| Quindío Department | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| State | Colombia |
|---|---|
| Region | Andean region |
| Capital | Armenia |
| Surface | 1,845 km² |
| Inhabitants | 555.401 (2020 estimate) |
| Institutional website | |
Quindío is an administrative division of the region Colombian of the Andes.
To know
Quindio is a small territory, roughly the size of the province of Ravenna, which nevertheless welcomes a fairly significant tourist flow. In fact, many tourists come here exclusively with the intention of visiting the Cocora valley and admiring the wax palm specimens that grow wild in the valley.
The Quindío wax palm has been the official symbol of the Colombia. It is an extraordinary tree that can exceed 60 m. in height. The valley itself is magnificent, characterized by very green landscapes, thanks to the abundance of waters brought by rivers that have their sources in the nearby Los Nevados massif, consisting of imposing volcanoes of the central cordillera, whose peaks appear cloaked in snow perennial.
Quindío is part of the Paisa region. The main product is coffee and in recent years there has been a tourist boom in the agrotourism sector, in particular in the demand for tourist accommodation on farms (fincas) specialized in the cultivation of coffee plants.
Geographical notes
The department of Quindío is bordered to the north by the Risaralda department, to the east with the Tolima department and to the west with the department of Valle del Cauca.
The region is located on the central range of the Andes. The highest peaks are Nevado del Quindío (4,760) m a.s.l. and the Páramo de Chili of 3,500 m.
There are many rivers that flow in the territory; the most important is the Rio Quindío which flows into the Cocora valley. Its waters contribute to making the region a fertile and very green land.
Background
In pre-Columbian times, the Quindío region was inhabited by the Quimbayas, one of the most evolved indigenous groups from a cultural point of view as evidenced by their artistic artifacts, especially the goldsmith works, many of which are the most admired pieces of the gold museum Bogotá.
In colonial times, the region became an obligatory passage from the Andes to the Pacific coast. In the nineteenth century, colonization moved from Antioquia first reaching the various centers of the territory, then called Viejo Caldas and then moving towards the north where the small settlements of Tolima and Valle were founded, which later became true urban centers. The city of Armenia, today's capital of Quindío, was founded on 14 October 1889.
In the early years of the Republic, Quindío was part of the Popayán province; in 1857 it became part of the sovereign state of Cauca, downgraded to the department of Cauca in 1886. The cultivation of coffee led to a rapid economic and demographic development of the region and the city of Armenia it expanded considerably. On January 19, 1966, the new department of Quindío was officially established with Armenia as the capital.
Territories and tourist destinations
Department of Quindío: full screen map.- 1 Armenia - The capital of Quindío is a modern city of about 300,000 inhabitants, not particularly interesting but for many tourists it represents an obligatory passage being Armenia equipped with an airport with regular flights to / from Bogotá.
- 2 Filandia - Founded in 1878, Filandia, whose name derives from the Latin and means "daughter of the Andes", has a certain interest for its architecture of the republican era and in fact the town is a candidate to be included in the list of national heritage.
- 3 Salento - Pleasant rural village of 6,000 inhabitants, Salento it is the major tourist center of Quindío, as it constitutes the base for excursions to the Cocora valley.
Other destinations
- 1 Los Nevados (Parque nacional Natural Los Nevados) - The town of Salento forms the basis for excursions to the Los Nevados park but the path is challenging, the ascension is done on foot and is only for people in good health who must necessarily make use of guides or the services of local agencies. The main entrance to the park is everywhere else along the carriageway from Bogotá to Manizales (Carretera 50). At the height of the village of 1 The Esperanza detaches the crossbar that after about forty km arrives at 2 visitor reception center. The road to the park offices is also suitable for motor vehicles.
- 2 Cocora Valley - TO Salento visitors wishing to make the excursion to the valley usually rent a jeep while a minority take part in horse riding tours offered by local agencies. Before going up the upstream stretch of the valley, in the direction of the Los Nevados massif, everyone stops at the village of Cocora, where the carriage road stops. Cocora is nothing more than a handful of houses but has restaurants.
How to get
By plane
- 3 El Eden International Airport (IATA: AXM). Airlines Avianca and Avianca Express operate more flights per day from Bogotá-El Dorado. Other domestic flights from Cartagena, Medellín is Bogotá are taken care of by EasyFly.
- An international flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (Florida) is operated by the low-cost company Spirit Airlines.
How to get around
What see
What to do
- 1 Coffee Park (Parque nacional del Café) (Located in Pueblo Tapao, in the territory of the municipality of Montenegro). An internationally renowned theme park, the park is a kind of Walt Disney Colombian where everything revolves around the production of coffee. The park boasts around forty attractions, including two cable cars, roller coasters, and a water park. It has a stage where folkloric dance shows are staged daily. In the bars and restaurants set up in traditional buildings you can taste various types of coffee, desserts always based on coffee and typical dishes of the paisanos of Colombia.
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Quindío Department
Commons contains images or other files on Quindío Department
