If you're spending any kind of time traveling in Medellin, which is easy to do, after a couple days a get away is in order. There are a number of possible day trips from the city. They sell guided tours to a number of these places but these villages are so easy to reach with public transit that they can and should be explored at one’s own leisure.
-Guatape - Santa Fe - El Carmen de Viboral -
-La Piedra del Penol-Santa Fe di Antioquia-
All of these towns are accessible by local buses that leave from the North Bus Terminal of Medellin - easily reached with the metro. Just take the A line to Niquia and exit at the Caribe station. Leave the station, cross the overhead bridge, just outside of the station, and the North Terminal is just on the other side.
Medellin seen from the sky
Medellin
is the city I fly into and leave from every year. So I spend a considerable amount of time here. And when my friends, with limited vacation time, want me to give them a tour and intro to Colombia – I bring them to Medellin for two reasons: one, it’s my favorite city in Colombia and two, there are so many day trips within a short distance of city center. A week goes by and everyone feels like they've gotten a good intro to Colombia.
Medellin is an excellent base for exploring nearby coffee towns, beautiful countrysides and picturesque colonial pueblos which makes an extended stay in Antioquia’s capital all the more interesting.
The main square of Guatape
A fountain in Guatape
The malecon on the reservoir at Guatape
Guatape
Guatape, a gorgeous lakeside town just two hours outside of Medellin, is Medellin's most popular day trip. The town is located on the River Nare, which was dammed in 1972 to create a reservoir which supplies Medellin with 30% of its energy and most of its drinking water. Guatape is a colorful, colonial town with picturesque houses with balconies all painted in bright racing colors. The decorative wall panels located around town are called zocalos. There are a lot of shops in town catering to tourists, selling arts and crafts. The main square, Plaza de Simon Bolivar is a block off the lake and one of the most beautiful squares in Colombia. On the malecon, along the lake front, there are a number of restaurants with outdoor tables featuring locally raised trout. There are boat rides on the lake and a zip line along the beach. The town is higher in altitude than Medellin and the air is pleasantly cool.
PIedra del Penol in Guatape - a 649 stair climb to the top
La Piedra del Penol
Across the lake, about a mile walk away, is the Piedra del Penol, a bullet shaped granite rock 200 meters high. Not much to see here but there are 649 stairs to the top, if you're so inclined. They say there's a nice view once you get there. The Penol is just outside of town. The bus stops here before heading into Guatape, about a 10 minute ride down the road. After seeing the rock one catches another bus into the center of town. Buses leave from the North Terminal in Medellin to Guatape. The cost if 10,000 COP and it trip takes 2 hours each way. The town gets busy on the weekends with visitors from Medellin but stays fairly quiet during weekdays.
The main square of Santa Fe
A restaurant in Santa Fe
Santa Fe de Antioquia Just 80 km northwest of Medellin lies the small town of Santa Fe. It is 1,000 meters lower in altitude than Medellin and therefore much warmer and humid. So if you came to Colombia and wondered where the heat was - you'll find it here. Santa Fe was founded in 1541. It was once the capital of Antioquia until Medellin was named the capital in 1826.
The town’s historical center has remained pretty much the same since and is easily explored on foot. Santa Fe has beautiful colonial architecture. The streets are made of cobble stones and the house are white washed with wooden balconies The main square, Plaza Mayor, is a beautiful plaza with a water fountain and the Cathedral Metropolitana. There are two other churches in the center and several museums to visit.
The town gets a lot of tourism especially on the weekends. Most of the hotels in town have pools and are expensive.
A woman handpainting the ceramics of El Carmen
The town square of El Carmen - the tower is made of ceramics
El Carmen de Viboral El Carmen de Viboral is a tiny city of about 50,000 people an hour east of Medellin. It is known for its colorful, floral ceramics. The town is full of pottery shops and workshops making it a perfect day trip to learn about Colombian ceramics and to pick up some bargain souvenirs.
