Caldas Department · Colombia
Where to stay in Manizales
Manizales is a city in Caldas Department, Colombia, home to about 454,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- MZL7 km · La Nubia Airport
- Currency
- COPColombian peso
- Time zone
- America/Bogota
- Language
- Spanish
About
About Manizales
Manizales is a city in central Colombia. It is the capital of the Department of Caldas, and lies near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.
Manizales has a population of 434,000 (2018), and is at the western end of the Andes mountains. It is best known for being at the heart of coffee production in the region. Manizales is a beautiful university city, famous throughout Colombia for its numerous private and public universities. So students can be seen everywhere, either walking to classes along Avenidas Santander or Parallela, or sitting in the myriad cafes along Avenida Santander after class while chatting with friends and watching others strolling along the avenue.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Manizales
See
Chipre is a district in the west of Manizales with Manizales' highest altitude. On top of a hill you find a beautiful park called 'Los Colonializadores' with some human-sized sculptures from 2002, representing the colonists who set up Manizales. The same hill serves as viewpoint as well, where you can overlook the city and beautiful coffee rich valleys down below.
Do
The city has a municipal auditorium and theatres where you can attend concerts, operas, and listen to symphonic music. There are lots of night clubs, discos, and bars that serve up lively house, trance, rock, salsa, and tango music. The Zona Rosa is where most of night clubs, discos, restaurants and coffee bars are located, and 'Luker Plaza' is the city's newest, ultra modern commercial development. It is also the safest and most exclusive area of town. Next to it is 'Cable Plaza', the city's hottest new entertainment destination.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Manizales
17 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Aqui Me Quedo Hostal | 3.1 km | |
| Ayenda 1140 Roma Plaza | 0.9 km | |
| Casa Blanca Hostal Manizales - Hostel | 2.0 km | |
| Eco Lodge La Juanita | 3.5 km | |
| Europa Hotel Boutique Manizales | 1.7 km | |
| Hostal Mirador Andino | 0.1 km | |
| Hotel Ayenda La Camelia 1143 | 3.4 km | |
| Hotel Bolivar Plaza Manizales | 0.8 km | |
| Hotel Carretero | 0.3 km | |
| Hotel Casa Galvez | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel Escorial 1936 | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Estelar El Cable | 2.8 km | |
| Hotel Pop Art Las Colinas | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Portal del Milán | 3.4 km | |
| Hotel Regine's Manizales | 3.9 km | |
| Hotel Varuna | 2.6 km | |
| Quo Quality Hotel | 2.8 km |
All 17 hotels in Manizales, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Manizales
Manizales has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; May is the wettest, with about 261 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Manizales: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is La Nubia Airport (MZL), about 6.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Matecaña International Airport (PEI, 38 km) and El Eden Airport (AXM, 74 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
La Nubia Airport Taxis are regulated, reasonably priced and safe from the airport. A taxi ride from the airport to the center takes approximately 20 minutes, and can cost US$5. Manizales Bus Station (Terminal de Transportes) is a modern facility next to the lower cable car station. The cable car can take you to the city centre for COP$2300 (great views). Colectivos to Chinchiná cost COP$7300 per person and take about 40 minutes (May 2026).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MZL · La Nubia Airport
PEI · Matecaña International Airport
AXM · El Eden Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Manizales
Eat
The traditional food comes from Antioquia, the region to northwest and famous for the city of Medellin. Lunch-time meals usually consist of a soup made from plantain (a variety of green bananas), followed by a plate of rice and selection of fried pork, beef, or chicken, with small cabbage salad in vinegar dressing. To drink there is a natural juice drink made from mango, or if you are adventurous, try one of native fruit flavors, they are delicious but hard to pronounce. This will usually be followed by a coffee. Sometimes, you might be offered a dessert called mazamorra, which is corn and milk with local sugar, called 'panela'.
Stay safe
The city center and areas around the bus terminal are not safe at night. Visitors should be careful during the day; it is relatively safe then with many good sites. Avoid the area after sunset. The safety of bus travel in Colombia has been greatly improved, but you should not travel to areas of unrest, and travel only during the day. Do not carry large amounts of cash with you as robberies occur along some routes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Manizales: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Manizales?
Manizales has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; May is the wettest, with about 261 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Manizales?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is La Nubia Airport (MZL), about 6.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Matecaña International Airport (PEI, 38 km) and El Eden Airport (AXM, 74 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Manizales?
Colombian peso (COP).
Nearby
Destinations near Manizales
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.