Flandes is a lively riverside town where you can experience traditional Colombian culture and cuisine. Dine at bustling restaurants run by local families and discover the colourful street food scene. Adrenaline-fuelled activities like skydiving and whitewater rafting lure adventure seekers to Flandes.
Things to do in Flandes
Get your pulse racing with adventure-fuelled activities offered by local tour operators. Flandes is famous as the “Skydiving Capital of Colombia” and offers fantastic conditions for the sport. As you tumble through the sky, you can enjoy spectacular views over the surrounding coffee plantations, mountains and snaking Magdalena River. Keep the adrenaline pumping with a whitewater rafting adventure along the nearby Sumapaz River.
Cross the Mariano Ospina Perez Railroad Bridge and explore the neighbouring town of Giradot. The bridge spans across the Magdalena River and connects the two towns. Make a beeline for Parque Central, a lively square shaded by trees and surrounded by colourful buildings. Sip Colombian coffee at a local café and watch buskers entertain passersby. Street stalls pop up in the evenings and serve local favourites like arepas, tamales and empanadas.
Flandes is packed with family-run restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Colombian cuisine. Order local specialties like “la lechona tolimense” suckling pig and “sancocho de gallina” chicken stew cooked with green plantains. Coffee usually comes with a side of “achiras” Colombian biscuits made with corn and cheese. Sidewalk vendors will tempt you with “los subidos” guava candy, another regional specialty.
Getting around Flandes
Flandes is compact and easy to get around on foot. The town is in the Tolima department, a 45-minute drive from Ibague and 3.5 hours from Bogota. Perales Airport in Ibague is a one-hour drive away and El Dorado International Airport in Bogota is 3.5 hours away.