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Arauca is a small town in Caldas, Colombia, that belongs to the municipality of Palestina. It’s situated along the Cauca River and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
You’ll pass through Arauca if you’re traveling between Manizales and the towns of Risaralda, San José, and Anserma. It’s pretty much the one main road running through a few blocks of the town and that’s about it. There’s absolutely no reason to stop and see it. In fact, you’re better off staying in the bus or your car. Can you tell this is one my least favorite places in the entire country?
Plaza
The town plaza is surrounded by a few restaurants and has a hill towering behind it. The nicest part of the plaza is the tree with ARAUCA spelled out in front of it.
Across the street is the church. It’s a simple building.
Plaza de Mercado
Finally, about a block from the plaza is the Plaza de Mercado, where there are a few shops and restaurants. It’s filthy. Don’t ever use the bathrooms there. You’ll probably get an infection. The Plaza de Mercado is next to the Casa de la Cultura, which was closed when we passed through.
