t get the same views as the hotel guests. Take the little trail around the pool to visit their hummingbird sanctuary where you can feed hummingbirds from your palm and relax by the river and waterfall. Great place to come lounge for the day and they have a restaurant on site.
Note: If coming from Manizales, Google Maps will give you two route options: One more direct route and another via Highway 50. Though the direct route will be tempting, we do NOT recommend it unless you are in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. It is a very narrow dirt road in poor condition that can be muddy and rocky. Though the other option via Highway 50 is longer, it is paved most of the way and gives you beautiful views of the Colombian highlands the entire way.
*Glamping El Color de Mis Réves: At 2,800m (9,186 ft) altitude, this full-service Glamping site is situated deep in the beautiful Colombian high-cloud forest. If you are looking for the solitude and natural beauty of camping but with added luxuries and service, this is the place for you.
Accommodation options include large canvas tents or mini wooden cabins. Most sites have access to hot outdoor showers, wooden hot tubs heated by fire, cozy warm beds, hot chocolate and coffee in your tent/cabin, and functional electrical outlets! Some also have these awesome net hammocks built into the deck, so you can lounge in the canopy of the cloud forest (especially nice to cool down in-between hot tub soaks!)
Your room rate includes free daily breakfast and transport to and from a designated pick-up spot. Be prepared for a wild off-road ride in a 4×4 from the pickup site to the Glamping location, including a river crossing and a steep climb up a bumpy, muddy dirt road.
In order to book, go to this website (www.elcolordemisreves.com) to choose your site and dates. The site is a bit outdated and (at the time of our booking 01/2022) did not allow credit card payments. We received an email after booking requesting that a bank transfer be made. However, a WhatsApp contact was provided, and they were more than happy to arrange for us to pay in cash on site.
The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive to our needs. A bird watcher’s paradise, there are 93 species at the Glamping site alone. If you’re interested in a bird watching tour, the staff can arrange one for you. Pack your rain gear! Remember, it’s a cloud forest, so even when it’s not raining, it will often be misty and damp.
You can see glimpses of our awesome Glamping site in our DRoamings Colombia video. The carpas (canvas tents) are named after the views each has. We stayed in Corona del Rey, which was amazing and cost around $120/night. 10/10 highly recommend! $$
*Glamping León Dormido: This should be a bucket list item for anyone visiting Colombia. Less glamping and more like staying in a cabin with SPECTACULAR views of the Nevado del Ruiz peak and AMAZING service. Located 4000m (13,123ft) in the air, this is usually a height you can only access by foot in many parts of the world.
The accommodations are high quality and very tastefully decorated. Each one is architecturally different and they are located far enough apart that it feels very private. Many come with either an indoor or outdoor jacuzzi, an indoor fireplace, heated blankets, and a hammock net to lounge on.
Our favorite was Kumanday which had an outdoor jacuzzi (amazing for the cold nights), glass ceilings above the bed to stargaze as you fall asleep, and a nice hot shower. We also got to stay in Domo de Estrellas which had an indoor jacuzzi, massive indoor space to hang out, and a larger outdoor deck. The indoor jacuzzi did cause a lot of condensation on the inside of the accommodation and there was no glass view right above the bed, so we preferred Kumanday- but both were incredible! Due to the elevation, the hot tubs up here do cool down faster than the fire-burning ones at Glamping El Color de Mis Réves. Bring plenty of warm layers and some comfortable shoes for the short but steep hike up to the site.
Breakfast is included with your stay and lunch and dinner are available at their adorable restaurant, also blessed with incredible views. We had the portobello veggie burger and the salmon dish for dinner one night with some vino caliente (hot wine) and it was delicious. The owner is super bubbly and friendly and made the experience extra lovely. Staff was professional and super accommodating.
To book, check out their website or email leondormidoglamping@gmail.com. Check out their Instagram @glampingleon to see some photos of their incredible accommodations and location. Unlike the other glamping we did, you can pay your deposit via PayPal and pay the remainder in cash on site. 10/10 highly recommend!
*Termales El Sifón: One of the coolest things we did while in Colombia. A completely natural hot spring river that you can lounge in. Recommended to us both by the owner of Glamping Leon Dormido- this place was amazing. Less than an hour away from Glamping Leon Dormido or the town Murillo, be prepared for a rocky drive through some beautiful paramo landscapes. You will eventually hit a red gate that reads Haguacaliente. You will find a house with a friendly gentleman. Pay him 10,000 pesos/person (~$2.50) and he will unlock the gate. Drive down until you see a sign that says Llegada de Aguascalientes and there will be a very tiny pullout where you can park your car. We found a small footpath by the pullout and followed it down to this beautiful little area with a 4-foot waterfall and waist-deep pool which was perfect for lounging in the jacuzzi temperature water. Amazing.
