Five Underrated Colombian Towns You’ll Fall in Love with
Make 2025 the Year You Explore Colombia’s Lesser-Known Towns
Most visitors stick to Colombia’s big three: Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena, but the country’s soul thrives in its small towns. These five destinations take you beyond the usual tourist trail and into deeper experiences, where every ride, hike, and connection supports the communities that make them special.
1. Palomino: Where the Sierra Meets the Sea
Why You’ll Love It
Nestled between the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Caribbean Sea, Palomino feels like a tropical hideaway. With its swaying palms, rugged dirt roads, and faint waves crashing in the distance, it’s a refreshing contrast to overdeveloped beach towns. Few places let you dip your toes in the ocean while gazing at snow-capped peaks.
Cultural Immersion
Palomino is home to Indigenous communities like the Kogi, Wiwa, and Arhuaco. Guided treks share their ancestral knowledge and deep connection to nature. Try tubing down the Río Palomino—drift past lush jungle while howler monkeys call overhead.
Sustainability in Action
Eco-tourism thrives here. Many eco-lodges minimize their environmental footprint while supporting local initiatives like beach cleanups and mangrove conservation.
Local Cuisine
Savor fresh fish (straight from the sea) with coconut rice and patacones (fried plantains). Lebranche or Cojinoa are our favorites. Try cayeye (mashed green bananas) for breakfast or an arepa de huevo (egg-stuffed arepa). Wash it down with corozo juice, a tart, berry-like drink.
Cycling Adventures
Ride along the coastal road to Tayrona National Park. Expect mostly flat terrain with some rolling hills. Our Sea to Sierra tour takes you from the tropical beach to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.
Palomino’s rugged beaches and swaying palms offer a raw, untouched charm far from the tourist trail.
Arepas de Huevo: A Crispy Breakfast Classic from Colombia’s Caribbean Coast.
Mamo of the Kogui: A Spiritual Leader of Colombia’s Indigenous Sierra Nevada People.
2. Paipa: A Thermal Escape in the Andes
Why You’ll Love It
Located in Boyacá, Paipa is known for its thermal springs and serene mountain charm. At 2,525 meters above sea level, the cool air, rolling green hills, and tranquil lake create an idyllic retreat.
Sustainability in Action
The thermal pools are managed with renewable energy, and local hotels support reforestation efforts in nearby Iguaque National Park. Spend an afternoon soaking in mineral-rich pools overlooking Sochagota Lake.
Cultural Immersion
Paipa is synonymous with music, hosting the National Band Festival annually. Visit Pueblito Boyacense, a miniature replica of Boyacá’s iconic towns, or the Monument to the Lancers, commemorating Colombia’s fight for independence.
Local Cuisine
Paipa is famous for its cheese. Try queso Paipa, a semi-hard cheese with a protected denomination of origin. Other must-tries include cuchuco de trigo (buckwheat and pork soup) and tamales boyacenses.
Cycling Adventures
Ride the out-and-back loop from Sochagota Lake to historic climbs like Pantano de Vargas and Alto de Curies. Routes to Sogamoso, Duitama, and Villa de Leyva also make Paipa a cyclist’s haven.
Timeless beauty and the soul of Boyacá: rolling hills, tranquil lakes, and rich highland charm.
3. Murillo: The Gateway to Nevado del Ruiz
Why You’ll Love It
Perched at 2,950 meters, Murillo feels like a town suspended in the clouds. Snow-capped peaks of Nevado del Ruiz tower above, mist drifts through the streets, and mule-drawn carts set the pace. Here, life moves to the rhythm of the mountains—warm greetings, wood-fired kitchens, and a quiet charm you won’t find in Colombia’s big cities.
Sustainability in Action
Murillo is a paradise for eco-tourism and cycling, with local guides leading treks to the páramos and glaciers of Nevado del Ruiz while working to protect these fragile ecosystems. Cyclists come for the peaceful roads, rugged gravel, and high-altitude climbs featured in races like Clásico RCN and Vuelta a Colombia. Whether trekking through misty forests or pedaling in thin air, Murillo is where adventure meets conservation.
