It’s important to note, that Pereira does great coffee! We have surpassed the traditional coffee strongholds like Manizales or Armenia for coffee culture and innovation. Remember, Pereira has always been very innovative, very progressive and as a result very successful compared to other cities and regions in Colombia.
It’s almost like another country. We love to criticize our city and departmental government here. I think for some it’s a pastime. BUT! Maybe it is a population of people who are exigente, or who hold to a high standard, that has helped to drive that same success. Freedom of speech must be good for something. So to all the people who have “queja’s“, or complaints. Our thanks, you have done your part too!
Moving on, we are going to show you Pereira for Coffee Lovers, destinations you won’t want to miss!
Do you see the Viaduct in the center of the frame? What a view! From Don Manolo’s Coffee Farm
That same drive for success has created what some refer to as the “tercer olla” or 3rd wave of coffee producers/entrepreneurs. These are the youngest generation of coffee producers who are bringing first world knowledge and techniques to the coffee region of Colombia. They are helping to drive a more sophisticated coffee culture together with the traditional producers who are starting to revise their market strategy to adapt to the needs of future generations. These are a few destinations we hand-picked for quality, tradition and potential to help visitors further experience old and new coffee culture. For more information about the evolution of coffee culture in Colombia, check out This Article.
Let’s talk about coffee!
The Department of Risaralda and Pereira are home to some of the best coffee farms in the world. Farms which have won prizes for the best cups of coffee in Colombia. Read more about the best coffee of Risaralda for 2016 here: Marsella is the Best Coffee in the Department of Risaralda (in Spanish only). These are a few of the top destinations in Pereira and the Coffee Region for Coffee Lovers.
Here are some of the Best Coffee Culture Destinations in Pereira for Coffee Lovers:
Each of these items are blog stories in and of themselves but here we will try to give you the abbreviated version!
1. Don Manolo: Coffee Farm Tour in Pereira
Ready to roast @ Don Manolo’s
With a breathtaking view of Pereira, a passion for cafe, and an eye for quality, Don Manolo is an unforgettable coffee farm tour that excels in coffee technique. Experience hands on activities that evoke all the senses as you visit this small family farm only 10-15 minutes from the city center at Plaza Bolivar.
We couldn’t say it better than Señor Hector Manuel Manolo, the patriarch of Don Manolo:
“El cafe es recuerdos, Coffee is memories
el Cafe es amor, Coffee is love
el Cafe es amistad, Coffee is Friendship
el Cafe es interactuar, Coffee is interaction
el Cafe es social, Coffee is social
y Mucho otros concepts que difrutamos quango tomamos una taza de cafe.” and many other concepts that we enjoy when we drink a cup of coffee.
Enjoy their 2-3 hour coffee tour where you will learn hands on coffee-culture techniques. During your tour you will receive professional answers to all your technical questions as you experience the entire process of coffee cultivation, from farm to table. With a strong emphasis in education and coffee culture tradition, Don Manolo’s is a MUST for true coffee nerds!
Where we learned about the coffee business and profit/production/outcome models! Very insightful!
How to get there: You MUST call for reservations due to demand and business needs. Call: 313-655-0196 or 318-788-0930 to reserve your private tour. Next, catch a taxi and as for “Vereda Estanquillo Dogquebradas, por favor. La ruta al alto de nudo.” Expect to pay about 10,000 pesos for the trip.
Operating Hours: 9am – 3 pm for tours. Day of the week isn’t important, but you MUST call for a reservation 1-2 days prior. These are really nice people and the tour groups are kept small to protect the personalized nature of this attraction.
Cost: 30,000 pesos per person Editor’s note: this is outdated information, call for current prices. The standard farm to table coffee tour. Inquire about special tour options and “barismo” workshops and classes (or Barista training). Coffee available for purchase.
Cafe’s In Pereira for Coffee Lovers!
Coffee and Artisan Bread at El Lugar Terrazza Cafe
- 2. El Lugar Terraza Cafe: Via Cerritos Km 9 Entrance is the last road/driveway before Bavaria beer factory. Call:+57 321 558 4848 www.hotellugar.com Premium coffee carefully sourced from Marsella, their house blend was manually selected for quality and taste. On-site it is carefully roasted in-house. Truly, it’s a premium coffee that won’t disappoint. Ask for a special coffee or chocolate presentation in a relaxed but highly personalized environment. Working together, El Lugar has created a coffee hotspot at this Boutique Hotel. Be sure to share their page on Pereira City Guide via social media for a FREE cup of their special house blend.
- 3. Toranj Cafe: Calle 22 #6-11 Facebook: Toranj Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. This is a coffee which comes from Valle del Cauca to the south-west of Pereira. We recommend their Frappe de Cafe, it’s the best in Pereira (especially if you prefer creamy drinks with less sugar and more flavor!). This is a very simple, art-deco coffee shop in el Centro of Pereira. It has a minimalist vibe that creates a happy place that is all about you and your coffee. Even the menu is a study in simplicity, with only about 6 coffee options + 3 juice options written on a chalkboard. It’s everything an on-the-go coffee shop should be. Especially if you are out exploring the old architecture between Parque el Lago and Plaza Bolivar, your pick-me-up is here.
- 4. Cafe Babilonia 1892: Carrera 7 #21-65 Facebook: Cafe Bablionia 1892 Hours: M-Th 3pm – 11 pm. Fri – Sat 3 pm – 1 am. With a trained barista on-site, a premium coffee blend and a very chill classic 80’s vibe, you won’t regret stopping in here. This is a themed cafe/bar that offers loads of quality and service. We really like the smaller “tea cafe” that is located inside too! Ask for a special explanation of the tea options and varieties. Their music is an eclectic mix of 80’s-90’s favorites that will keep the energy high enough to also bring in the evening bar crowd. If good coffee, tea, music and vibes aren’t enough, then surely 82 different beers will be your deal-maker! And, for all the wine lovers who are feeling left out: Ask about their sangria, or cozy up to their wine menu for more options!
- If you like these cafe’s here are a few more we recommend: 5 Independent Cafes in Pereira We Recommend!
5. The Jeep Coffee Tradition
in Pereira for Coffee Lovers, fresh every day!!!
Coffee Jeep at Parque el Lago
Another tradition in Pereira for Coffee Lovers, and the greater coffee axis is the Jeep-coffee. To this day the Jeep Willy’s have always been the most well-suited vehicle to the precarious slopes of the Colombian Andes. Your visit to Pereira wouldn’t be complete until you drink coffee like the locals do, at one of the coffee jeeps that Roast, grind and serve using traditional technique.
The commercial jeeps are often seen bringing loads of produce or people out of the most hard-t0-reach areas outside the city. Today, the Jeep cafe’s will go to a farm of a friend or family member and bring green coffee back down, roast it and prepare it according to customer preference. From farm to table this is the freshest coffee to be had in Colombia. If you find the blend of your dreams, you can even have them pack a bag of roasted beans or ground coffee to take home too!
- Circunvalar: the coffee jeeps can be found at 2-3 locations: 1. On the Circunvalar side of the large pedestrian bridge from Plaza Victoria 2. Parque La Rebecca near Confamiliar Hospital 3. Next door to Salud Coop.
- el Centro: You can find a jeep parked at Parque El Lago (The Lake Plaza), Plaza Victoria and Plaza Bolivar.
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