Pereiras

LIOS In Pereira, Colombia

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• published: 15 Apr 2016
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The city of Pereira (pronounced peh-reh-ruh) lies in the foothills of the Andes of western Colombia, and its metropolitan area is located in a valley of the river Otún (O-tuhn). The official metro area consists of three municipalities. Pereira, Dosquebradas (dose-kay-brah-dahs), and La Virginia (lah veer-heen-yah) and is home to a population of around 705,000. The Spanish discovered the area in 1540 and later began the settlement of Cartago Viejo (kar-ta-go veyay-hoe). The settlement was moved to its current location in 1691, and in 1816 two brothers, José Franciso and Manuel Pereira, took shelter nearby after the defeat of Simón Bolivar. In 1863 a priest founded Pereira at the site of the current Plaza Bolivar. Pereira is one of the cities that make up the Coffee Triangle, along with nearby Armenia (ahr-mehn-yah) and Manizales (mahn-ee-sahl-ess). As part of the coffee region, stunning scenery and picturesque small pueblos surround Pereira. The area boasts bountiful natural resources and many opportunities for hiking, photography, horseback riding, and much more. Many expats living in Pereira first moved to Medellín (meh-deh-yeen), but once they discovered the smaller Pereira, they found it to be more livable, with less traffic and pollution than the large and densely populated Medellín. Pereira is also a very walkable city, depending on where you decide to live. From hole-in-the-wall shops selling homemade empanadas to elegant restaurants with fine cuisine, your dining experience will be varied with many options in the city. And what’s more, the sizzling nightlife in Pereira draws visitors from around the coffee region. The weather is perfect. At an elevation of 4,829 feet (1,411 meters), Pereira enjoys beautiful weather all year, with warm, balmy days and cool, pleasant nights. Nearby hot springs, picturesque little pueblos within a couple hours, and countless small farms and country homes in the surrounding areas make for great getaways from the small city. Pereira is also a jumping off point to a pair of the top nature preserves in Colombia: Parque Ucumarí (pahr-kay ooh-koo-mar-ee) and Santuario Otún Quimbaya (sahn-too-ahr-eyo o-tuhn keem-bah-yah). Pereira is also a First-World environment; the city’s water is drinkable, and it boasts well-maintained roads, dependable phone service, electricity, and high-speed Internet. You’ll find many shopping options, from mom-and-pop stores to upscale boutiques… as well as several large, modern shopping malls, including Parque Arboleda (pahr-kay ahr-boe-leh-dah) mall, which rivals the best malls found in Bogotá (bog-goh-tah) and Medellín. The banks and financial services in the city are the same as you will find in biggest cities in Colombia, and they are solid and dependable. Pereira has a rich cultural scene, and many fine restaurants, coffee shops, and sidewalk cafés. It’s also a place where you can truly enjoy the great outdoors in the coffee region. And to top it off, you’ll enjoy a reasonable cost of living. Potential expats, second homebuyers, investors, and workers with portable careers will find Pereira is a lower-cost alternative to Medellín.