Aguadas

The sombrero aguadeno is woven from iraca palm and is the hat associated with Antioquian and Caldas country dress - white, soft, with a black band, and traditionally worn with the ruana. Aguadas has made them since the nineteenth century and a museum in the town covers the craft with the tools, the fibre preparation and the grades. The town itself is a heritage centre of whitewashed two-storey houses on steep streets at around two thousand metres, cold and often in cloud. It holds the Festival Nacional del Pasillo, a music festival for the pasillo, a waltz-derived Andean form played on bandola, tiple and guitar, which is the other reason people come. It is remote and receives few visitors.

What you actually see

• The aguadeno hat - iraca palm, worn with the ruana.
• A museum of the craft - tools, fibre preparation and grades.
• Whitewashed streets at two thousand metres - cold and often in cloud.
• A national pasillo festival - bandola, tiple and guitar music.

When to go

Year round; the festival is the peak. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is a long winding drive from anywhere. Cloud and cold are frequent at this altitude. Services are limited. Hat workshops are households rather than shops - ask locally.

Nearby

Salamina is south; Sonson is north in Antioquia.