For our last day in Medellín, we visited the historical center and the neighborhood of Botero Plaza. The square was filled with the famous sculptures of Fernando Botero, a figurative artist and sculptor. The rest of the day would be spent in a minivan traveling from Medellín to Manizales.

Morning in Medellín: Botero Plaza

Before leaving Medellín, we explored the historic center and Botero Plaza, a public square showcasing the iconic sculptures of Fernando Botero, Colombia's most famous artist. The plaza features his signature style - exaggerated, voluptuous figures cast in bronze. These oversized sculptures of people, animals, and everyday objects have become symbols of Medellín's cultural renaissance.

Getting to the Bus Terminal

Our hotel, Florencia Plaza Medellín ↗, called a yellow taxi for us. Five minutes later we were on the way to Terminal Del Sur, the southern bus terminal in Medellín. Close to El Poblado, the ride only cost us COP 10,000 (approximately $3 USD).

Different ticket booths offered journeys to Manizales with prices ranging from COP 35,000 to COP 40,000 ($11-13 USD). Our minivan wasn't leaving straight away. We were hungry. The terminal was attached to a shopping mall filled with low-quality food stalls. Therefore, we settled for a mediocre Subway sandwich. With full bellies, we jumped into the 8-passenger minivan for what should have been a 5-hour ride to Manizales.

The Scenic (and Long) Journey

The twisted road, stretching over 200 kilometers between the two Colombian cities, took us on a scenic ride through rolling green mountains and deep valleys. The landscape was stunning - typical of Colombia's coffee region with lush vegetation and dramatic elevation changes.

Suddenly, we stopped. The traffic was snarled up in both directions because of an accident. We waited for 40 minutes before the traffic slowly started to resume its crawl toward Manizales. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of our troubles. Frequent roadworks on the 2-lane mountain road added considerable (and unnecessary) time to our journey. We stopped for a short break around the halfway point and were desperate to stretch our legs.

Arrival in Coffee Country

At 9 PM, delayed by over 3 hours, we finally arrived at Manizales, the main center for the production of Colombian coffee. The Manizales bus terminal was conveniently located at a cable car station. Exhausted from the long journey, we set off for a hotel close to the station as we were too late to check in at our pre-booked Bed and Breakfast.

Have you traveled from Medellin to Manizales? Did you experience traffic delays or roadworks? What was your experience of Botero Plaza? Leave us your comments below. We would love to hear from you.

The journey from Medellin to Manizales is more about the destination than the journey itself. While the mountain scenery is beautiful, roadworks and potential delays make this a challenging travel day. However, arriving in Manizales - the heart of Colombia's coffee country - makes it all worthwhile. Just be prepared for a long day and start early!