Cultural Immersion
Life revolves around agriculture. Visit traditional coffee farms where beans are hand-picked and roasted over open fires, or relax in the plaza as farmers unload fresh produce.
Local Cuisine
Warm up with sancocho de gallina (hen stew) and a shot of aguardiente. Grab a bag of hand-cut chips from a food cart in the main square, made from locally farmed potatoes. Finish with obleas—wafer-thin treats layered with rich, homemade caramel.
Cycling Adventures
Tackle the majestic Alto del Sifón, now the world’s longest climb. At 116 km (72 mi) with 4,770 m (15,649 ft) of elevation gain, this epic ride is as rewarding as it is challenging.
Murillo’s quiet streets are lined with vibrant, weathered houses.
The towering Nevado del Ruiz, a snow-capped giant, guarding Murillo.
Fresh milk, horse-drawn carts, and a slower rhythm that still gets the job done.
4. Ráquira: Colombia’s Artisan Capital
Why You’ll Love It
Ráquira is color, craft, and pure creativity. Clay pots, hand-spun ceramics, and bold murals turn the town into an open-air gallery. If you love digging into local art and taking home something truly one-of-a-kind, you’ll love it here.
Sustainability in Action
Artisans here use natural dyes and recycled clay. Workshops also offer apprenticeships, preserving traditional craftsmanship for future generations.
Local Cuisine
Dig into a hearty picada (a platter of meats and carbs) or try longaniza sausages from Sutamarchán. Pair it with chicha, a traditional fermented drink.
Cultural Immersion
Explore shops filled with handcrafted ceramics, leather goods, and textiles. Venture outside town to Monasterio de la Candelaria, a peaceful spot surrounded by postcard-worthy landscapes.
Cycling Adventures
Ride from Ráquira to Chiquinquirá, Santa Sofía, and Villa de Leyva through a landscape that never sits still. Hills rise and fall like waves, valleys open wide, and distant plateaus fade into the horizon. Dry season turns everything golden, rain brings out the green—either way, it’s a stunner.
Ráquira is Colombia in full color.
Sutamarchán’s longaniza is smoky, garlicky, crisp on the outside, and juicy inside. Made with a secret spice blend and slow-cooked over a wood fire, it’s the gold standard of Colombian sausage.
5. Filandia: The Quieter Town in the Coffee Heartlands
Why You’ll Love It
While Salento draws the crowds, Filandia offers a quieter charm. Perched on a hilltop, it boasts panoramic views of the coffee region and streets filled with vibrant colonial architecture.
Sustainability
Filandia leads in eco-tourism, protecting native forests and promoting birdwatching. Family-owned coffee farms showcase the journey from bean to brew.
Cultural Immersion
Immerse yourself in the main square, where local markets buzz with life and the art of people-watching is a must. Wander through colorful streets to discover hidden gems like toy stores, where artisans still craft and dye wooden toys by hand, keeping traditions alive in every piece.
Local Cuisine
Indulge in fresh trout, a local specialty from the crystal-clear rivers of the region, known for its tender, flavorful flesh. Pair it with a handpicked, single-origin coffee, brewed to highlight the unique flavors of the area, and finish with milhojas—a flaky, irresistible pastry layered to perfection.
Cycling Adventures
Colombici’s Into Coffee Heartlands Tour finishes in Filandia, offering a serene base after tackling challenging climbs. Stay at Casa du Velo, a family-owned cycling hotel nestled in the hills. It’s the perfect spot to rest and recharge, with some great routes to explore right from your doorstep.
The only place to be at golden hour: the main square.
Filandia’s streets are home to the best hand-carved balconies you didn’t know existed.
Colombian empanadas are always fried, not baked. Best eaten hot with a dollop of spicy ají.
Discover a side of Colombia most travelers miss
This year is your chance to go beyond Colombia’s big cities and connect with its soul in smaller towns. From cycling along Palomino’s coastal roads to savoring hand-picked coffee in Filandia, every adventure invites you to experience the country in a deeper, more meaningful way. The true magic of Colombia is waiting!
Rarer moments you won’t find in the big cities; fresh fruit, and a slower, more vibrant way of living.
Buying a handknitted mochila means supporting local communities, preserving the rich tradition of indigenous craftsmanship with every stitch.
