QUIMBAYA

Quimbaya is a town and municipality in the western part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is 20 km northwest of the departmental capital Armenia. The name of the city derives from the name of the Precolumbian culture that inhabited the area, the Quimbaya civilization.

Quimbaya is bounded to the north and west by the Valle del Cauca Department, with La Vieja River forming the western limit. To the south, the Roble River forms the limit with the municipalities of Montenegro and Circasia. The eastern boundary is with the municipality of Filandia.

SALENTO

Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2.[2] It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. In 2005 the municipality of Salento had an estimated population of 7247, of which 3597 lived in the main urban zone.

The main route from Popayán and Cali to Bogotá used to pass through Salento (see below), but when the route was diverted the town became isolated and did not develop as rapidly as the rest of the region. For this reason it has retained more of its traditional colonial architecture than almost any other town in the eje cafetero, along with a quiet and relaxed way of life, and as a result the town and nearby Cocora valley are among the most popular tourist destinations in Colombia.

FILANDIA

departmental capital Armenia. It is the northernmost of twelve municipalities that form Quindío, the second smallest department of Colombia. It houses a small community economically supported by agriculture and tourism. Although coffee is the major agricultural product, the municipality's diverse ecosystem makes it perfect for the production of numerous fruits and vegetables. The population is evenly split between the urban and rural areas, with an urban population in the town of Filandia itself of nearly 7000 inhabitants and a population of around 6500 in the rest of the municipality. Most of the population is classified as mestizo (63,2%) and the most common religion is Roman Catholic. The town's architecture, landscapes and the sociability of the locals makes Filandia one of the most beautiful and attractive towns in the department of Quindio and the nation. The town's best-known tourist attractions are its "mirador" (viewing tower) with its extensive views over the Cauca River valley to the west and the Parque Nacional Natural los Nevados to the east (it is also possible to see both Armenia and Pereira from the top of the tower), and the cafe in the main square where scenes from the popular Colombian telenovela Cafe, con aroma de mujer were filmed.

MONTENEGRO

 was named for the dark green color of the trees that originally covered the hill above the current-day site of the township, which was visible from other parts of the region as it rose above the surrounding guadua forests. Between 1897 and 1904, Montenegro was officially known as Villa Quindío.

The boundaries of Montenegro are principally formed by three rivers. To the north, the Roble River forms the limit with Quimbaya; to the east and south, the Espejo River forms the limit with Armenia and La Tebaida; and to the west La Vieja River is the limit with the neighboring department of Valle del Cauca. There is also a short boundary with Circasia in the northeast of the municipality.

CIRCACIA

Circasia was founded in 1884 by Javier Arias. It became a separate municipality in 1906 when it was separated from Filandia. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 28,800, of which 20,100 live in the main urban zone.

The township is situated a short distance from the highway between Armenia and Pereira. There is a paved road southwest to Montenegro, which passes through most of the rural area of the municipality. There is also a poorly maintained road north to Filandia, which descends to cross the Roble River at a point known as the Aguadeños Pass (Spanish: Paso de los Aguadeños). However, all public transport to Filandia uses the main highway.

Circasia is known for its Free Cemetery (Spanish: Cementerio Libre), located on the outskirts of the township on the road to Montenegro. It was founded in 1933 by Braulio Botero as a place in which any person could be buried, regardless of their religious beliefs. The cemetery is now a symbol for liberty and equality.

CALARCA

The name derived from an indigenous chief of the Pijaos Tribe, who lived in this land. According to the legends, this chief died in a fight with an indigenous converted into the Catholicism, Baltazar Maldonado, to keep the power of the territory, in a fight placed on Peñas Blancas, a characteristic mountain of the city.

Calarcá was founded on June 29 of 1886. The city was founded by Roman Mario Valencia and Segundo Henao, people who went from Salento making explorations through the region, in the final part of the antioqueña foundations. In the beginning the city based its economy on mining and commerce. Years later about 30's the coffee arrived in the region and Calarcá became in one of the most important producers of the region and whole the country. The wealthy generated by the coffee, allowed the city to reach good conditions of developed and a cultural progress, which started to characterize the city as a cradle of poets, such as Luis Vidales and Bauidilio Montoya.

CORDOBA

Córdoba is a municipality in the eastern part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is located 24 km southeast of the departmental capital Armenia.

Córdoba is bounded to the north by the municipality of Calarcá, to the south by Pijao, to the west by Buenavista, and to the east by the department of Tolima.

Córdoba was founded in 1927 by Jesús García and Jesús Buitrago, and became a municipality in 1966 when it split from Calarcá. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 7,800, of which 4,100 live in the main urban zone. By population it is the second smallest municipality in Quindío, after Buenavista.

BUENAVISTA

Buenavista is a municipality in the south-central part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is known and named for the spectacular view over the department. The township is located 33 km south of the departmental capital Armenia.

In 2005 it had an estimated population of 5,800, of which 2,100 live in the urban center. It is the smallest municipality by population in Quindío.

GENOVA

Génova (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxenoβa]) is a municipality in the southern part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is located 52 km south of the departmental capital Armenia

In 2005 Génova had an estimated population of 12,600, of which 7,100 live in the main urban zone.

PIJAO

Pijao is a municipality in the south-eastern part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The township is located 31 km south of the departmental capital Armenia.

In 2005 Pijao had an estimated population of 10,250, of which 5,700 live in the urban center.

Pijao is bounded to the north by Buenavista and Córdoba, to the south by Génova, to the west by the Valle del Cauca Department, and to the east by the department of Tolima. It has an area of 243 km².