Day 2: Pereira to Filandia
RideWithGPS route details || Distance: 17.5 miles || Elevation gain: 2700'
Our second day on the bikes, started with a two-hour coffee farm tour and then a shuttle into Pereira to avoid the busy morning commute. The way from Pereira to Filandia is all paved road, though the total amount of climbing still resulted in a good day's effort of bikepacking.
****PRO TIPS****
1. Pereira is a large city and an indsutrial center. Traffic can be very heavy.
2. Mid-ride, grab a few empanadas at El Descanso to fuel the push on to Filandia.
3. Toll booths don't apply to two-wheeled vehicles. Stay right where the motos bypass.
4. Arrive in Filandia around 3:00. Grab a table on the square and take in the culture.
5. Take cash to Filandia. ATMs run out of cash each Sunday and restocked on Wednesdays.
Our informative guide at Finca del Cafe, Luis, communicated effectively in Spanish and gave us a great appreciation for the proud husbandry required to produce some of the world's finest coffee. Unfortunately, Colombia exports their best beans and the standard tinto in the region is produced with substandard beans. However, coffee tourism is growing and there are fantastic cups of coffee to be had at coffee farms and in pueblos such as Filandia and Jardin.
We read and verified with our hosts at Finca del Cafe that traffic through Pereira was the busiest traffic we'd experience on our trip. So, we opted for a shuttle - Colombian style - from the finca to the far end of Pereira. After our coffee tour, Luis hauled our bikes in the back of a small pick-up truck and began tieing them down. "No hay problema. Hacemos esto todo el tiempo con las motocicletas."
This shuttle cut out about 12 miles of the trip. As an alternative, you can continue on the gravel road past Finca del Cafe down to Santa Rosa de Cabal and rejoin the main road for a one-way, divided highway descent into Pereira. Be careful to navigate through town, particularly if you're there during AM rush hour or around noon.
The climb out of Pereira on 29Q starts gently. After a short decent, the effort begins in earnest. About 2 miles from town, near the crest of this first steep ptich, a woman was selling arepa con chocolos. For the record, chocolo doesn't mean chocalate, as Liane thought when she first saw the roadsie stand! However, these were delicious, quick snack and pack easily enough if you want some fuel for the road. You get two, big-as-you-hand arepas for $3.000 COP ($1 USD).
Back on the road, climb steadily uphill on a road with minimal shoulder. Traffic here was not as bad as the day beofre, yet the mimimalist shoulder offered some concern. The drainage ditch is off-canter but rideable if you find yourself more comfotable on the right hand side of the white line. In general, traffic gives you enough room but yellow lines in the center of the road mean nothing to Colombian drivers. Be prepared for downhill traffic to be in your lane at times while they are making a pass on the other side of the road!
At the roundabout and junction of 29/29Q, a real-deal shoulder appears and lasts until your turnoff to Filandia. The road varies between two and four lanes and, when the latter, the road is generally divided. Traffic is light though clumpy due to slow moving trucks and buses. Eventually you'll crest the climb and roll along a ridge for 1-2 km.
Today, you'll first experience Colombia's toll booths. Don't panic: vehicles with only two-wheels don't pay tolls! Stay to the right, skip the line, and bypass the toll booth just like the motorcycles!
Before dropping into El Manzano, be sure to stop at El Descanso - a roadside stand that serves great empanadas and other quick bites, including chorizo. On a sunny day (not what we had) there should be an incredible view of the high peaks in Los Nevados National Park.
After another short climb, you'll reach the turnoff for Filandia along the Filandia-Armenia Road. This cement-surfaced, low traffic road is a welcome change and rolls generally downhill through pastoral landscapes dotted with cattle. Before long, you'll begin to see the church steeple in Filandia on the horizon. The final sectuer of today's ride is a quad-busting climb that grants you entrance to a beautiful town square. Welcome to Filandia - the gem pueblo of this trip for us! Walk the town and notice the beautiful facades of the buildings in town. Filandia requires residents to paint their houses every year and will subsidize costs if necessary to ensure the beauty of the town. This dedication to community shows!
****RECOMMENDATIONS****
1. For the best cup of coffee, ask for a tinto at Claudia Cafe Bar Filandia on the southwestern corner of the square. This tinto was 1 of the 2 best cups we had in Colombia.
2. Visit Bidea Hostel for ideas about local hikes or bike rides out of town. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Our next two routes were shaped by information gathered here.
3. Filandia has a lot of affordable options. For bike-friendly and simple accomodations, try Casa Hotel El Compadre a few blocks off town square. Staff was friendly and the owner speaks fluent English. The suite with the balcony offers good views of the surrounding mountains and a hammock to boot! A simple breakfast is included with the rate.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yo Google: cycling, bike touring, bikepacking, travel by bike, gravel roads, Colombia, Zone Cafetera, coffee, farms, day by day, route summaries, Finca del Cafe, Pereira, Filandia
Our second day on the bikes, started with a two-hour coffee farm tour and then a shuttle into Pereira to avoid the busy morning commute. The way from Pereira to Filandia is all paved road, though the total amount of climbing still resulted in a good day's effort of bikepacking.
