Pereira is the capital of the department of Risaralda in Colombia and is located in the center of the Coffee Axis. It is a relatively young city, as its current location was previously occupied by the municipality of Cartago, until it was moved 30 kilometers towards the Cauca Valley in 1961. It is the most populated urban center in the coffee axis, with 488,839 inhabitants and is divided into 19 neighborhoods. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Ulloa, Filandia, and Salento to the south, the department of Tolima to the east, the municipalities of Cartago, Anserma Nuevo, Balbo, and La Virginia to the west. It is part of the West Central Metropolitan Area (AMCO), which also includes the municipalities of Dosquebradas and La Virginia.

The quality of life in Pereira is considered good. In the health sector, according to Pereira Cómo Vamos, 4 out of 5 people (81%) who required some health service in the last five years were able to access it. This is also reflected in the satisfaction with such services, as in 2019 it reached 51%, being this the best rating of the last decade. In addition, Pereira proclaims itself as one of the cities with the highest aging index in the Coffee Axis and the extreme poverty index is 2.5%, seven percentage points less than the national average. It is the lowest indicator of the 13 main cities and metropolitan areas measured by DANE

Pereira is characterized by the possibility of accessing a dignified life through employment. According to DANE information, Pereira has always been below the national unemployment rate average, although this trend was affected in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite the health crisis, the city has been one of the main drivers of the country’s economic recovery. By the end of 2020, the national unemployment rate was 20.8, while Pereira’s was 18.4, 2.4 points lower. The city has a large number of companies, especially in commerce (46.2%), accommodation and food services (12.6%) and manufacturing industries (8.4%).

Thanks to its importance in the area, the National Education Ministry states that the school coverage rate reached 121.44% in 2019. This is because Pereira receives children from neighboring municipalities with the aim of providing education to the largest number of residents in the region. Regarding secondary education, the city has had a notable growth in the number of students. Between 2010 and 2019, undergraduate enrolments increased by 29.2%, while postgraduate enrolments increased by 140.3% for the same period of time. These results have been achieved thanks to the programs and work of the Tecnológica University of Pereira, one of the best educational institutions in the country in several rankings such as QS World University Rankings, Webometrics, Scimago Institutions Rankings, and Sapiens Research. Transportation: The main means of transportation for Pereira citizens is the Megabús. This system was established in 2006 to relieve traffic in the city. Its coverage reaches the municipalities of Pereira, Dosquebradas, and Cuba. The Matecaña International Airport is located in the town of Caimalito. This air terminal is the one with the highest passenger flow in the Coffee Axis, with almost two million passengers a year, according to the Civil Aeronautics. These numbers are due to the infrastructure of this airport allowing for cheaper flights than Armenia and Manizales. In case of emergency, it is the alternative airport to the cities of Armenia, Cartago, and Manizales, as well as the El Dorado airport in Bogotá, Alfonso Bonilla Aragón in Cali and José María Córdova in Medellín. One of the most important road works in Colombia is located in this city. The César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct is a suspension bridge that connects the city of Pereira with the municipality of Dosquebradas crossing the Otún river valley. It is estimated that around 186,000 vehicles pass there daily.

Pereira is a city with high school coverage rate, reaching 121.44% in 2019 according to the National Ministry of Education. This is due to the city receiving children from surrounding municipalities with the aim of providing education to the largest number of residents in the region. Additionally, the city has seen a significant growth in higher education, with a 29.2% increase in undergraduate enrollment from 2010 to 2019, and a 140.3% increase in postgraduate enrollment for the same time period. This is largely due to the Technological University of Pereira, one of the best educational institutions in the country.

As for transportation, the main mode is the Megabús, a system created in 2006 to alleviate city traffic and covers the municipalities of Pereira, Dosquebradas, and Cuba. The Matecaña International Airport is the most crowded in the Coffee Axis and is the alternate airport to the cities of Armenia, Cartago, and Manizales, as well as Bogotá’s El Dorado, Cali’s Alfonso Bonilla Aragón, and Medellín’s José María Córdova. The city also has a major roadwork, the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct, a cable-stayed bridge that connects the city of Pereira with the municipality of Dosquebradas and is traversed by about 186,000 vehicles daily.

Pereira has several tourist sites to visit, including the Coffee Park, one of the most relevant thematic parks in Latin America that celebrates the coffee culture; the Ukumarí Biopark, one of the largest bioparks in Latin America with the mission of preserving the flora and fauna of Pereira and Risaralda; and the Santa Rosa de Cabal Thermal Springs, a place to enjoy a restorative bath in thermal waters rich in minerals.

In addition to its tourist attraction, Pereira is also a good investment option, especially in the hotel and short-term accommodation sector. The city is the fourth tourist destination in the country and has one of the highest hotel and short-term occupancy rates in the country. It is also a reference in access to decent housing, with an increase in the construction of non-social interest housing and a decrease in the construction of social interest housing. Investing in housing can also be a good option for generating income, as the percentage of households living in rental in the city is high.