See the Coffee Axis between a horse's ears.
Day rides to five-day treks from Dan and Kristell's farm in Filandia, Quindío. Every level, English or Western saddle.
Two people, a hillside, and horses they call their babies.
Daniel and Kristell are British-Ecuadorian, and they run Finca Akila at the foot of the Colombian Andes, fifteen minutes out of Filandia in the heart of the Coffee Axis. Dan leads the rides. Kristell does the cooking, which every rider who writes about the place mentions first or second.
The horses are trained for English or Western riding and for every level, from never-sat-on-one to looking for a gallop. You come back to the farm in the evening, to a hand-built terrace over the valley and two dogs, Luna and Samba.
The day ride.
Out at 9:30, home around four. Six to seven hours on a ring route through the Coffee Axis, and every meal is included.
Lunch is freshly made by the river.
Then the ring closes and you ride back into the farm.
Or stay, and ride a new trail every day.
- One day
- The ring route above. 9:30 am to about 4 pm, riverside lunch, all meals.
- Two days, two nights
- Six to seven hours in the saddle each day, rivers and gallops, and a home-cooked dinner at the farm against the sunset. Meals and a bed included.
- Three days, three nights
- A different trail every day, about six hours of riding, the same horse throughout or a new one if you want to switch. Meals and a bed included.
Never ridden? One rider started on a relaxed mule and finished on a horse called Snowflake, at a canter.
Further: four days on a cattle and buffalo ranch.
- Day 1 Wake up on the ranch in Valle del Cauca. Ride cattle country, rivers and mountains, then look after the horses.
- Day 2 Visit neighbouring ranches and the history of the area. Dinner by the fire.
- Day 3 Hands-on with the livestock, local techniques and traditions. Stories and drinks by the fire.
- Day 4 Breakfast, then a drop-off in Pereira or back to the farm.
Into the cloud.
3,100metres
Furthest: Lake Otún, in Los Nevados.
Four days of riding, from coffee country to the páramo, where the condor flies. You leave after breakfast on day five.
What riders wrote afterwards.
“I'd never ridden a horse before going and by the end I was trotting along and even going into a canter. I started on a more ‘relaxed’ mule to get me up to speed and then eventually moved onto a beautiful horse called Snowflake.”
“It was nice to go on a longer ride and get a few gallops in instead of the usual tourist rides that are offered in the region.”
“Overlooking the Colombian countryside its a view that never gets old from the hand built terrace! Coming home to Kristell's cooking is just what is needed after a long hard day of riding.”
“Dan knows a lot about almost everything you wanna know about the region, he's a really good story teller. Luna and Samba are super lovely, well mannered dogs.”
Back at the farm by sunset.
Tell Dan and Kristell what you'd like to ride. This writes the message for you; it opens in WhatsApp.
Los Nevados, day by day
- Day 1 Six to seven hours through the coffee axis: rivers, jungle, plantations, howler monkeys. Riverside lunch, a swim with the horses, dinner and sunset at the farm.
- Day 2 By jeep to the base of Los Nevados, lunch with a local family, then a steep climb to 3100 m and a night on a family farm.
- Day 3 Up to Lake Otún at 4000 m. Valleys, the condor, lunch over the lake, four to five hours, back to the farm to sleep.
- Day 4 Down through the national park, then a last dinner together.
- Day 5 Breakfast and goodbye.
What to bring
Jeans and a long-sleeved shirt for the sun, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a hat (helmets are provided), a camera, a water bottle, any medication you need, and swimwear.
Getting to the farm
A 15 minute bus from Filandia's main square, about $3,600 COP. Or one of the jeeps for about $35,000 COP. Finca Akila is in Corregimiento La India, Filandia, Quindío. Open the map.