In my time in Pereira, Colombia, there were two things I loved most: the nature and dating Colombian girls in Pereira. Hiking through a part of Colombia known as the Cocora Valley, there were palm trees all around the area. Furthermore, the city has a bunch of great natural scenery in the area with plenty of mountains, hot springs and more. Although some of you may be interested in the women here, I would also recommend you spend time getting to experience the scenery in the area.
If this is your first time visiting Pereira, you will likely think that the city is not that attractive in appearance and you will definitely notice some shady neighborhoods or streets.
In that sense, it is important to be careful here as well given that it can sometimes be dangerous. However, in my experience, the crime here seems to mostly focus on pickpocketing. Never once had I been violently attacked here or felt in danger. Although it sucked to lose that money, I learned to obviously be more careful and alert about my surroundings. If you can manage to be alert about your surroundings, you are likely to avoid experiencing that.
In my time dating a Colombian woman here called Vanessa, she told me about a time that someone pulled a knife on her to steal her phone and whatever money she had on her. At the very least, if you use common sense and manage to be alert about your surroundings while not carrying too much on you, you will probably be fine. However, you will really need Spanish for Pereira.
Even though some people do speak some English, there is not a big enough population here that speaks English well enough. Suffice to say, I greatly recommend you learn Spanish to at least a conversational level for Pereira. And if you think you will need help with understanding Spanish down here, make sure to get a decent translator to help you understand the beautiful women here. Or check out this solid guide I wrote on how to learn Spanish in the most efficient manner at home to be prepared for your trip to Colombia.
