While the capital city of Antioquia, Medellín, is quite well known for being a tourist and digital nomad hub, the surrounding countryside is an emerging destination, and man is it beautiful. Debatably some of the most incredible views I’ve witnessed. Rolling green hills, grazing cows and horses, picturesque towns with colorful houses beautifully adorned with flowers, cowboys sipping coffee in the main squares, and so many activities to partake in. I spent 5 days in this region with my sister, between Jardín and Jericó, and then returned to Jardín later in the year for a long weekend. Read on for my review of what to see and do to get the most out of your trip.
How to get there:
The best way to arrive in Jardín is by bus from Medellín’s South Terminal. The bus company, Rápido Ochoa, has comfortable buses with impressive legroom and decently functioning wifi. Tickets cost ~8 USD each way. Tickets can be purchased on Redbus.com or at the terminal. If you book online, don’t forget to pick up your physical ticket at the counter.
If all goes smoothly, the journey should be about 3 hours. Though keep in mind, this usually isn’t the case as there always seems to be some sort of traffic along the way. In my experience, it will probably take about 4-4.5 hours despite a valid effort from the driver to pass just about every vehicle on the road and a few precarious driving maneuvers around the twists and bends of the road. Come prepared with snacks, water, cash to use the bathroom at a rest stop, and don’t plan a flight too close to expected arrival time like I did on my way back to Medellín. Luckily I made it, but barely.
If your next stop is Jericó:
- Take the bus from Jardín to Andes, ~30 minutes, ~9,000 COP/2 USD
- Next you will need to catch the Chiva bus from Andes. This is the colorful, open air, local bus. Sometimes used as a party bus in the cities, however the intended use is transportation of farmers and supplies through the rural countryside. The bus departs down the hill from the main plaza. It takes ~2h 45m and costs ~19,000 COP/4 USD. The Chiva bus typically leaves Andes twice/day, 6am and 2pm
- Warning: This is an adventure, an adventure that I didn’t know I needed and was definitely not prepared for. It’s a very bumpy and dusty ride on a dirt path through the mountains
- TIP: Bring a mask, rain jacket, sun glasses, and covering for you bag if possible. You will get dirty. The bus passes what feels like 4 different terrestrial ecosystems and passes a few small villages, each landscape beautiful in their own way. My sister turned to me and said, “Well, I’m definitely not bored yet”. It’s not a comfortable journey but it’s a beautiful journey
Where to Stay:
To preface, I’m no expert in accommodations in this area. I can however speak for my experience and what I gather is important to look for when choosing a place to stay:
Both Jardín and Jericó are relatively small. I recommend staying within walking distance from the plazas, as this is really the heart of the town.
Jardín: I’ve stayed at Hotel Plantación on both trips, a bit of a splurge for us at ~70-80 USD/night but so worth it. It’s located on the outer edge of the town but only a 10 minute walk to the center. To be honest, I was hoping that by staying in this location and paying a bit extra for a balcony, that we would have a view of the mountains. It was a nice view, but it was of the hotel’s garden. This was the only con though, if you can even call it that. The hotel really did everything right. They merge comfort, service, and sustainability immaculately. Wifi works well, a delicious plant-based breakfast is included (highly recommend the pancakes), and the daily tea and coffee kit is delivered to your room each night.
Jericó: We stayed at, Hotel Villa Palosanto, a much more budget friendly hotel in Jericó for 180,000 COP/~37 USD per night. We had a private room with a huge balcony. Quite the opposite of the hotel in Jardín. The view was incredible, definitely the selling point but the room itself was no frills, though functional for a night or two. The woman who owns the hotel is friendly and welcoming and makes a very good breakfast. This hotel is located ~15 minutes walking from the center.
