Top Things to do in Caldas Department
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7 Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers in Caldas Department That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Caldas Department, Colombia including Bosque De Palma De Cera La Samaria, Nevado del Ruiz, Manizales Cathedral, Torre Panoramica de Chipre, Estadio Palogrande, Nevados Santa Isabel, Cable Aereo Manizales.
Restaurants in Caldas Department
1. Bosque De Palma De Cera La Samaria
2. Nevado del Ruiz
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 412 reviews
Reviewed By JohnRothSeattle
I was fortunate enough to meet Pablo of Guru talks in the city of Manizales. It is not easy to find guides in Manizales but I got lucky and found Guru walks and Pablo. Our time together was in January of this year. Besides doing city tours, Pablo is a geologist and loves nature. He does tours in the surrounding nature around Manizales. For our time together, we visited one of the biggest volcanos in Colombia, Nevada del Ruiz. It is an incredible site and over 14,000 feet in elevation. We stood exactly where the lava flow was in 1985, the last time of its eruption. The lava killed over 25,000 people within 2 hours of its eruption with the lava flowing down the valley. It was beautiful and magnificent to see. Pablo has climbed 15 volcanos in Colombia. He climbed the Nevada also. There is a climbing route in which you start at 3:00 am, many times in the rain, with ice storms as you get to the top. Needless to say, these are not great conditions, but Pablo is used to it. After viewing the volcano, we traveled down the mountain and completed a loop. The car ride was beautiful but, on a dirt, and bumpy road. Pablo does all kinds of nature tours/hikes. If this interest you, Pablo is a passionate and excellent guide.
3. Manizales Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 775 reviews
Reviewed By 921adriank
The cathedral is beautiful. You can take a guided tour and go up to the top of the tower for a great view of Manizales and the area.
4. Torre Panoramica de Chipre
5. Estadio Palogrande
6. Nevados Santa Isabel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By daisy21988 - Maracaibo, Venezuela
To visit Santa Isabel you need to make a reservation through a tour company. We went through Kumanday by the recommendation of a friend and they were awesome. You begin by taking a 2 hour drive from Manizales to a small farm to eat breakfast, and then continue about one hour more to the base of the trail. The road is very, very bumpy and if you get motion sick easily you should definitely take some medicine before the trip. The group begins walking at the same pace and the guide tries to keep everyone together, but over time people who could go faster went on with other groups and those who wanted to go a bit slower stayed back with the guide. The altitude is challenging but if you give yourself time to acclimate to it, it isn't too bad. Coming from Medellin, Bogota, or after spending some time in Manizales you would probably be ok. I would consider myself to have a very average fitness level, and I'm not a hiker, but I made it to the top just at a slower pace than some others in the group by taking several breaks and drinking lots of water. I thought it was going to be much more difficult that it was, so maybe the trick is to psych yourself up for a grueling hike and then you'll be ok. :) With that said, there were several people who were really struggling (crying, almost fainting) so if you are not in shape or if you are not acclimated to high altitude, this is not the trip for you. Overall, the scenery of the paramo ecosystem and the experience of being on a glacier was well worth the challenging hike, and I have already recommended it to some friends.
7. Cable Aereo Manizales
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 209 reviews
Reviewed By WorldTvlerParker_CO
You need to buy a card to use, but once you have it you can add to,it. 2 can use the same card. Great views and fastest way to get from the bus terminal to the top! Then it’s walkable to old town area.
