Bright Architecture And Scenic Hills Make This South American Town One Of The Most Underrated

All over Colombia, you'll find white stucco walls topped with copper-hued tiles and appointed with heavy wooden doors. In its picturesque pueblos, like Filandia, brightly painted adornments add to the colorful charm, each neighbor outdoing the other with bright blue balconies and red-rimmed windows. Claimed by locals to be the real inspiration for the Disney movie Encanto, it's recently been named as one of the world's Best Tourism Villages by the UN's World Tourism Organization.

Most travelers to Eje Cafetero, Colombia's coffee heartland, flock to the popular tourist town of Salento. It's equally attractive, but the vast crowds place a taint on the quaint cobbled laneways. Opt instead to travel to Filandia to skip the foreign fare, get the same access to the extraordinary Western Andes, and experience small town life in central Colombia.

To access Filandia and the wider coffee region, fly into Armenia or Pereira. Both cities have regular connections from the international hubs of Medellín and Bogotá and taxis can be taken straight from the airport to the town. There are also regular connections from the bus stations in both cities, for 6,600 COP ($1.56 USD as of the time of this writing) from Armenia and 6000 COP from Pereira.

Soaring along the undulating skyline of Valle de Cocora, the world's highest palm trees are found in Colombia's central Andes. Venture from Filandia for a full day of exploration in Los Nevados National Natural Park, focusing on the famous hiking trails that run through the lush valley. Almost perpetually shrouded by cloud, the jutting mountains, towering trees, and iridescent hummingbirds cut through the misty landscapes, easily explored on foot or horseback. There are three looping routes that will take you through the valley: the path to El Bosque de Las Palmas (the palm forest), the Cocora Valley trail clockwise, and the Cocora Valley trail counterclockwise. If you want to visit without a tour, take a shared jeep taxi from Filandia's central plaza to Salento for 5500 COP, then switch to the shared jeep to Cocora Valley for 4000 COP.

Closer to town, explore the surrounding farmlands on a coffee tour. Roam paths overgrown with endemic Colombian plants, pluck coffee beans straight from the bush, and learn about the processing and roasting methods that have made Colombian coffee famous around the world. Finish with a tasting session in a quaint farmhouse, typically accompanied by scampering dogs and friendly passing neighbors. Alternatively, stick to Filandia's bounds and climb Mirador Colina Illuminada. Mimicking a bulky treehouse, constructed on stilts, it offers panoramic views over the town and the emerald range that encircles it.

Get a taste of Quindío state in one of its most innovative restaurants, Helena Adentro. Its menu is designed around local producers and the celebration of Colombian ingredients and techniques. Try traditional Colombian arepas served with rich bowls of slow cooked pork belly, green plantain tostones topped with prawns, or the trout plentiful in nearby rivers with coconut rice. Most of their plates are served tapas style, ideally suited for travelers hoping to sample a range of Colombian flavors.

Finding yourself in the heart of Eje Cafetero, a stop for coffee is almost obligatory. Select your specialty pouring method and your favorite notes from an array of locally sourced beans at CoffeecolBean Roastery, or enjoy a cup in the cozy Mocafe before venturing into the Indigenous artisans market on the opposite plaza.

Stay close to the sleep center while still having views over the farmlands at La Puesta Del Sol, just five minutes from the plaza. Alternatively, if you want to embrace your break from civilization, hop a willy from the town center to Tukawa. Rent out an entire cabin with panoramic views over the verdant highlands, tour the on-site coffee farm, and sip aromatic aguardientes by the mountaintop pool.