Colombia’s coffee country

I’m hanging off the back of an open-topped jeep as we barrel round a tightly cornered road through spectacular hillsides dotted with 60-metre tall Wax palms. Surely there’s some law against having so much fun? Apparently not.

“It’s OK, it’s legal to do this in Colombia,” our G Adventures Colombian guide Luis Caceres, assures us.

We are heading into the Cocora valley in the heart of Colombia’s coffee country for a morning’s trek into the cloud forest, after heading out from the town square of the improbably picturesque hilltop town of Salento in Quindio department.

Travelling al-fresco on a jeep is just one of the many surprises a trip to this diverse and spectacular South American nation, particularly if you venture away from the main cities such as Bogota and Medellin.

Take, for example, the traditional Colombian game of Tejo, which travellers to Salento can try their hand at in a large hall, called Los Amigos, which is located off the main square.

The concept is straightforward. Teams compete by tossing a lead disc weighing about half a kilo towards a clay pit target filled with paper targets called “mechas”.

The very Colombian twist to this game is that the targets are filled with gunpowder. So if you hit a mecha, it explodes in a suitably noisy and satisfying fashion. Anyone feeling nostalgic for the simple joys of cracker night in the days before the “safety Nazis” sucked all the fun out of it will be in their element.

Of course, if you are visiting Colombia’s coffee country, then it is mandatory that you visit a coffee farm. About a 30-minute drive from the regional capital of Armenia you’ll find Recuca, a working plantation that specialises in giving travellers a taste of not only some of the finest coffee on the planet, but also the chance to experience first hand just what a hard job it is to be a coffee bean picker.

Our Recuca guide, Jefferson, delighted in dressing us in traditional costumes and sending us out onto the perilously steep slopes to forage among the densely packed bushes in search of the elusive ripe red beans. After 15 minutes on the job we were not only were we physically drained, we also had failed to harvest enough beans for a single cup.

After learning more about the drying, roasting and brewing process, and an obligatory taste of the local product, its back into the local peasant costumes for some culture and dancing lessons, which was good, if somewhat cheesy, fun. “Es un homenaje al recolector ya la vida cafetera”, dice Luis Darío Orozco, director y guía del lugar.

So apart from games involving small explosives, and modes of travel which would give the OHS reps recurring nightmares, is it safe to visit Colombia, given its troubled recent history?

The answer is definitely yes. But, the caveat is, there is not a lot English spoken, even in the more-tourist focussed destinations. If non-Spanish speaking travellers want to get the most out of a trip to Colombia, then a reputable guided tour is highly recommended.

Grant Holloway travelled to Colombia courtesy of G Adventures

Jeep in Salento Salento

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