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Colombia’s “City of Bridges”, Honda, sits at the confluence of the important Río Magdalena and the smaller Río Gualí, and is one of the country’s prestigious Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio). More than 25 bridges cross these and two smaller rivers that pass through the city, some of them over a century old.
Honda isn’t exactly a dream town. The weather is unbearably hot and many of the buildings have yet to be restored, but it does have a few interesting features such as its 17th century cobblestone alleyways and stair paths. Is it a must see? Definitely not, but worth a quick stop if passing through. Compared to other Heritage Towns I’ve visited, it’s not nearly as impressive, but it has its charms.
Donde Katleya
For food in Honda, there weren’t too many great choices. We stumbled upon a small restaurant run out of a house in the old town called Donde Katleya. It served very good seafood and Caribbean style dishes for reasonable prices.
Zona Rosa
The Zona Rosa is located quite a hike from the old town and a taxi is recommended, especially at night. Most of the food is fast food, chicken or pizza, but the Burger Grill had a nice selection of sandwiches and burgers. The Zona Rosa is where you will find the entertainment as well.
Puerto Bogotá
Across the bridge over the Río Magdalena is the ramshackle town of Puerto Bogotá. As soon as you cross the bridge there will be a good selection of restaurants serving traditional Colombian fare. They cater to travelers passing between Bogotá and Medellín.
Hotel Riviera Plaza
For a hotel, we stayed at Hotel Riviera Plaza. The pictures looked nice but it was only so-so. There was no toilet seat and the bathroom door didn’t close, and the swimming pool we looked forward to had murky water. The saving grace was the wonderful staff and great air conditioning. WiFi was also pretty good. There’s a restaurant on site that serves a decent and cheap breakfast.
Getting There
Honda is located just three to four hours from Bogotá, depending on traffic, four hours from Manizales, and six hours from Medellín. Several buses to and from all three cities pass through Honda. The bus terminal is located just a few minutes taxi ride outside of town.
