Filandia is a town in the Quindío region that is a highly recommended stop if you want to visit the Colombian coffee region. Sometimes overshadowed by its nearby big brother, Salento, this city is perfect if, in combination with the natural and cultural wealth of the area, you want to take the opportunity to relax.
In addition to the typical things to see and do in Filandia, there are two unique projects that I would like to tell you about, because I think they reflect very well the tradition, passion and work of the local artisans and farmers. Both projects are based in this town, and although they are not particularly well known, they seemed to me to be plans to support the local culture of Filandia.
In my case, when I spent two days in Filandia, between the fact that my travel companion got sick and that it rained a lot, the option of going out to see the surrounding nature was a bit complicated, partly because of the weather and partly because some routes were closed, forcing me to stay in the village and discover some options closer to home. That’s how I came up with these two projects:
Coffee tour in Filandia: La Palma
La Palma is a coffee farm that you won’t find much information about unless you stumble upon its sign while walking around town or search for Coffe Tour The Palm on the Internet. For this reason, you can imagine how exclusive and intimate the visit was (in my case there were 5 of us), a completely different scenario from the coffee tours that depart from Salento.
Since I had several days in Filandia, I decided to take the opportunity to visit a coffee farm from here instead of from Salento -that way I would have more time in the second one to discover other things-. Searching, searching, I discovered this La Palma Coffee Tour in Filandia and, after contacting them by WhatsApp, we set a date and time for the activity.
This farm has a family tradition of four generations and Julián is in charge of telling you all its history and peculiarities in a guided tour of the family land, located a few kilometers from Filandia, in the coffee plantation of the mountain, called La Palmera.
La Palmera is a 3-hectare plantation that produces coffee organically, without the use of pesticides or chemicals, and employs 3 workers on a permanent basis. Although the coffee is sold in stores in Filandia, Julián does not hesitate to assure that his plantation and its workers are maintained thanks to tourism.
Filandia is a town of 8,000 inhabitants (urban area) and 7,000 more in the rural areas, which receives an average of 100,000 visitors per month, so it is not surprising that there are plantations like his that survive thanks to tourism, and as he says, it is also a job that fewer young people want to do, so the employees tend to be family members or older people.
During the visit, in addition to learning the secrets of Colombian coffee, and specifically those of this coffee farm, the visitor is taken on a tour of the plantation to see the different processes of coffee production.
From making compost for the plants, to harvesting the beans when they are ready, to planting them in small seedbeeds so that the plant can grow before being planted in the ground, the process of washing and peeling the beans, or the drying process in a room at high temperature.
Afterwards, a demonstration of how to prepare coffee in the best way to appreciate all its nuances, using three different processes and tasting each one. For dessert, a traditional shot with liquor, to get to know the best of the Filandia customs.
Description of this coffee tour in Filandia: Transfer by willy from Filandia to the coffee farm, guided group tour of about 3 hours in English, with a tasting, explanation of the cycle of planting, harvesting, filtering, drying and roasting. Sample of coffee preparation and tasting.
Price: 90.000 COP/21€/22$ (updated February 2025).
La Palma coffe tour in Filandia is ideal for: coffee lovers, nature lovers, travelers who want to know more but escape from crowded activities, and people looking for plans to support the local culture of Filandia.
Guided tour and bejuco workshop
Another project that deserves special mention is the Association of Artisans of the Municipality of Filandia, which I discovered during a visit to the ‘Del Bejuco al Canasto’ Interpretation Center. In this small museum, located a few steps from the main square of Filandia, you can learn about the history of the use of baskets and their relationship with the coffee sector, as well as the secrets of the material from which they are made: bejuco.
The working of this vine-like plant, very similar to wicker or rattan, has been an art since ancient times, initially to make baskets, then to make all kinds of objects, nowadays more focused on decoration, since for coffee work they have been replaced by cheaper and more resistant materials.
After the tour, you will not only understand the importance of this trade in the daily life of the region and in sectors such as coffee, but you will also learn about the process of collecting, drying and preparing the bejuco, from the time it is a plant until it becomes the raw material for making baskets.
According to the girl who was my guide and teacher, this craft has been handed down from father to son, and now there is a fifth generation in which there is no longer a family association, but they are artisans who love this art and want to learn it, preserve it and show it to the world, something that is possible in this center.
In addition, after working there for some time, the young artisans create their own brand, they can develop their own designs and sell them in the center’s shop, and even receive personalized orders.
I find it interesting and unique that this space not only tries to preserve a centuries-old craft, but also does so by giving opportunities to the local youth. In the store you will find products created by the artisans themselves, of exceptional quality and beauty, and at a very affordable price.
In addition, the space has a small exhibition hall that pays tribute to the great bejuco artisans of Filandia and the Quindío region, and has a beautiful green area in the lower part where you can see how bejuco grows and is collected, with a fountain and a workshop where the artisans create and rest their creations.
The guided tour is not the only way to get to know the bejuco heritage of Filandia and the Quindio region: thanks to an optional workshop to make a small basket, it is possible to put oneself in the shoes of the artisans who, with a lot of patience and skill, create unique works of art.
They have given it the name ‘Bejuqueando ando‘ and I can assure you that it will put you in touch with the craft of basket making (depending on where you are reading from, you may already know it – I, for example, had made a wicker basket as a child in Zamora, Spain). Anyway, it is one of the plans to support the local culture of Filandia that I would recommend you not to miss if you have enough time.
Description of the guided tour and the bejuco handicraft workshop: Individual guided tour (at least in my case) through the exhibition hall, presentation of the most emblematic artisans of the area, recognition of the bejuco in the garden and explanation of the collection. Optionally, you can participate in a workshop to create your own basket with instructions from the guides/craftsmen.
Price: visit 5.000 COP/1,15€/1,20$ and workshop 30.000 COP/7€/7,25$ (updated February 2025).
This cultural plan in Filandia is ideal for: solo travellers, those who want to get down to work, or to make an interactive plan with the family, and also for all those who want to appreciate the tradition of basket weaving by experiencing it first hand.
Have you been or are you going to be in the city? If you know of other plans, besides this Filandia Coffe Tour and this activity around bejuco, to get to know, connect with and support the cultural heritage of the town or the area, don’t hesitate to tell me about it, I’d love to know!
