Travel Guide | Around Ibague Tolima Colombia

For around 10-years exploring mostly Tolima, I went to Colombia whenever I got the chance to visit, to the point of living there for 3-Years.To hang out with my Colombian friends, and I came to love the people and call them my Colombian Family. I love the music and I have fascination for the food, a beer in a real cantina and a visit to a finca. And each visit, discovering more of what Colombia can offer the independent traveller looking for an adventure.

Those visiting or teaching English in Ibague, can get away at the weekend, by travelling just a short distance and enjoy some of Colombians secret places. That is only known by the locals and you will have unforgettable experiences.

North/West of Ibagué: You can find Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados "The Tolima snow mountain" Nevado del Tolima 28k NW of the city and the Cerro Machín, 17 km W of the city. 2 of 8 volcanoes in the park.). The city has one access point to the Los Nevados National Park, the other being Manizales. Best time to view the area is January & February - clear days make for spectacular views of the volcanic peaks. March, July, August and December can also be ideal, while the rest of the year sees a fair amount of rain) Before reaching the Park you can find the village of Villa Restrepo 12 km, where you can find hotels, restaurants, horse riding, walking, bird watching and rock climbing. This area is also very popular with cyclists at weekends. A little further on the village of Juntas 17 km, where just a short walk there is a lookout "el Mirador de Los Sauces" and on a clear day you can view the volcano. Much further north thermal waters for relaxing at El Rancho. The river Combeima flows from the Park to Ibagué through Combeima Canyon.

To the South of Ibagué: You can find the small antigua town of Rovira 22 km and from there the gateway to coffee farms, (Not like the large haciendas in the coffee zone) that dot over the mountains. The territory is mostly mountainous and surrounds the rivers Luisa, Manso, Andes, chili, Coello, Cucuana and Tuamo. The small villages of Payandé 26 km where there are also rivers and waterfalls that have shaped the landscape and on to the small village of Valle de San Juan. From Rovira there are off road tracks, you can take a ride in a 4x4 with beautiful & breathtaking views to the coffee farms.

Places to explore from Ibagué:

1. Cascadas Chicala 6 waterfalls near to Payande
2. Valle de Los Munecos Beautiful rock/sandstone formation close to Rovira
3. El Araque This gorge has amazing waterfalls and an easy rock-climbing area Near to Rovira.
4. Villa Restrepo Village North of Ibagué and the look out at Juntas only 15 minutes further north
5. Rovira The small town where it all started for me in 2011 with my second trip to Colombia.
6. Valle de San Juan Small antique village
7. Visit Fincas Luisa & Buena Vista Alta The small coffee farms (1 hour from Rovira)
8. Cascada Charco Azul Close to Rovira and is one of the most frequently visited by the locals.
9. Los Andes On the way to Rovira passing El Araque

There are eight amazing waterfalls that are only 1 hour from Ibague. One of Colombia's secret places that only the locals know about.

When you arrive at all the waterfalls each hides a magical place. In all of them, you can bathe and some are deep places, as much as eight metres in the main waterfall. On weekends there are more people and it is much busier, but no less enjoyable as there are 8 waterfalls to enjoy.

Hotel: Club Campestre Chicala in Payande with swimming pool and close to the road that takes you to the waterfall which is about 15 minutes by car. Tel: 287 72 22 Cel: 317 274 38 23

Email clubcampestrechicala@hotmail.com

Bus: From the terminal in Ibague to the village of San Luis stopping at Payande. Then a 5 k walk in the hot sun!

The road to the waterfalls from Payande, we travelled by motorbike and I hitched a lift back in a car.

Food: At the car park, there is a restaurant where you can order lunch and then it's just a 5-minute walk to the falls where you can buy snacks and cold drinks.

Valley of the dolls.This was a cool place to visit and only a short walk from Rovira.

One of the attractions of Rovira is the Valley of the Dolls, at the entrance to the village, a land in which soil erosion formed some figures. Beautiful rock/sandstone formation, with a view of Rovira. I am not exactly sure how this place was formed, I would believe it eroded from rain washing the soft sand away and leaving this formation! Spent the evening with my Colombian family and we made the short walk from Rovira (About 15 minutes) to Valle de Los Munecos.

is a lovely gorge that has amazing waterfalls and an easy rock-climbing area

Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. A gorge is most often carved landscape by the erosive activity of a river over geologic timescales. Usually a river or stream and erosion carve. Magma that has risen from deep within the earth and cools into these shapes I am not exactly sure how the rocks were formed, as this is in part of the central mountain range of the Colombian Andes (Andean Volcanic belt) the nearest active volcano is only 60 old k's north away "Volcán Nevado del Tolima" and can also be viewed from Buena vista on a clear day, another 15 k's south from here.

