Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [184]
Admission includes 2½ hours of mandatory guide service; a couple of the guides speak some English. The telesilla costs COP$10,000, but it’s a pleasant half-hour walk to the top of the hill if you prefer.
Come on sunny days, when you’ll see more butterfly activity. Bird-watchers should request their bird list brochure.
To get here, take the bus marked Sera Maltería from Cable Plaza in Manizales (COP$1100, 30 minutes, every 10 minutes), or take a taxi (COP$5000, 10 minutes).
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Reserva Ecológica Río Blanco
elev 2100-3800m
Three kilometers northeast of Manizales lies this undeveloped nature reserve. It is a protected area of high biodiversity and protects numerous endangered species, including the oso andino (spectacled bear). There are 362 species of bird present in the park, including 13 of Colombia’s 80 endemics. It attracts bird-watchers from around the world, but even the amateur will be delighted by the quantities of hummingbirds, butterflies and orchids you’ll see in the peaceful calm of this cloud forest. It makes a great half-day excursion – best in the morning, as it often rains in the afternoon.
There are four trails. The most popular is a pleasant 3.5km stroll uphill through cloud forest. At 2550m you’ll arrive at Viveros (Colombians/foreigners incl 3 meals per night COP$34,500/COP$53,600), a group of cabins that accommodates 35. Only groups of credentialed bird-watchers or orchid-hunters may stay here; it’s not open to the general public. At Viveros you’ll see many different kinds of hummingbirds feeding. There are also several deer and two endangered osos andinos in a nearby enclosure.
Before you can visit you must request permission (free) from the offices of Fundación Ecológica Gabriel Arango Restrepo ( 886 7777, ext 1164; www.fundegar.com; Av Kevin Ángel No 59-181). You can walk to the office from Cable Plaza (one hour) or take a cab (COP$2600, five minutes). You must employ the services of a local guide (COP$20,000 per day, COP$15,000 per half-day, up to 15 people). They will organize a taxista amigo (tourist taxi) to take you to the main gate (COP$10,000, 20 minutes). The guide will meet you at the gate and take you into the reserve. Ask at the office for a copy of the bird list. To get back to Manizales, ask at Viveros to call a taxista amigo. From here it’s a 40 minute walk downhill to the gate, where the taxi will pick you up.
There are longer walks you can do in the reserve, but they are long and little-used, and camping is not permitted. Inquire at the office if you’re interested.
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Los Yarumos
Set on a hill overlooking Manizales, this 53-hectare municipal nature park ( 875 5621; ecoparquelosyarumos@epm.net.co; Calle 61B No 15A-01; base admission COP$3200; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) has panoramic views of the city. A museum has an impressive collection of preserved butterflies, insects and birds, and a food court offers budget meals and serves beer. A half-dome concert shell hosts free concerts and cultural events on weekend afternoons. Tour guides can show you around for free, and several speak some English.
There are numerous short walks you can do through mature secondary forest, plus five canopy cables can zip you around the park (COP$19,000). There’s rock-climbing, horseback riding, barranquismo (rappelling through a waterfall), and sometimes an ice-skating rink. The full-day do-everything package costs COP$33,000.
Yarumos is a great place to come on a clear afternoon, when you can see the three peaks of El Ruiz, Santa Isabel and El Cisne. Sunsets here are likewise spectacular.
Yarumos is a 40-minute walk from Cable Plaza in Manizales, or take a taxi (COP$3000).
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Coffee Farms (Fincas)
Hacienda Guayabal ( 6 850 7831, 314 772 4856; www.haciendaguyabal.com; Km3 Via Peaje Tarapacá, Chinchin