Armenia, Colombia

Capital City

This medium-sized city in Colombia's coffee region has a population of 272,574, but don't let the numbers fool you - Armenia is far from a sleepy backwater. The historic center may have been named a UNESCO World Heritage site, but the reality on the ground is a persistent bureaucratic headache for outsiders. Frequent earthquakes, like the devastating 1999 tremor that killed nearly 1,900, are also a fact of life.

Still, the city's strategic location and modern international airport make it a convenient hub for business and tourism. The surrounding coffee plantations, theme parks, and eco-hotels cater to a growing industry that has transformed Armenia into what locals call the "Miracle City" in recent decades. But for all its economic progress, this is a place best suited for the adventurous, not the faint of heart.