About Pereira

Pereira is the capital of Risaralda departamento, west-central Colombia. It is situated in the western foothills of the Cordillera Central above the Cauca River valley. It was founded in 1863 on the former site of Cartago by Remigio Antonio Canarte and was named for Francisco Pereira Gamba, who donated lands for the enterprise. It is a major distribution center for coffee and cattle and has a small textile industry.