Pitalito

Pitalito is a Colombian town and municipality located to the south of the Department of Huila, Colombia over the Valley of the Rio Grande de la Magdalena, 188 km from Huila's capital, Neiva. It is referred to as "The Valley of Laboyos" and is also the second most populated municipality in the Department of Huila, with a population of 128,630. Pitalito is considered the largest producer of coffee in Colombia. Being at the epicenter of the coffee producing District of Bruselas, the town has become a notable coffee-growing area within Colombia. On several occasions, it has been awarded with the "Cup of Excellence", for producing the best coffee in the country. The boundaries are Timaná, Elias and Saladoblanco to the North, Palestina to the south, Isnos and San Agustín to the west, and Acevedo to the east. On December 18, 1538, Spanish captain Pedro de Añasco founded a village in the Laboyos Valley, which was initially called Guacacallo, due to its location on a terrace of the Cálamo River. This village played an important role in connecting travelers and merchandise between Quito and Popayán with Bogotá. However, due to constant attacks from local indigenous tribes and from other nearby regions such as the Andaquíes, and also due to an event related to the Cacica Gaitana, the village was moved to the north, near the bank of the Timaná River, where the town of the same name is located today.