Tourism in Tolima — Ibagué, Nevado del Tolima and Folklore Festival

Tolima is the central Colombian department that has one of the most spectacular snow-capped peaks in the country: the Nevado del Tolima (5,215 meters), the most beautiful volcano in Colombia for its perfectly conical shape —symbol of the department and a visual reference from Bogotá and the Savanna—. Its capital, Ibagué, is known as "The Musical City of Colombia" for its tradition of Andean music and the Colombian Folklore Festival (June–July), the most important festival of inland Andean folklore in the country.

Tolima is the department where the Magdalena River is born in the Colombian Massif (along with Cauca and Huila) and where the Magdalena, already mighty, crosses the Magdalena Valley from south to north. The municipality of Honda, on the banks of the Magdalena, was the most important transit city in New Granada for 300 years. The department has 47 municipalities and the southern municipalities (Chaparral, Rioblanco) are the gateway to Las Hermosas National Natural Park.

Main Tourist Attractions

Attraction	Type	Description
Nevado del Tolima	High Mountain / Adventure	The most beautiful volcano in Colombia (5,215 meters) with a perfectly conical shape. Technical 3-day climb from El Rancho (Payandé) or from Los Nevados National Park. View of the active crater and glacier. Considered the most complete high-mountain climb in the country for the technical mountaineering required.
Honda — City of Bridges	Heritage / History	The most historic city in Tolima, on the banks of the Magdalena. For 300 years it was Colombia's most important river port, where Magdalena ships unloaded goods to be carried by mule to Bogotá. Navarro Bridge (1898), Manuela Sáenz House and the Magdalena River Museum preserve this history.
Ibagué and El Plan	City / Nature	The Ibagué Plan, the natural plateau on which the city sits, has a unique climate: neither cold nor hot (24°C). The Music Conservatory (the oldest in Colombia), the Galería market, San Jorge Botanical Garden and access to Los Nevados National Park from the Tolima side are its attractions.
Las Hermosas National Park	High Mountain / Nature	On the border with Valle del Cauca, Las Hermosas National Park has glacial lakes, minor glaciers, frailejón páramos and the Andean condor. 5-7 day trek from Chaparral. One of the least visited and best-preserved high-mountain ecosystems in Colombia.
Melgar and Magdalena Resorts	Recreation / Nature	Melgar, 100 km from Bogotá via the Espinal road, is the closest pool and recreation destination to the capital. Over 500 residential complexes with swimming pools, water parks and the Sumapaz River as a natural swimming spot. The weekend destination for Bogotanos.
Villahermosa and Murillo	High Mountain / Coffee	In northern Tolima, high-altitude coffee municipalities with views of Nevado del Tolima. High-quality coffee (Murillo produces one of the best cup profiles in the country), coffee farms and the northern entrance to Los Nevados National Park.

Typical Cuisine

Tolima cuisine is the most recognized in central Colombia. The Tolima tamal (corn dough with rice, beef, chicken, egg, pea and carrot wrapped in bijao leaf, cooked in a large pot) is the emblematic dish of Tolima and one of the most famous in Colombia. Tolima lechona (pig stuffed with rice, meat, pea and spices, oven-roasted for 12 hours) is prepared for parties and celebrations. Fish viudo from the Magdalena, achira biscuit (shared with Huila), sweet corn insulso and sugarcane guarapo complete the table.

Adventure and Outdoor Activities

The climb to Nevado del Tolima (3 days, requires mountaineering equipment and guide) is the most challenging adventure in the department. Rafting on the Totare River, paragliding over Ibagué, trekking to Las Hermosas National Park from Chaparral, mountain biking between Ibagué and the Nevado via the Juntas road and bird watching tourism in the northern forests (over 400 species in the Cairo-Villahermosa corridor) complete the offering.

How to Get There

Ibagué has Perales Airport (IBE) with flights from Bogotá (30 minutes) and Medellín (40 minutes). By land from Bogotá: 3 hours via the Girardot-Ibagué highway (Route of the Sun). From Bogotá to Honda: 3 hours via the highway to the Plains. To Melgar from Bogotá: 1.5 hours via the Bogotá-Girardot road (the busiest route in Colombia on weekends).

Where to Stay

In Ibagué: 3-4 star hotels downtown and in Belén neighborhood. In Honda: colonial lodges on the banks of the Magdalena (Hotel El Patio Colonial). In Melgar: residential complexes with pools and rental farms (95% of accommodation is of this type). In Murillo: rural coffee accommodation for those climbing the Nevado from the north.

Festivities and Events

Colombian Folklore Festival in Ibagué (June–July, the most important Andean folklore festival in Colombia with the National Bambuco Pageant and the Grand Folklore Parade), Tolima Music Festival, Ibagué National Coffee Pageant.

Also check the climate of Tolima, the list of municipalities of Tolima and the complete guide to Colombian festivities.