The Coffee Region

The Coffee Region, or Eje Cafetero, in the central Andes is the green heart of Colombia's world-famous coffee, a UNESCO cultural landscape of steep emerald hills terraced with coffee bushes, banana and plantain, dotted with traditional whitewashed towns and coffee haciendas. Visitors can stay on a working finca, tour a plantation to see the beans from bush to cup, taste the exceptional local brew, and explore charming towns like Salento and the towering wax palms nearby.

What you actually see

• A coffee farm tour - the journey from bean to cup on a working finca.
• The traditional towns - the colourful Salento and Filandia.
• The coffee tasting - sampling the exceptional local coffee.
• The green hills - the terraced coffee landscape and haciendas.

When to go

The drier months, roughly December to March and July to August, are best for touring the farms and hills, though the region is green and pleasant much of the year; a working coffee finca makes a wonderful base for a few days.

Honest expectations

It is a region to explore slowly over a few days, ideally staying on a coffee farm, rather than a single sight, and a car or local transport helps to link the scattered towns and fincas. The famous exported coffee historically left the best beans for export, but the local specialty scene has grown superb. It rains often, being a lush region.

Nearby

The Cocora Valley with its wax palms is alongside; Medellin and the Pacific coast are within reach.