The single most rewarding thing to do in Armenia. The Quimbaya were the pre-Columbian peoples of the central Cordillera, and they were among the most accomplished gold-workers in the Americas. The museum holds several hundred of their finest pieces — funerary masks, pendants, the famous lime-flask poporos used with coca leaves, and a series of stylised human figures whose forms feel startlingly modern.
The building itself is part of the visit. Designed by the late Rogelio Salmona in his signature brick and water style, it steps down a hillside in a series of terraces around a central pool, with deep red walls that frame views out into the surrounding gardens. Entry is free. The museum sits in a quiet residential area in the north of the city, around 15 minutes by taxi from the centre.