Pereira is worth visiting if you are looking for a relaxing city to settle in for a few weeks or more. But, if you are interested in touristic attractions in the Zona Cafetera I suggest going to Salento instead. Pereira is a perfect place to live, but there isn’t much for tourists here.
I just left Pereira after spending 40 days in the city. It was an ideal place to live while working on my next book. I was able to find an affordable apartment using Airbnb right in the city center.
With just over 700 000 people in the metropolitan area, Pereira is what I would call a medium sized city. It is much smaller than some of the other more famous Colombian cities like Bogota, Medellin, or Cali. That being said, if you are in Pereira, you will be able to find anything that you might need. There are numerous malls, bars, restaurants and more.
Things to do in Pereira
Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Pobreza
As I mentioned earlier Pereira is not a very touristic city. But, this cathedral is probably the most well known touristic attraction in Pereira. It is certainly the most remarkable building. Located right in the city center next to Plaza Bolivar, you can’t miss The “Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral”. On the sidewalk next to the Cathedral you will see street performers and people selling all kinds of different things.
For a while, I didn’t know what “Our Lady of Poverty” means. In Catholicism, it is another name for the “Virgin Mary”, mother of Jesus https://tapaksuci.id/.
The church was built in the late 19th century and as you might expect the architecture inside is beautiful. Mass is scheduled on Monday to Saturday: 7 am, 8 am, 12 pm, 5 pm, and 6 pm. And on Sundays at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7 pm.
Plaza Bolivar
This is the most central point in Pereira. Plaza Bolivar is filled with people every single day of the week. Noteworthy is the naked Monument, one of a couple different naked statues in Pereira. If you play chess there are usually a few dozen guys scattered around the plaza with chess boards who are always willing to have a game.
Bored in Pereira? Sit down at Plaza Bolivar and someone will probably sit next to you and initiate a conversation, this is an easy way to get a free Spanish lesson.
Coffee Culture in Pereira
Being the biggest city in the Zona Cafetera (Colombia’s coffee growing axis) Pereira is naturally a great place to drink Colombian coffee. The awesome thing is that there are hundreds of tiny cafes all over the city. People love to drink coffee in Pereira. Unlike in North America, people in Pereira drink coffee to relax, not as a tool to get more work done.
Everywhere you go in Pereira you will see people drinking coffee, feel free to join in and start up a conversation, in my experience locals in Pereira love to meet new people.
Best Places to Drink Coffee in Pereira
Ristretto Espresso
Located on the second floor of the Centro Commercial Plaza Bolivar, Ristretto Espresso is an awesome place to relax and watch the action in the city. This cafe overlooks Plaza Bolivar, the most central point in Pereira. I used to go to Ristretto Espresso regularly in the mornings to write. Ristretto Espresso is open every day from 9 am – 9 pm.
Yipao at Parque el Lago
Colombia is filled with Willy jeeps, which are American military jeeps from WWII. After 1945 when the war ended, many of these jeeps ended up in Colombia. Colombians call Willy jeeps “yipao” because it sounds a bit like the Spanish pronunciation of the word jeep.
At Parque el Lago in the center of Pereira, you can buy small coffees from the back of a “yipao” for 1000 Colombian pesos (0.3 USD) each. Every single time I walked past Parque El Lago I saw people sitting next to the jeep drinking coffee. I am not sure if the “yipao” has official hours, but there it is usually a yipao serving coffee on calle 24 and a yipao on calle 25 near Parque el Lago starting early in the morning.
Famosta Cafe
Located on Avenida Juan Guiterrez, Famosta Cafe is a classic coffee shop and restaurant in Pereira. It is a bit out of the city center in the Pinares Alto area. Famosta Cafe serves local coffee from the Risaralda region near Pereira and from other parts of Colombia as well. However, they only serve coffee grown in small local farms.
In addition to traditional coffee drinks like espressos and cappuccinos, Famosta cafe also serves cold-brew coffee and other beverages like juice, milkshakes, and wine. Famosta Cafe is open from Wednesday – Saturday 2-11pm and closed for the rest of the week.
Cost
The cost of living in Pereira is very low. I was able to find an Airbnb apartment rental for 300 USD per month right in the center of the city. My apartment had a kitchen, a big bed, a small entertainment area, and a shared terrace. I am sure I could have gotten a better deal if I had been willing to rent for longer than a month.
Grocery and restaurant costs are a bit lower than most other places as well. You can find Almuerzo (set lunch) all around the city for 5000-6000 Colombian Pesos (1.5-1.8 USD). Coffee or an espresso at most cafes is less than 1 USD. Your cost of living in Pereira will easily be half the cost of living in a western city (or even less than half).
Safety
Nowhere in Colombia is totally safe. There are armed muggings, pickpockets, and other assaults all over the country. However, Pereira is certainly one of the safer places in Colombia. I was staying in the center and I felt totally comfortable going out until 10 pm at night, but this is probably a bit more dangerous in other parts of the city.
Cuba and Villa Santa, two barrios in Pereira, are known to be more dangerous so be careful in these parts of the city. In fact, you should be careful anywhere in Pereira, but if you choose to come to Pereira your risks will be much lower than in many other parts of Colombia.
For more information on safe travel check out this article.
Climate
For many people, the climate in Pereira will be perfect. At 1411 meters (4629 feet) above sea level, the daily average temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) year round. Admittedly it does rain a lot here, with the rainiest months being March, April, May, October, and November.
For me personally, Pereira was just a bit too hot. It was fine in the evening but at midday, I was covered in sweat, however, I know that many other people would be uncomfortable in a colder climate.
Things to do Nearby
Salento
Located 35 kilometers southeast of Pereira, Salento is a small town with only 7000 people. It is very popular with backpackers as well as other tourists. Make sure to check them out the beautiful Mirador right next to the center of town. People come to Salento to visit the town itself or they stay here to visit the nearby attractions like the Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley).
Valle de Cocora
Valle de Cocora, famous for its wax palms, is absolutely gorgeous and is one of those rare opportunities you have in Colombia to hike in the wilderness solo without a guide. To get to the Cocora valley you leave from the center of town in Salento. Catch one of the jeeps at the main plaza. You should leave in the morning because the hike through the valley takes between 4-6 hours.
It would be a stretch to visit Salento and Valle de Cocora in a day-trip from Pereira, so I suggest spending a night in Salento.
Filandia
This is not a typo, it is spelled Filandia, not Finlandia. Filandia is a small town in the Quindio department with around 14 000 people. There aren’t a lot of tourist attractions, but it is still a gorgeous place to visit. As a tourist, you would probably be fine staying for 1-2 nights, but you could also stay here longer if you enjoy hanging out in small towns. Filandia is one of the most beautiful “pueblos” I have ever visited.
Overall Pereira and the surrounding Zona Cafetera is beautiful to visit as a tourist or to stay long-term. While if you are the sort of person who enjoys touristic attractions there might not be much to do in Pereira itself, there is still a lot to do in the surrounding area. However, after spending 40 days total in Pereira I can say that it is one of the best places I have ever lived.