Panaca

Panaca opened in 1999 with an explicit premise: that Colombian children were growing up in cities without contact with where food comes from, and that a park could put them in direct contact with agriculture. It holds several thousand animals across stations for cattle, pigs, horses, poultry, goats and dogs, and the model is participatory - visitors milk cows by hand, feed animals and handle them under supervision, rather than viewing enclosures. There are shows involving horses and working dogs, a canopy line, and demonstrations of sugarcane processing and other rural work. It sits in the coffee region within the UNESCO cultural landscape. It is squarely aimed at families and school groups and is large enough to fill a day.

What you actually see

• Participatory animal stations - milking and handling rather than viewing.
• Several thousand animals - across cattle, pigs, horses, poultry and more.
• Horse and working dog shows - through the day.
• Rural work demonstrations - including sugarcane processing.

When to go

Year round; weekends and holidays are busiest. A full day.

Honest expectations

It is aimed at children and school groups - adults without them get less from it. It is large with a lot of walking between stations. Shows run to a timetable that structures the day. Animal handling as entertainment divides opinion.

Nearby

Quimbaya is close; Salento and Cocora are north-east.