Ibagué is dubbed Colombia’s “music capital” thanks to its exceptional music education, vibrant music festivals, and talented musicians. The little visited capital of the captivating Tolima department offers a delightful blend of cultural experiences, unique nature activities, and a rich culinary landscape, along with a pleasant summer climate.
While Ibagué’s center is not as attractive as the center of some other Colombian cities, its setting and the vistas that open up when strolling through the streets are phenomenal. And which other city can claim to have a striking canyon, a massive waterfall and amazing mountain viewpoints within its boundaries?
Many parts of the Tolima department were formerly inaccessible for travelers due to the presence of the FARC guerilla, which was actually founded in Tolima. This has been changing in the recent years and Tolima nowadays makes a fantastic off-the-beaten-track destination for nature and history lovers, filled with waterfalls, coffee plantations, amazing landscapes and moving stories. Some popular guide books, like the Lonely Planet, don’t even mention Tolima yet. So, if you are up for an adventure away from mass tourism, now is the time to go!
Here are 17 suggestions for interesting and surprising things to do in Ibagué and its surroundings.
Photo by Travelhapp, Mirador Madre Monte, Ibagué
The historical center of Ibagué, known as La Pola, features some beautiful colonial houses, but overall it is not as well-preserved as the old towns of some other Colombian cities. To explore the nice parts of the center, wander along picturesque Calle 7, visit Plaza de Bolivar and the Botanical Garden, soak in the artistic atmosphere of Parque de la Música with its sculptures, cool off in the impressive Cathedral of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and enjoy a great cup of Tolima coffee in the charming Café Jus’so (view on Google Maps).
Photo by Travelhapp, Mountain View from a balcony in La Pola
Originally built in 1905 the Panopticon of Ibagué served as a prison until 2003. Today this striking monumental building houses a museum dedicated to the history of the Tolima region and a lively culture center. It’s a beautiful site to visit at sunset with its wide open vistas and interesting interplays of shadow and light on the large walls of the building. Also the walk from La Pola to the Panopticon is enjoyable at sunset and you can stop in one of the cosy bars close to Parque Centenario on your way back.
Photo by Travelhapp, Panóptico Ibagué Tolima
Parque Centenario has the charm of a forgotten place. It’s not particularly well maintained and this slight sense of decay only adds to its peculiar beauty.
Photo by Travelhapp, Parque Centenario
Ibagué features a great choice of exquisite restaurants, both traditional and modern. Dining on an open air terrace with pleasant summer temperatures is pure joy. Ibague’s main gastronomic district is La Macarena. If you like seafood, try Maria y El Mar (Google Maps).
On the way to Alvarado you will find Risonella (Google Maps), which serves exquisite rice-based dishes in a beautiful outdoor space full of plants. It’s a great lunch spot, even for solo travelers, since there are frequent buses from Ibagué to Alvarado, and the restaurant is located by the main road. After living many years in Italy, I appreciate their short but very well curated (and ever changing) menu.
Ibagué is called Colombia’s capital of music for a reason. The city hosts interesting festivals and concerts of all genres throughout the year with the biggest festivals being organized by the music conservatory (Conservatorio del Tolima) and the Tolima theater (Teatro del Tolima). The Ibagué Festival, featuring concerts, artistic performances, educational activities, and discussions around music and culture, usually takes place in September (see website – in Spanish). Make sure to check out pasaenibague (Instagram) for current events in Ibagué before you go.
Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views while crossing this deep canyon in a cable car, go hiking and dip your feet in the refreshing crystal-clear waters of the Combeima River. You can also spend the night in a bungalow at Finca La Rivera (Google Maps) above the Cañon del Combeima to completely immerse yourself in this unique natural site.
The canyon lies within the boundaries of Ibagué, and can be accessed via the rural area of Juntas (passing through Pastales) by bus and foot. Alternatively you can take a taxi to the cable car station.
Photo by Travelhapp, Combeima Canyon
A beautiful, narrow hiking trail leads through lush forest to the impressive La Plata waterfall inside the equally named ecological park. On your way you can enjoy amazing views of the surrounding landscape. The hike is challenging at times and you can reward yourself with a refreshing swim in the waterfall once you get there.