This was an amazing find and day out. I spent Easter Friday with my Colombian family/friends. We had a large fish lunch and spent the afternoon down the river. The 9 of us and a dog all in the motor taxi! This part of Colombia has many foreign tourists and it's always fun to live and spend time with a large local family, living the way they do.

Stream location: Vda. Martinez, towards Los Andes, from the main road to Rovira from Ibague. The river is a distributor into the Río Coello

makes a nice day visit from Ibague, going by bus is less than an hour and only $2,000 cop. The village of Villa Restrepo is 12 km from Ibague, where you can find hotels, restaurants, horse riding, walking, bird watching and rock climbing. This area is also very popular with cyclists on weekends.

A little further on the village of Juntas 17 km, where just a short walk, there is a lookout "el mirador de los Sauces" and on a clear day you can view the volcano of Nevado del Tolima. Much further north thermal waters for relaxing at El Rancho. The river Combeima flows from the Park to Ibagué through Combeima Canyon

Villa Restrepo is best visited on Sunday's as the restaurants are all open and many can be found on the road to Villa Restrepo from Ibague. Where you will see Longaniza, a specialty "A sausage similar to a chorizo"and fried pork. Arepas De Choclo, the very best traditional Sweet Arepas made with Cheese from the country (Queso Campanero)and you will find stalls and small cafe's selling; dried fruits, cheese and milk puddings. Bread Hot chocolate served with cheese bread rolls "Pan de yuca"

Hotel's:

1. Los Pinos 317 7415778 (Stayed here)
2. La Villa de Barba Blanca Casa # 4 Eentrada Villa Restrepo Ana Cel: 311 487 4489. Jhon Cel: 310 884 2711. (Had herbal tea here, as they was full)

My favourite small town in Colombia, as I feel at home here, due to the village feel, country people and my Colombian family

There are a large number of young people, living here, that can give it a lively feel at weekends and holiday times, also the town's main street can get busy all weekend, as people visit the town from the coffee farms up in the mountains to buy supplies. April & May is when coffee is being harvested and people come far and wide to help, this also means the town gets very busy as the workers and farmers at this time of year have money and the town can seem a bit wild west at this time of year.

For me I like to visit the cantina's, NOT to get drunk but to sock-up the atmosphere from the cowboys and music

Rovira is also known as "The House of Springs" The geographical setting is determined by the watersheds of three major rivers.

You will find the people here are very friendly and away from the main streets are very quiet and the beauty of Colombia is near, with mountains and rivers that can be enjoyed most of the year.

Coffee is the main form of agriculture.

33k's south from Ibague, Velotax bus 1 hour from Ibague.

Hotel Villa Ana Maria with a swimming pool. Call: Jaminshon Piscina Rovira Telephone 312 4068621

is only an hour from Ibague and a place I liked a lot and did not want to leave this little antique village that is set in time.

The geographical setting of the village comprises a series of mountain slopes, where articulate small flat areas formed by materials in rainy seasons, that are located in the foothills and have permanent water of small creeks which run perpendicular to the direction of geographic valley sense. The area around San Juan Valley is composed of fertile soil in which valleys and plains are denoted and where you can see large crops of corn; its main agricultural product. There are also rivers and streams that punctuate the landscape with a forest of medium height.

584 m.

A day visiting my friend on his finca "small Coffee farm" A short drive from Rovira and a nice walk through the jungle to the finca for lunch.

1/2 hour jeep ride and a short 20 minutes walk up to the finca carrying food supplies. Everything else is grown on the finca.

This is how I imagine the real Colombia; mountains, coffee, off-roading and of course arroz con leche.

I spent a few days in the outback on a finca in this Coffee area. Great views and experience especially staying with a Colombian family on a finca. One hour drive by 4x4 from Rovira.

I learnt about washing and drying coffee beans

Buena Vista Alta Altitude: 1200 m

New year's day in Rovira, with a day trip to the river and waterfall. Just a few miles from Rovira.

Waterfall into the 'blue puddle' 

A dip in the river with a family day with a big pot of chicken soup cooked at the river and the afternoon letting off homemade fireworks,

Charco Azul Reserva Natural - kilometro 21 via ibague-Rovira, Tolima Colombia. Close to Rovira,

Getting off the beaten path and taking the 13 k road from Ibague to Los Andes through the beautiful mountains of the central Andes.

Los Andes is a hamlet of a few fincas. When we arrived, the owner of a finca offered to cook lunch "Bandeja Paisa" for only $4,000.00 and told us where we could walk and find the river and waterfalls, where children were swimming.

If you like to visit off the beaten path and see the real Colombia. Then email martin@losttraditions.org

You may like to read Tour Guide Ibague and Colombia Probably my favorite country in the world.