Is There A Coffee Theme Park In Colombia & Is It Worth Visiting?
Have You Heard About A Coffee Theme Park In The Coffee Region Of Colombia, But Aren’t Sure Exactly What It Is Or If It’s Worth Visiting?
The Coffee Theme Park (Parque del Cafe) just outside of Armenia in the Coffee Region, was one of the many weekend trips I made during my time living in Colombia, and although I enjoyed my day at the park, others might not find it worth the time of getting to, so here are all the details about this park to help you decide if it’s worth adding to your itinerary.
🎢 What Exactly Is The Coffee Park In The Coffee Region Of Colombia?
The Coffee Park (Parque del Cafe is the official name in Spanish) is an actual theme park just outside of the city of Armenia, in the Coffee Region of Colombia.
It is one of the most unique theme parks I’ve ever been to, and it’s more than just rides and shows; there is obviously also a lot revolving around coffee so it’s like going to a museum and on a coffee farm tour with a little extra excitement and fun.
Where Exactly Is It & What’s The Best Way To Get There
The closest larger city to the Coffee Park is the city of Armenia (which does have an airport), but if you plan to explore the Coffee Region a bit, I’d recommend flying into and staying in Pereira, Colombia because it is considered the capital of the Coffee Region so it’s easy to base yourself here to explore more of this area.
Depending on your level of comfortableness with Spanish, the currency, and navigation, there are a couple of ways to get yourself to the Coffee Park once your in Pereira or Armenia:
- Uber, Taxi, or Private Transportation:
- Ubers are generally the safest option in Colombia, plus they’re reasonably priced and a little nicer
- taxis are not usually as nice, cheap, or always as safe, but they’re more widely available
- private transfers are nice, safe, and convenient
- Guided Coffee Park Tours:
- by far the easiest and most stress free way to get to the park would be on a guided tour so you don’t have to worry about transportation, change, or any other details
- Public Transportation:
- it might sound a little intimidating, but it’s actually pretty simple
- from Pereira, just go to the transportation terminal, find a booth selling tickets to Armenia, buy a ticket, and get on the bus
- then from Armenia, find the bus going to Montenegro/Parque del Cafe, pay, get on the bus, and get off at the park
How Much Does It Cost To Enter
Tickets to the Coffee Park in Colombia, or what they call passports, currently cost 99,000 Colombian pesos (about $32), although buying online does get you a 10% discount, unless your that South American agouti (pictured above) that can get in for free 😊.
Private guided tours of the Coffee Park cost a little more (around $85) but they do include roundtrip transportation from Pereira, Armenia, Salento, or Filandia, plus a guide that leads the way.
What Is There To Do At The Park
Although it might not be as big as theme parks in the US, there are still a number of interesting and unique things to see and do in this Colombia Coffee Theme Park:
Top Parque del Cafe Rollercoaster Rides:
- Ciclón – twisting and turning ride relating to the tropical cyclones Colombia gets
- Montaña Rusa Avix – the new inverted coaster inspired by the beautiful birds of this country
- Montaña Rusa Krater – one of the most extreme coasters in Latin America, resembling all the mountainous and volcanic terrain
- Torre Cumbre – vertical tower ride, named for the snowy mountain peaks of the country
Water Rides:
- Botes Chocones – bumper water boats
- Montaña Acuática – log style water ride
- Rápidos – circular water rapid ride
A few other Unique/Interesting Attractions at the Park:
- Casa Campesina – a typical Colombian farm house
- Cementerio Indígena – learn more about the pre-Columbian history (like what you can see for real in San Agustin)
- Jeep Willys – tribute to the iconic Coffee Region Willy Jeeps (something that you can really take to visit the Cocora Valley in Salento, pictured above)
- Museo de Arqueología – museum of the pre-Columbian era (also similar to what you’d see in San Agustin)
- Museo Interactivo del Café – interactive museum of coffee
- Paseo a Caballo – horseback riding through nature for 1.6km (about 1 mile)
- Plaza de Bolívar – what a typical Colombian small town looks like (similar to towns like Salento or Filandia)
- Sala Sensorial del Café – a sensory coffee experience
- Sendero del Café – coffee walking trail
- Show del Café – 40 minute show
- Teleférico Bambusario – cable car that lets you get great views of the region
☕️ Is This Coffee Theme Park In Colombia Worth Visiting?
I really enjoyed my day at the Coffee Theme Park, but if you’re not already visiting the Coffee Region of Colombia (which I think you definitely should because in my opinion it’s the best place to visit in the country), it is probably not worth going way out of your way to get to.
But if you plan to spend some time exploring the Coffee Region (visiting places like Pereira, Santa Rosa, Salento, Manizales, etc.), and you enjoy theme parks, then I would definitely recommend spending a day at this fun amusement park.
🔁 Sum Up: The Coffee Theme Park In Colombia
It might not be quite as big and grand as theme parks in the US, but the Coffee Theme Park in the Coffee Region of Colombia is one of the most unique theme parks I’ve ever been to and there is actually a lot to see and do here from big exciting rollercoaster rides to cultural and archaeological learning, so I think it is definitely worth checking out if you already plan to explore this region of the country.
