My Gateway Vacation

This city located north west of Bogota and is the capital of Quindo which is a department of Colombia. Armenia is located between Bogota, Medellin, and Cali which are the three largest cities in Colombia, however, this city is much smaller than the latter three. However this does not stop Armenia from being a large tourist attraction. Armenia helps form the three cities that make up the Colombian Coffee Growers Axis. Armenia is also proclaimed to be one of the most attractive areas in the country, being a clean and green area.

Armenia is known to the locals as Ciudad Milagro, or the Miracle city due to its amazingly fast urban growth and development. As you travel a bit south of the city you find that there is a renewed and booming tourist industry. This area has many villas for rent, eco-hotels for the eco-tourist, theme parks which are always a hit, and family centers you can easily spend whole days at. Of course, there are always the local favorites like local cuisine, country clubs, and exhibition centers. These country clubs specialize in tennis, golf, and fishing along with cart races and several other sporting options. Armenia is a great place to take a family vacation to. It is also much more calm and considerably safer than the three much larger cities surrounding it. However, Armenia is also a great place to stay if you are wanting to visit more than one of these cities. There is a great transportation center for going in between these cities surrounding Armenia.

This renewed tourist industry that has swept over Armenia is making this city a very popular attraction again. Armenia's northern region is a gateway to Los Nevados Park which houses the highest peaks in Colombia. These mountains rise to beautiful snowy tops more than four thousand five hundred meters above sea level. On the side of the foothills of this national park resides the breath taking Cocora Valley. Here in this aesthetically pleasing valley is where Colombia's national tree grows, the wax palm.

Armenia is also known for its culinary delicacies. If you are a fan of eating out this is a great place to enjoy delicious foods of all sorts. The local famous favorite is the fried river trout, which is proclaimed to be some of the best in the world. There is also a great local love for arts, crafts, and furniture which are world renowned. This area is well known for being the bohemian center of regional artists. You can, of course, expect a great festival to be held here as is tradition in this part of the world. The festival held here is the Jeep Parade which includes the country's folklore and is represented through the events and traditions visible during most of its town's festivities.

Armenia is a great and peaceful city to visit while in Colombia. If you are looking for a spot that is more laid back but still jam packed with things to do, Armenia is the destination for you.