Here you will find practical information about Filandia: useful information about the climate and best time to travel, how many days do we recommend to stay in Filandia, can you use pin, are there supermarkets and what about safety in Filandia. Read more about our tips and other useful information about Filandia here.
Climate
Climate
Filandia is located in a mountainous area. The climate is tropical, with warm days and nights that can cool considerably. The maximum temperature is around 25 degrees and the minimum temperature 15 degrees.
Best traveling period
Filandia can be visited all year round. It rains a lot, especially in the months of April/May and September through November. We visited Filandia in late September and had a lot of rain, especially in the afternoon. When we talked to the locals about the weather, they told us that it had hardly rained during the rest of September. According to them, the weather is hardly predictable anymore because of El Niño. The (long) weekends are busy in Filandia, as is the period around Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. On July 20, the festival of Filandia will take place.
Safety
Safety
The Coffee Triangle is one of the safest regions of Colombia, and Filandia is no exception. We did not feel unsafe for a single moment.
How long to stay?
2-3 days
How many days do you need for Filandia?
If you want to visit the historic center, you can do it in a morning or afternoon. If you stay in Filandia instead of Salento, we recommend at least 2-3 days so you can hike in the Valle de Cocora, do a coffee tour and still have time to chill in the village.
Practical info A-Z
Drinking water
Water from the tap is not drinkable. If you don’t trust the hygiene anywhere, watch out for ice cubes, salads and uncooked vegetables.
Changing money
We wanted to pay with dollars in the restaurants and stores in Filandia but we did not succeed. Nor could we find a place to exchange dollars. Then we were able to do so in Salento.
Locals and language
Little English is spoken in Filandia, so a basic knowledge of Spanish is very helpful. The only place in Filandia where someone spoke English to us was at restaurant Helena Adentro. Still, you usually get by if you don’t get beyond a few words of Spanish. The locals are generally very helpful and patient and ready to help you, even if it is in sign language -:)
Medical assistance
Filandia Hospital
Hospital San Vicente De Paul
Cl. 5 #1-43
Dentist Filandia
Carolina Herrera
Cl. 5 #5 – 24 piso 1
DentiTown
Cl. 8 #7-20
There are also services such as Angeles Al Llamado that can come to you, if you have a doctor’s consultation in the coffee triangle. We used this ourselves once and were very happy with this service. Want to know more? Then read here about our own experience with the Angeles Al Llamado.
Bring
- It can get quite sunny and warm during the day, but it cools off at night, so bring a sweater or blouse as well
- It rains a lot, so bring a rain jacket or poncho
- Hiking shoes
Pins
You can withdraw cash in Filandia at the ATMs listed below.
Bancolombia
Cl. 6 #6-01
Davivienda
Cl. 6 #6-04
Servibanca
Calle 7 No 4-52
The ATMs do not always have enough cash, especially on weekends, so it is helpful to bring some cash with you.
Look here for more information on banking and money matters in Colombia.
Supermarkets
There are many tiendas, small stores selling anything and everything. Tiendas Ara and Mercahorra La 7 are two larger supermarkets, near the central plaza Parque Bolívar.
Tiendas Ara
Cl. 7 #5-24
Mercahorro La 7
Cl. 7 #612
Vaccinations
No yellow fever or other vaccinations are required for Filandia.
Wifi
Most larger hotels and hostels have wifi, at least in the common areas. If you travel off the beaten track, there is often no or unstable Internet.