The hike starts at the church of Pastales, in the rural part of Ibagué. To get to Pastales, take a taxi or bus number 48, which stops in front of the music conservatory and the Clínica del Tolima.
Photo by Travelhapp, La Plata waterfall and Ecopark
Ibagué is surrounded by beautiful mountains. There are several Miradores (viewpoints) uphill along the “Tamarindo Salado” road in San Bernardo. They are great places to watch the sunset while enjoying a cool beer and amazing views of the city and its surrounding landscape.
Photo by Travelhapp, View from Mirador Madre Monte
You can find even more hidden treasures in the surroundings of Ibagué, many of them in less than 2 hours reach.
This hidden treasure is located less than 1 hour from Ibague, near San Luis, Tolima. The six impressive Chicalá Waterfalls near Payandé are set in a beautiful lush green scenery and offer opportunities for hiking and swimming.
This peaceful ecological park is located about 1 hour South of Ibague (view on Google Maps), and about 30 minutes from the Cascadas de Chicalá. It features unique landscapes, and diverse ecosystems with rivers, waterfalls and an iconic cave (Cueva del Mohan). For an even closer contact with nature, you can spend the night in one of the rustic cabins inside the eco park.
The Nevado del Tolima features an altitude of almost 5300m and is the southernmost Nevado (snow-capped mountain) in the huge Los Nevados National Natural Park. This tough and challenging 3-day mountain trek for experienced mountaineers leads you through a stunning, rugged landscape featuring different ecosystems. Make sure to go with a local guide, since people have gotten lost inside the park in the past.
The closest starting point to Ibague is El Silencio (view on Google Maps), located after Juntas on the road to Cañon del Combeima. To get an impression of the trek, view El Ibaguereño’s YouTube video (it’s in Spanish but the images need no words).
Photo by iFerol, Nevado del Tolima
To recover from your challenging hike in the Los Nevados Park you may unwind in one of the nearby hot springs, for example Termales del Cañon (near Juntas – view on Google Maps), or Los Termales el Marchin (1,5 hours from Ibague.
There are several natural attractions around the small river town of Coello, Tolima, including waterfalls (El Salto de la Lucha), natural pools (El Plato, La Cascada, Balneario Chaguala), caves (cueva Poira, cueva La Gotera), natural parks and coffee plantations.
Lovers of abandoned places will enjoy visiting the Ruins of the Jesuit Monks (Ruina de los Padres Jesuitas) in La Vega de Los Padres (view on Google Maps), around 1 hour from Coello. Coello is located close to Girardot, about 1 hour from Ibagué (view on Google Maps). If you don’t find a direct bus or minibus to Coello you can go via Girardot.
Prado is a picturesque colonial town, located close to the river of the same name. The nearby giant water reservoir, Represa del Prado, offers water sport activities, fishing opportunities, and boat rides. The bus from Ibagué to Prado takes 2 hours (see Rome2Rio).
Photo by dalomo84, Represa Prado
Image by Diego Gonzalez, Prado Tolima (mod.)
El Espinal is known for its colorful artistic murals, and Guamo for its well-preserved colonial architecture. You reach El Espinal in about 1.5 hours by bus from Ibague, then it’s 20 minutes more to Guamo. About an hour from Guamo you can find the picturesque waterfalls Cascadas del Amor (view on Google Maps).
The beautiful colonial river town Honda is still a secret tip. It’s only 2,5 hours by bus from Ibagué and doable in a day trip, but we strongly recommend to spend a few days in this idyllic town. Stroll through the picturesque cobblestone streets, enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains and rivers, have delicious food at a local restaurants, unwind and relax in this peaceful, laid-back gem.
There are some fascinating day trip destinations around Honda, for example the little known Lost City of Falan, ruins of an abandoned colonial mining town in the middle of dense forest, or the private Nature Reserve Hacienda el Triunfo. Honda makes a perfect stop on your way from Ibagué to Bogotá.
