Less than 45,000 people live in Sevilla Valle Del Cauca. But wait. This tiny town in Colombia produces some of the world’s best coffee. Tucked among the hills, it wakes up to music and goes to bed at sundown. Cris Fernando Perez, a former resident, shows us how the laid-back life is lived in this little gem of a town.
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Meet Cris
My name is Cris Fernando Perez. I love writing and telling people about my culture and country Colombia, especially because the media and history have created some stereotypes and who likes stereotypes? I dream about having a house in the hills of my town one day.
Where exactly is Sevilla Valle Del Cauca
Sevilla Valle del Cauca is about seven hours from the capital city Bogota. You can get here by bus or car from the city quite easily. Let me tell you, it is worth every minute of the journey. My town has views unlike anything I have seen anywhere else in the world.
What unique feature of your town would you pick
That would have to be the music. Music is a huge part of our daily lives, even more than I can explain. I remember my whole family waking up early on Sundays to clean the entire house to the sound of 80’s Latin music. Here, we need it to live. It is a way of life.
I mentioned music as a way of life, because in Colombia, the national anthem is played every day at 6 am and 6 pm over the radio and it is mandatory for everyone to tune in. People step out of their vehicles no matter what their hurry, into oncoming traffic. Everyone stands still.
How does a typical day here usually play out
All schools and offices usually start around 7 am . The city is thronging with life , even though it is still pretty early. Shops open, sleepy children are leaving their homes, and everyone is just trying to get to where they need to be on time.
If we had to stop by for a day, where would you take us
For starters, I would take you on horseback through the hills, or as we like to call it, Cabalgatas El Carmelo. There are many beautiful places to stay, but I would recommend Hotel Mirador Las Palmas. Enjoying authentic Colombian food is non -negotiable. You must make a stop at Restaurante Bar Bagdad for their mouth watering Arepas. Something we are famous for is our coffee. We take it much differently than the rest of the world. We take ours with cheese. It is really common here and tastes delicious. Café Villa Laura serves the best coffee in the area. The Chocolate Santafereno is also a must try.
What’s the pace of life like in Sevilla Valle Del Cauca
A fun fact about my country is that Colombia is considered one of the world’s happiest countries. We have a saying that loosely translates to “Work all day, party all night.” The town basically shuts down fully after 6 pm. All offices close by this time and everyone is relaxing at home. The government makes it a necessity that all children are enrolled in some sort of after-school activity like skating or bicycle riding.
The city scene after sundown
Since the city closes almost fully by 6pm, the town blocks off its roads as well. There is no traffic after a certain hour , which is when children and adults enjoy cycle rides on the street. This is a perfect time to stroll down the streets and enjoy the lights.
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The town is beautiful in terms of architecture and the people are the kindest.
Sevilla Valle del Cauca isn’t as well known as other Latin American tourist destinations, but here, you get a Colombian experience unlike any other.
Cris Fernando Perez spoke to Abigail Sylvester from Travel Secrets
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