****PRO TIPS****1. Pereira is a large city and an indsutrial center. Traffic can be very heavy.
2. Mid-ride, grab a few empanadas at El Descanso to fuel the push on to Filandia.
3. Toll booths don't apply to two-wheeled vehicles. Stay right where the motos bypass.
4. Arrive in Filandia around 3:00. Grab a table on the square and take in the culture.
5. Take cash to Filandia. ATMs run out of cash each Sunday and restocked on Wednesdays.
Our informative guide at Finca del Cafe, Luis, communicated effectively in Spanish and gave us a great appreciation for the proud husbandry required to produce some of the world's finest coffee. Unfortunately, Colombia exports their best beans and the standard tinto in the region is produced with substandard beans. However, coffee tourism is growing and there are fantastic cups of coffee to be had at coffee farms and in pueblos such as Filandia and Jardin.
 |
| Roadside arepas. Good fuel for bikepacking! |
This shuttle cut out about 12 miles of the trip. As an alternative, you can continue on the gravel road past Finca del Cafe down to Santa Rosa de Cabal and rejoin the main road for a one-way, divided highway descent into Pereira. Be careful to navigate through town, particularly if you're there during AM rush hour or around noon.
The climb out of Pereira on 29Q starts gently. After a short decent, the effort begins in earnest. About 2 miles from town, near the crest of this first steep ptich, a woman was selling arepa con chocolos. For the record, chocolo doesn't mean chocalate, as Liane thought when she first saw the roadsie stand! However, these were delicious, quick snack and pack easily enough if you want some fuel for the road. You get two, big-as-you-hand arepas for $3.000 COP ($1 USD). 
Back on the road, climb steadily uphill on a road with minimal shoulder. Traffic here was not as bad as the day beofre, yet the mimimalist shoulder offered some concern. The drainage ditch is off-canter but rideable if you find yourself more comfotable on the right hand side of the white line. In general, traffic gives you enough room but yellow lines in the center of the road mean nothing to Colombian drivers. Be prepared for downhill traffic to be in your lane at times while they are making a pass on the other side of the road!At the roundabout and junction of 29/29Q, a real-deal shoulder appears and lasts until your turnoff to Filandia. The road varies between two and four lanes and, when the latter, the road is generally divided. Traffic is light though clumpy due to slow moving trucks and buses. Eventually you'll crest the climb and roll along a ridge for 1-2 km.
Today, you'll first experience Colombia's toll booths. Don't panic: vehicles with only two-wheels don't pay tolls! Stay to the right, skip the line, and bypass the toll booth just like the motorcycles!
Before dropping into El Manzano, be sure to stop at El Descanso - a roadside stand that serves great empanadas and other quick bites, including chorizo. On a sunny day (not what we had) there should be an incredible view of the high peaks in Los Nevados National Park.
After another short climb, you'll reach the turnoff for Filandia along the Filandia-Armenia Road. This cement-surfaced, low traffic road is a welcome change and rolls generally downhill through pastoral landscapes dotted with cattle. Before long, you'll begin to see the church steeple in Filandia on the horizon. The final sectuer of today's ride is a quad-busting climb that grants you entrance to a beautiful town square. Welcome to Filandia - the gem pueblo of this trip for us! Walk the town and notice the beautiful facades of the buildings in town. Filandia requires residents to paint their houses every year and will subsidize costs if necessary to ensure the beauty of the town. This dedication to community shows!
****RECOMMENDATIONS****
1. For the best cup of coffee, ask for a tinto at Claudia Cafe Bar Filandia on the southwestern corner of the square. This tinto was 1 of the 2 best cups we had in Colombia.
2. Visit Bidea Hostel for ideas about local hikes or bike rides out of town. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Our next two routes were shaped by information gathered here.
3. Filandia has a lot of affordable options. For bike-friendly and simple accomodations, try Casa Hotel El Compadre a few blocks off town square. Staff was friendly and the owner speaks fluent English. The suite with the balcony offers good views of the surrounding mountains and a hammock to boot! A simple breakfast is included with the rate.
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| Looking back on Pereira after cycling out of town |
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| El Descanso for cycling fuel: empanadas! The best of the trip! |
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| Tolls are for suckas, not bikepackers in Colombia! |
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| Cycling along the peaceful concrete road to Filandia |
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| Filandia awaits our arrival on the hillside |
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| Filandia town square decorated for Christmas |
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| Filandia requires that residents paint their homes every year and will subsidize costs if needed |
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yo Google: cycling, bike touring, bikepacking, travel by bike, gravel roads, Colombia, Zone Cafetera, coffee, farms, day by day, route summaries, Finca del Cafe, Pereira, Filandia
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