La Gaviota BnB — Hotel in Quindío

My wife and I traveled recently to Colombia. In our 40’s and active, we like to be independent, drive around ourselves and keep it spontaneous. La Gaviota BnB was recommended to us because it was more personable, in nature, and close to a village. I will talk about it at the end.||||We landed in Armenia and remained about a week near the town of Filandia. Great time! Filandia is a town in the northern part of the department of Quindío, and about 35min from Armenia. I found out that the region of Quindío was famous worldwide for its variety of birds. ||||We arranged to stay at the Gaviota near Filandia and our host Gustavo, welcomed us at the airport and drove us to the BnB. We don’t really speak Spanish at all, and since we planned to stay a week, we rented a car. Gustavo helped quite a bit with that, since he speaks English fluently. ||||There’s plenty to do in the region! We went to Cocora next to Salento. Cocora is famous for the world tallest endemic palm trees. The valley is beautiful. If you like hiking, and want to see the Humming bird House at the end of the trail… plan an early day. It will take you about 2hrs to walk to the trail and another 90min to get to the house of Colibri in Spanish. The hike is beautiful no doubt. Horses are also available to cover the distance. On the way out, there is a Trout farm if you interested. It was funny to watch the buzzards stealing the trouts..National geographic in action! On the way back, there are restaurants, coffee shops (and good ones). ||||Like I mentioned, Cocora is next to Salento. About 20min from Filandia, after curvy roads and perched on a hill, Salento is a very cute and touristic village. Nice shops, very colorful main square with Willys (jeeps) you can use them for a day tour. Salento is very charming, has a great view point of Cocora valley on the top of the hill. You will huff and puff to the top. Once on top of the stairway, turn left and the trail will lead you to Cocora viewpoint.||||Paragliding in Calarca…that was definitely a sensation. Alejandro is the tour organizer in the city of Calarca, about 40min from Filandia. We called him and waited by the soccer field at the city entrance. The soccer field is his landing strip! He will take you for a ride in his 4x4 and after a 15min breathtaking drive, you will find yourself setting the glide on the tiny hillside. Your heart will speed up, but Alejandro is completely certified, insured and knows what is doing. It’s a 15 to 25min flight depending if you help him find the thermals and stay up there longer!||||That same night we went shopping in Armenia. If you plan to drive like us, be aware of a few rules. Don’t go the city on Sunday night – not much going on. Have a plan for parking – you will have to park in a shopping building or the local grocery store, otherwise, good luck. Lots of one way streets and watch for people, cars, mopeds and chicken. Everything jumps at you left and right. Drive like a local but avoid being hostile or nervous. Between Armenia and Pereira, Armenia is smaller than Pereira and a little bit easier to access. Pereira is already quite big. We went there for shopping and Armenia was more than enough for us. Everything you need, you can find. ||||Next day we went horseback riding around Filandia. Gustavo arranged a little tour with Carlos. His farm is 10min away, his horses are really well groomed and behaved. You can tell his heart is in the right place, caring for his horses. Short and sweet with a little racing at the end with my wife. If you are looking for a half day ride, then reserve someone else. Carlos and Alba are a really sweet an charming couple.||||The Termales of Santa Rosa park are beautiful. Well indicated and easy drive, about 1hr30min from Filandia. What we didn’t know is that there 3 Hot water Springs. One natural kept into its original state, one with 2 pools and the waterfall – very comfy..could stay hours in the water, and one further up the street, more upscale. We didn’t visit the first and last one. But the Hot Springs are beautiful and are a must see.||Parque del Café is an entertainment park, and quite an entertainment. About 1hr from Filandia and we were glad to spend the day and crack up like kids. The park is huge with lush landscaping and some rides that will give you goose bumps. Ideal during the week to avoid crowds. We had a blast. ||||A half day, I hired a mountain bike tour, but a private ride organized by Alejandro. Gustavo helped me also. The mountain trails are used by Willys with some descent inclines. Lots of birds, rivers, great sceneries. It’s a great work out for active people who like to leave some sweat on the land.||||Filandia! How glad and surprised when we arrived at la Gaviota. The BnB is really charming with plenty of space. First impression is the gated entrance, ranch style! Then, Gustavo and his staff are next to the entrance which adds comfort to the mind and the farm opens up on a green slope looking down the valley. There are two main houses big enough to accommodate a full family in each of them. They richly decorated with traditional wood furniture and the space has serious square footage. 2 king size bedrooms, hot water, A/C, dinner table, full kitchen equipped with fridge, toaster, microwave, stove etc…In addition to that, you have a modern TV with English channels and Wi-Fi. The space around is very calming. Lie down in the hammock on the patio, or have breakfast under the gazebo and watch the showroom chicken getting busy. Night and day, the property is very quiet and tranquil. Gustavo is the owner and host. He takes pride in maintaining his property and catering to your needs. He used to live in NJ, so his English is perfect and he is very well connected with people around. Most likely he will lend you a local cell phone and is available to help whether you need a tour advice or a ride to town. Filandia is 3 minutes away by car and 10 minutes walking distance. It’s more like a village with a cute main square with food karts, café shops and restaurants. Ideal for breakfast, a drink, laze around and especially for dinner. Talking about dinner…don’t miss out on Helene Restaurant. The best in town. The Chef is originally from Colombia and did a culinary school in Australia. He loves to mix contemporary gourmet food with local flavors. He’s young, gifted and funny. All the locals take their special anniversaries and romantic dates over there. Second restaurant is Paris. It’s brand new but promising.||||It was our first time in Colombia and our stay was superb. Gustavo hospitality was impeccable and definitely contributed to this successful memory. Travel with confidence, stay open...

I was looking for a quiet place in walking distance of town to spend 4 nights, and this place fit that perfectly. There was much to love about my stay, and only a few complaints.||Gustavo is a great host. He wants to make sure you are happy, and will try to meet your needs. The property is pretty, and very relaxing. I wasn't expecting to get a full house; that was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed being able to keep yogurt in the refrigerator and make tea. For the 'BnB' part, instead of cooking you breakfast, he takes you to a restaurant in town. He provided a 5 liter jug of water at check-in, a nice touch.||For those unable or unwilling to walk to/from town, Gus is happy to drive. I preferred to walk, but that may not work for everyone. Note that, although the distance is short, it is a steep climb. I also recommend a headlamp or flashlight for night, as it is a dark road.||The upper house is the nicer of the two by far. Initially I was in the lower one, but he switched me for my last 3 nights. The lower house, while large and very cute, doesn't smell great. It has a bit of a funk to it. That is why my rating is 4 not 5. ||Traveling with family or a few friends? Want to have privacy but still be close to Filandia (which by the way is an awesome town to visit)? Do you feel more comfortable with an inn owner who can speak English? This is a...

My family and I had a great time in Filandia thanks in large part to Gustavo as our host and to this lovely house that allowed us to relax and feel at home. When we arrived to Filandia we were very lost trying to find the location on our own but with a quick call to Gus, he picked us up and brought us to the place we called home for a few nights. The upper house is very spacious with lots of natural lighting and includes a 5L container of clean water. As part of the BnB experience, Gus took us to a panaderia for a full selection of Colombian breads and coffee. As another huge help, Gus helped us negotiate rates for a taxi to take us outside of the city for day-trips. Also we can't thank him enough for recommending a tour that leaves the plaza for a walk through a nearby jungle/forest where we were lucky enough to see over a dozen monkeys in their own habitat. For those without vehicles, Gus is only too happy to help drive you into and out of town when you need the help. We really enjoyed spending our time here but Gustavo is what made this place that much more special. HIGHLY...