Photo by Travelhapp, Honda Tolima Colombia
Photo by Travelhapp, Lost City of Falan
Coffee from Tolima is said to be among Colombia’s most exquisite coffees. Planadas, which used to be heavily affected by the armed conflict, is a fascinating coffee growing region full of history and nature, located about 5 hours south from Ibagué. If you have more time available in Colombia, this is definitely a unique off-the-beaten-path destination worth visiting.
Another important coffee region in Tolima is Cajamarca, reachable in an hour from Ibagué. Note that the coffee fincas in this region are only starting to open their doors for tourism and often do not have a website or social media account yet. A good way to find out about them is asking in local specialized cafes in Ibagué, like Yus’so (see above).
To be honest, I might not be entirely neutral in my evaluation of Ibagué – my husband’s family is from there! But I have to admit that every time I visit, I fall more in love with the city and the whole department of Tolima. The geographic position of Ibagué is spectacular, and its urban layout reminds me a bit of what I see of San Francisco with all its hills in the movies.
Ibagué is not a wealthy city; I believe that with more investment in restoring colonial buildings and replacing some architectural eyesores, it could easily become one of the most beautiful cities in Colombia.
Apart from the historic center La Pola, La Macarena, Cádiz, Piedrapintada, Prados del Norte, and Cañon del Combeima are great neighbourhoods to stay in Ibagué.
Ibagué is strategically located in Colombia’s extended Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero), and easy to reach from other popular travel destinations by bus. Many towns within Tolima are well connected by public transport. If not, you may consider sharing a taxi with other solo travelers. Since taxis are very affordable in Colombia, even a 1-hour drive is totally feasible if you are a group of people.
Is Ibagué safe for solo travelers? Ibagué is much smaller than Bogotá or Medellin and generally considered safe to visit. As always when traveling alone you should apply some precautions and ideally talk to locals to find out if there are certain areas you should rather avoid. Please also have a look at our Safety Tips for Solo Travelers in Colombia and Solo Travel Guide.
If you plan to go hiking, it’s better to go in a group and/or with a guide. Join our Colombia Solo Travelers Facebook Group to search for other solo travelers near you that share your interests.
Ibagué features all-year summer temperatures around 26°C to 28°C (79°F to 82°F) during the day and 17°C (63°F) during the night, with a pleasant breeze in December and January. Most rain typically falls in April, October and November.
Ibague features an extremely strategic location and it’s easy to get to other interesting travel destinations in Colombia.
Coffee Triangle and Medellín: It’s a 7h bus ride directly from Ibague to Medellin. We strongly recommend to stop over in the Coffee Triangle, though, which is located on the way to Medellin. From Ibague you can reach Armenia, Salento or Pereira in about 3 hours by bus. Add an additional hour from Pereira and you arrive at the beautifully set bohemian mountain town Manizales. See our suggestions on Things to do in Pereira, Armenia and Manizales, and on Things to do in and near Medellin.
Murillo: Murillo is a colorful colonial town near the Nevado del Ruiz National Natural Park, home to the mesmerizing Nevado del Ruiz volcano and several scenic hot springs, including the beautifully set Termales La Cabaña and Termales El Sifon. It’s a great base for outdoor activities, such as hiking, trekking, and mountaineering. Attention, there are two towns called Murillo in Tolima. This one is North of Ibague (view on Google Maps). To get to Murillo you have the take a bus from Terminal de Ibagué to Líbano first (3 hours). Then you can board a van at Parque de Líbano to move on to Murillo.
Libano: In the rural area of Libano, close to Murillo, you can find several beautiful coffee farms, for example Finca Los Angeles (view on Instagram and on Google Maps).
Bogotá: You can reach Colombia’s fascinating capital in the Andes mountains in 5 hours by bus from Ibague. Here are some tips on Things to do in and near Bogotá. Consider making a little detour to the Rio La Miel and Embalse Amani Reserve near Norcasia (4,5h), a hidden treasure that will surely not remain secrets for a long time…
Cali: In about 6 hours by bus, you get from Ibague to Colombia’s vibrant Salsa capital Cali, passing through charming towns like Buga and Palmira (which are worth a stop). Learn about Things to do in an near Cali here.
Last Update: November 27, 2024
