Ibaque

[bobtpa1614502761]

Will soon be visiting Ibaque for a few weeks. I'll be staying at Hotel F25, suggested by GayGuides, have any of you stayed there?. Can anyone suggest "must see" attractions, restaurants, etc? Any info on gay life, bars, boys and how to find them, going rates, etc. I understand the city is very safe, anyone think otherwise? Housing and living expenses there seem very inexpensive so I'm also thinking about eyeing it as a possible retirement location. Thanks guys, any input would be much appreciated.

[neyger]

I only stayed there for a few days during a trip through the coffee region from Bogota to Medellin. 
I stayed in an airBnB close to that hotel (near the big shopping center). It is one of the better neighborhoods to stay in. 

Grindr was popular and the quoted prices were the lowest in the coffee region (50mil - 100mil). Actually everything was cheap in Ibague (restaurants, accommodation, ..). 

'Very safe': in my perception and confirmed by a grindr contact, Ibague was one of the less safe cities in the coffee region, compared to Pereira, Manizales, Armenia,... but a lot safer than almost all other cities in Colombia.  As long as you take your precautions (no walking at night, keep an eye on belongings during the day, keep your rolex at home..), you will be fine. 

The whole coffee region is beautiful and a paradise if you like hiking and nature. I can see the appeal for retirement, but I would also visit the other cities in the region.

[Latbear4blk]

I think the right name is Ibagué. 

[macdaddi]

9 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

I think the right name is Ibagué. 

Correct. It is the capital city of Tolima departmento.  Best known for its conservatory of music, it is often referred to as the music capital of Colombia.  It is a small city, but not without it's charms. Tolima is actually the largest coffee production region in the country, so much of the departmento is rolling hills and coffee farming.

Central Tolima where Ibagué is located is best known for hiking/nature/glamping.  The city maintains much of the original buildings and architectural influences from the Spanish colonial era, meaning lots of small parks and squares around the city.  There is a small, private university in the city as well so plenty of students around centro. Have not been back for a few years so don´t know about current scene. You should know that Ibagué is home to national fútbol hero James Rodríguez and the large fútbol stadium just south of centro is epicentre of the city.  Enjoy.