Founded in 1787, ceramics had been the major industry of the city since 1898. In fact ceramic plates and broken ceramic pieces are used to decorate the town. At 800 meters above sea level, it's nice and cool with a beautiful main square lined with large, sidewalk cafes.
the different styles of ceramic hand painting in El Carmen
The Casa del Cultura hosts an interesting museum looking at the history of the ceramic industry – from the crockery making process to the typical styles of hand painting. The ceramic production of El Carmen focuses primarily on plates, cups, kitchen utensils, washbasins, vases and statues. Everything is painted by hand using a bouquet of colors. No two pieces are exactly the same.
At one time there were 25 factories making ceramics in the town. But in the late 1970s the activity began to decline with the introduction of cheaper products imported from China. But in the 1990s the tradition started recovering. Today there are more than 27 companies producing enameled ceramics.
From the center of town take the street next to the hotel up 5 blocks. The area, called 'Zona Rossa', where the ceramic shops are located. One can tour the ceramic workshops, watch the ladies hand paint the ceramics, take pictures and buy directly at the shops. Haggling over prices is o.k. and the ceramics are very inexpensive.
I've always had a hard time finding souveniers in Medellin to take home. If you’re looking for some typical, quality mementos, the ceramics of Casa de Viboral make the perfect gift. They'll wrap them in newspaper and bubble wrap to ensure the safest passage possible in your suitcase. A couple of the the ceramic parrots in the picture below actually made the trip in my suitcase and survived the abuse of Spirit baggage handlers. No small feat.
Ceramic shop - El Carmen
Ceramic at a shop in El Carmen
La Ceja and Sonson
Are two towns just outside of the center. La Ceja is a 2 hour trip from the city and Sonson is around 3 hours. La Ceja is easts of Medellin near Carmen de Viboral. It's a nice village with an attractive plaza known for producing flowers.
The road to Sonson is full of twists and hair pin turns so it's better to go with a big bus - a little easier on the stomach. One can get a bus from the terminal in La Ceja. Sonson is a very pleasant village with lots of men on horses, horses pulling carts and mule trains making their way through town. It is known as the city of painted balconies. It is also one of the most important avocado producing areas in Colombia. One can rent a jeep in town to take to the Paramo of Sanson - mountain plains just outside of town with lots of rivers feeding the Magdalena.
Images of Sonson
Urrao Mountain Village in Andes a half day trip from Medellin
If you are in Medellin or anywhere in Antioquia and are looking for a weekend escape to a quiet little country village then look no further than Urrao, a town in the Andes mountains of the Cordillera Oriental at 1,830 meters (6,000 feet). With a year round cool climate, the village is just 160 km. outside of Medellin.
The town gets busy on the weekends but during the week it is calm and quiet. One can stroll through the town’s streets, go the the nearby market, take walks in the valley along the Penderisco River or hike paths in the nearby mountains.
One easy hike is a path following the large white stations of the cross up the mountain. The path and crosses can be seen from town.
Urrao
Paramo del Sol
Many hikers used to come Urraoto trek to the Paramo del Sol, a nature reserve and tropical rainforest at 2,380 meters (9,284 feet) above sea level and reaching 4,080 meters (13,385 feet) at its highest point. Chiva buses go from the town to the paramo’s trail head, a 40 minute ride costing 5,000 COP. From there it’s 14 kilometer (8.6 mile) trek that takes 7 hours from the base to the top.
Unfortunately the Paramo has been temporarily closed because visitors had been destroying plants and trees and leaving behind lots of trash. The closure has cut down on the flow of tourism to town. So if you’re coming to hike the paramo, check first to see if the reserve has reopened.
Jon McInnes is a journalist who has been traveling to Colombia since 1972. He travels to Colombia and other parts of South America yearly and writes for newspapers, food, wine and travel publications. He currently lives between Colombia and Detroit. You can also follow him on facebook and contact him via email at: jonmcinnesjon@gmail.com
Urrao - Delightful Town in the Mountains of Antioquia
If you are in Medellin or anywhere in Antioquia and are looking for a weekend escape to a quiet little country village then look no further than Urrao
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