Melgar, Colombia

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Melgar
Town
Country	Colombia
State	Tolima

A pizza eatery in Melgar.

Melgar is a Colombian town located in the Department of Tolima, 109 km southwest of Bogotá. The first settlement was called "Cualamana", later change to "Villa de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia. In 1601 its name was changed to "La Candelaria", given by Captain Juan Lopez de Herrera. It was the site of an ancient Amerindian village that belonged to the Panches.

[edit] Overview

It is known in Colombia as the "City of the Swimming Pools" or the "Sea of Swimming Pools" because of its more than 5000 swimming pools. It is a major inland resort, which the people of Bogotá visit on weekends to flee the capital's cold weather for the warm climate of the valley. Visitors to this town either own or rent a villa that includes a pool in such communities as VerdeSol.

The majority of the road between Melgar and Bogotá is single lane traffic in each direction. There are some exceptions where double lanes are found on the traffic going to Bogota from Melgar. The final descent to Melgar is a winding road around the side of a mountain with a great scenic view of the valley. Closer to Melgar you will pass underneath the "Nariz Del Diablo" which translates to "The Devil's Nose". This is a pointed rock shaped like a nose which hovers over part of the road at the bottom of the valley within 10 minutes of the city.

The city is home to several military bases as well as Club Militar's "Las Mercedes" resort, which is a kind of country club with water slides, swimming pools, dance club, golf greens, hospital and a restaurant. The club also holds special events such as a Christmas Eve party.

Majority of the restaurants you will find around the city are usually locally owned such as D´Pochys Pizza however the major Colombian food chain Kokoriko can also be found. Do not expect to find a McDonalds in the area however as it would be considered a bit too pricey for the region so one should stock up in Bogota.

Several dance clubs and bars can be found in Melgar such as the Oasis Bar which features foot pools that you can take off your shoes and dance. As is common with Latin clubs not all bars serve mixed drinks but instead require you buy a bottle of alcohol for the table instead. This is no exception in Melgar however if you wish to drink a beer you just need to buy a bottle.

Melgar is located 1 hour north of Ibagué which is the capital city of Tolima. Tolima is one of the 32 departments of Colombia and is the department in which Melgar also resides.