Quimbaya offers several distinct reasons to visit: the Festival de Velas y Faroles on December 7 and 8, PANACA nearby, and cultural and agricultural experiences in the municipality. There is also a rafting trip on the Río La Vieja, with a route to Cartago. For trip planning, it helps to decide first whether your main interest is the festival, rural activities, arriería, or views of the landscape from the river. Each offers a different setting: a festival, themed attractions, or a specific river route.

December Festival of Lights

The Festival de Velas y Faroles takes place in Quimbaya on December 7 and 8, in connection with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Elaborately designed, colorful lanterns are a defining feature of the Christmas season, and their designs change from year to year. The festival thus brings together a religious occasion and a distinctive cultural tradition. Specific program details may vary. If the festival is the main reason for your trip, check the program in advance.

Rural life at PANACA

PANACA is an agricultural theme park in Vereda Kerman, 7 km from the town center of Quimbaya. Its themed attractions showcase rural activities and the care of domestic animals; visitors can connect with animals, rural life, and nature. A visit therefore offers a different focus from the festival: agriculture and wildlife take center stage instead of the Christmas season. Specific offerings may change; check the latest details if you are planning a visit to PANACA.

Cocoa, rainwater, and guadua

In the municipality of Quimbaya, visitors can see rainwater harvesting systems in operation at La Pequeña Granja de Mamá Lulú. The operator currently also offers experiences involving cocoa and crafts: visitors can turn cocoa beans into chocolate, experience chocotherapy, and watch pieces being made during a guadua craft experience with master craftsman Alexander Castro. The activities range from seeing rainwater harvesting in practice to cocoa processing and guadua craftsmanship. If you are traveling for a workshop, ask the operator in advance which experiences are currently available.

Arriería and performances

Parque Los Arrieros offers recreational and educational activities centered on arriería, the traditional practice of driving mules. Traditional dances and plays depict customs from the past. The visitor pass includes admission and a walk along paths through the guadua grove and coffee plantation. It also includes six artistic performances and ten activities. The park combines a walk with a program focused culturally on arriería and the customs portrayed.

Rafting on the Río La Vieja

Small guadua rafts are used for recreational trips and landscape viewing on the Río La Vieja. The route runs from Puerto Alejandría in Quimbaya to Piedras de Moler in Cartago. Here, the route itself is part of the experience: it follows the river between two named starting and ending points. Routes and arrangements may change; confirm the latest details before making specific plans.

Choose the right focus

If you are looking for a hotel in Quimbaya, first decide which experience will determine your trip. The festival takes place on December 7 and 8; PANACA is nearby, while the Granja and Parque Los Arrieros experiences are located in the municipality. The rafting trip runs from Puerto Alejandría in the municipality of Quimbaya to Piedras de Moler in Cartago.

Discover more destinations: Santa Rita, La Tebaida, Calarcá, Pijao, Pueblo Tapao, Armenia, Buenavista, Salento.

For the regional travel overview: Quindío.