Where To Eat:
Restaurants:
Jardín
- Bon Appetit: Italian food with a few asian dishes, they open at 5 and can fill up relatively fast. The food is really fresh, cooked in an open kitchen
- Revolución Bananera: Highly recommended vegetarian restaurant a bit outside of town with a great view
- Dulces del Jardín: Cafe decorated exquisitely with plants. The same family owns the more touristy version in the main plaza, Cafe Macanas. There seems to be a conjoined kitchen to the cafe at Dulces del Jardin which serves dinner
- El Jardín de Jardín: Cafe with drinks, food, and desserts
- Isabel: Grill, Art, and Cafe. This is probably the most recommended place to eat in Jericó
- Cafe Don Rafa: Good spot for breakfast right in the main square
Locally grown: Coffee, Bananas, Tomatos, Sugarcane/Panela
What to do:
Activities in Jardín
Cueva del Esplendor: This is the main excursion from Jardín and a must see. Admittedly a bit jaded by water falls at times, this one exceeded my expectations
- How to get there: Can be reached by walking, but I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s far and steep, especially the way there. There are two methods of transportation, Tuk Tuk, and Jeep, both which drop you off about an hour to an hour walking from the farm where you purchase entry to the 10-25 min path to the falls. It’s slightly faster on the way back, but overall it’s not technical at all as there is a path, but it’s a lot of hills. The jeep goes a bit further than the Tuk Tuk. Our Tuk Tuk driver gave us his number to call for a return ride, but it’s also very possible to hitch a ride with someone on the way down (if it’s a tuk tuk or jeep, it obviously won’t be for free, but possibly cheaper)
- Price of transportation: Tuk tuk: 35,000 to 40,000 COP/~8.5 USD for 2 people, one way, Jeep: 25,000 COP/~5 USD for 2 people to hitch a ride with a jeep that was heading down the hill already. The hotel quoted us 60,000 COP for what I believe would be a jeep both ways/person
- What to expect: 20,000 COP/~4 USD per person buys entrance, a beverage (water, lemonade, coffee), and a guide. The guide was pretty useless as the path down to the cave is self explanatory. They let you go down in groups. The group size is really dependent on how many people arrive in that time frame. The first time I did it with my sister there were maybe 8 of us while the second time there was closer to 15-20 people. It still wasn’t overly crowded though as we stayed at the front of the group to enjoy time at the waterfall alone before everyone else made it down. Technically, 35 minutes is allowed per group at the waterfall, but our guide just kind of disappeared without saying anything and people slowly made their way back, so this wasn’t enforced too strictly
- What to bring: Water, Layers, Sun Protection, Bug Spray (optional), Cash. The path is mostly dirt but decently well maintained. Can be done in sneakers, though I was happy to have my trekkers for the path down to the waterfall as there is a bit of a river crossing and some slippery rocks
Mirador Cristo Rey & Cascada La Escalera:
- Another great half day trip is to hike up to the view point “Mirador Cristo Rey”. Walk to the end of Calle 11 and follow a path over a bridge and up the hill to the mirador. It’s short, maybe 15-20 minutes, but steep. This will bring you to a viewpoint at a farm/restaurant where you can enjoy freshly made food and drinks. The food and coffee really surpassed expectations for a tourist site. Then a short walk later (you’re going to be making a loop of sorts), there will be a I love Jardín sign with another coffee shop that you can have a drink and/or pastries at. Keep following. the path and head towards the right past suspended hammocks. Keep along this path until you reach a foot bridge with a confusing sign indicating stick figure drawings for Cascada La Escalera. Turn left up the hill before the bridge and you’ll make it to this water fall. There are excursions to climb up the water fall (escalera means ladder), prices were displayed for 90k COP/person. After visiting the waterfall, go back down the hill and continue over the bridge. Keep right at the fork in the road and it will bring you back to town. This look can also be done via Tuk Tuk, but we really enjoyed doing it on foot. The hardest part was the first 20 minutes up to the mirador, but the rest was relatively flat.
- Sit in the main square: I’ve been to many plazas around the world, this may be the most beautiful I’ve seen
- Coffee Tour
- Gallito de Roca: it’s a special bird to this region that you can observe. There was a small entrance fee
- Waterfall Repelling Cascada La Escalara
- Hiking: There are a few great hikes which lead to multiple waterfalls. Make sure you download an offline map and ask your accommodation or travel agency for more information
- Paragliding
Activities in Jericó
- The Chiva Bus to Jericó from Andes felt like an activity in itself, even if it wasn’t intended to. A great way to see the surrounding area, vegetation, and fauna
- Wander around the town. We found the local people to be really nice in Jericó
- Visit the pink church: not far from the center of town
- Sit in the center plaza and watch typical life pass you by. You’ll see most of the men wearing cowboy hats and even a few using horses as their local transportation
- Visit a coffee plantation
- Cathy seems to be the fan favorite tour guide of the area as per almost every review, English and Spanish speaking. If we had more time, I would have tried to arrange an excursion with her
Sidenote
Jardín in particular has recently increased drastically in popularity. Although, when you compare it to places such as Salento, it really doesn’t feel that way. This is met with a bit of hesitancy from locals which are rightfully concerned about the impact on what seems to be an untouched utopia of sorts. While the local attitude towards tourism in Jardín is by no means palpable, it was the feeling I got from overhearing conversations and side remarks. Hopefully tourism remains responsible and sustainable, to only enhance the area and embrace their culture.