We had the entire place to ourselves early in the morning, but small tour groups started arriving around noon. The water does have a sulfur smell to it, much like many thermal areas, and can get a little itchy when you’re out of the water- so make sure you bring a little towel to dry off with! If you have an option to rent a 4-wheel drive, that would be best… we did see someone get stuck in the mud.
This place is a hidden gem and one of our favorite magical places on Playground Earth. Definitely visit if you get a chance!
Pereira: We didn’t spend much time in Pereira, just used it as a jump point from Manizales to Salento. Our general impression is that Pereira is a more busy and commercial version of Manizales. It has a large bus station that you can use to get transportation to most major cities and small smaller ones as well. Pretty easy to navigate.
Cocora Valley/Los Nevados National Park: Read our entire post on exploring and hiking the Cocora Valley and Los Nevados National Park here.
WHERE TO EAT
*Shagra Restaurante Comida Saludadble: A vegetarian make your own burrito/bowl restaurant + health store. Great place to find vegan protein, oatmeal, rice cakes, granolas, and other health-conscious pantry items. The burritos were delicious! We got ours on a spinach tortilla with brown rice, beans, guacamole, beets, chimichurri, nuts, and pesto. The berenjena (eggplant) sauce was a must-try and the ginger kombucha in on point. Plenty of healthy options with super nice staff, we came again and again and again! $
*Somos Rosso: Very cute and trendy restaurant in Manizales with good music and even better food. A good amount of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian options. We had the fig-cheese-pistachio starter, mushroom-asparagus dish, and a vegetable curry side to share. Their drinks were unique and fabulous too! We tried the Sibarita del Mundo, a ginger beer infused with cardamom and lulo (naranjilla, a citrusy tasting plant), as well as the super interesting De Aquí y De Allá, a cold brew-elderflower tonic. Would definitely come again. $$
Crepes y Waffles: A high-quality crepe chain with a nice large selection of crepes, waffles, salads, and sandwiches, including a variety of vegetarian options. The Crepe Montes de María was actually pretty healthy and the Crepe Caprino was also tasty. Try their frozen yogurts too! $$
Coloquio Café: Nice little cafe near some green space. Their cappuccino with almond milk is served in clay pots on a hot slab with fresh almond powder on top. I’m usually not a fan of almond milk in my coffee, but theirs was delicious 
El Árbol Pub & Bar: The first floor is a food court with multiple vendors (although beware there are zero healthy options) and a sweet second-story bar with a good view. $$
Santo Kaffeto: Come here on a hot day to try their coffee lemonade. It’s pretty refreshing and delicious. $
*Kaffe Florida: Super cute coffee and flower shop. Their aromatics (teas/infusions) and their coffee were both delicious. Strong WiFi, lovely service, and lots of snacks and food if you get hungry as well. One of our favorite places to come get work done. $
Ohana by Chili Bowls: A new Hawaiian make-your-own bowl joint. Lots of veggie options but no veggie protein. $
Mercado Gastronomico: A cute food court with lots of different vendors. $
Maxi Fruver del Campo: A large fruit market with tons of handsome fruits and vegetables. $
La Patateria: Fries every way. Not super veggie-friendly, but if you’re looking for a potato-based cheat meal this is the place to be. $$
*Agora Cafe: Adorable café/book shop. Strong wifi, good coffee, and a great place to get work done. The owner was super nice and they even host live music and cocktails on some evenings. We spent hours here. $
Panadería Bakaria: Bakery known for their chocolate bread. Multiple locations throughout Manizales. Wish they had more seating to lounge around at. Very popular. $
BARS & NIGHTLIFE
BBC Bodega Milan Brewery: Double-story brewery serving local brews. Lively crowd, great location, tasty beers.
Backyard Solario: Another outdoor bar with bean bag chairs and chill vibes. Fun place to come grab a drink. Live DJ at night.
*Invisible: Outdoor Bar with awesome views over Manizales and chill vibes. Their cocktails were great and they serve BBC beers as well. Our bar of choice.
MAP
Here is our free Google Map with all of our recommendations from above.
