Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [181]
Banco de Crédito (Casa Luker, next door to Cable Plaza) Recommended for changing money.
Bancolombia (cnr Calle 21 & Carrera 22)
Cambiamos SA ( 889 7270; Cable Plaza; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat) Inside the Corulla supermarket. Also the agent for Moneygram.
Citibank (Carrera 23 No 53B-20) Thieves know about Citibank’s high withdrawal limits too. Take a taxi back to your hotel.
Internet Cable ( 897 5949; Av Santander No 63-82; 8am-10pm; per hr COP$2000) Ten computers, plus phone cabins. Open seven days. Two blocks west of Cable Plaza.
MAC ( 890 1016; Calle 65 No 24-109; 7:30am-7:30pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) Three computers for internet.
Tourist office (Centro de Información Turística de Caldas; 884 2400; www.caldasturistico.gov.co, www.ict.gov.co; Calle 19N No 21-44) On the ground floor of the Gobiernación de Caldas.
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Dangers & Annoyances
Mind the unpainted sidewalk traffic pylons. You are likely to bang your shins at least once.
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Sights
The Plaza de Bolívar is the city’s main square, with the mandatory statue of Bolívar by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur. It is known as Bolívar-Cóndor, since the sculptor endows Colombia’s founder with distinctly birdlike features. The Palacio de Gobierno, a pretty neoclassical confection built in 1927, stands on the northern side of the plaza.
The square’s south side is dominated by the odd but impressive Catedral de Manizales ( 882 2600; COP$5000; 9am-6pm Thu-Sun). Begun in 1929 and built of reinforced concrete, it is among the first churches of its kind in Latin America, and its main tower is 106m high, making it the highest church tower in the country. You can climb to the top for great views of the city.
The Museo del Oro ( 884 3851; Carrera 23 No 23-6, Piso 2; admission free) is located a block south of the Plaza de Bolívar in the Banco de la República building. It has a small collection of Quimbaya gold, and ceramic artifacts.
A short walk east of Plaza de Bolívar is the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it has a beautiful, carved-wood interior reminiscent of a ship’s hull.
At Chipre, 2km north and uphill of the center there’s a new mirador (lookout tower) that was nearing completion when we visited. There are stunning views even from the base. Buses run along Av Santander from Cable Plaza to Chipre every 30 seconds (yes, that frequently!) or so (COP$1100, 15 minutes).
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Tours
The most popular tour is a full-day trip up the slope of Nevado del Ruiz (Click here).
Kumanday Adventures ( 885 4980, 315 590 7294; kumandaycolombia@gmail.com; Av Santander No 60-13) This full-service adventure tour company, next door to the Universidad Católica, offers mountaineering and mountain-biking tours nationwide. It also rents a few dorm beds on-site. Staff can organize visits to Ecoturismo Termales La Quinta (2600m; r per person incl 3 meals COP$150,000-200,000), an exclusive mountain resort on the edge of Los Nevados. It’s possible but difficult to get there on your own. Contact Kumanday for details. Also rents tents and sleeping bags.
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Festivals & Events
Feria de Manizales (Jan) The highlight of Manizales’ annual festival are the bullfights – the feria attracts some of the world’s best bullfighters, and Colombia’s feistiest bulls. You’ll also find the usual assortment of parades and craft fairs, and of course a beauty pageant.
Festival Internacional de Teatro (Sep & Oct) Held annually since 1968, this is one of two important theater festivals in Colombia (the other is in Bogotá). The festival lasts about a week and includes free concerts in Plaza de Bolívar.
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Sleeping
High season is January for the feria, when prices more than double.
Mountain House ( 887 4736; www.mountainhousemanizales.com; Calle 66 No 23B-137; dm/r incl breakfast COP$17,000/36,000; ) It may be the only hostel in town, but that hasn’t let it stop being a fine hostel anyway. A short walk from the zona rosa, this is one