I thought my search for Colombia’s most beautiful town ended with Jardín. The equally if not more beautiful town of Jericó gives it stiff competition. Jardín wins the plaza competition, but Jericó hands down has better preserved and better constructed traditional homes and buildings.
Jericó has several budget options for hotels. It’s best to go and ask around. Most of the accommodation is within a couple blocks of each other.
Just a stone’s throw from Medellín (well, maybe a little further), is the quaint town of Concepción, which is nestled among beautiful green hills. Far less touristy and much closer than other more popular towns in Antioquia, Concepción is a good alternative for those wanting to visit an authentic Paisa village on a day trip from Medellín yet running short on time.
When in Medellín, the only type of Pablo Escobar tour you should ever think about joining is one that won’t glorify him and his atrocities.
When I first moved to Colombia, all of my Colombian friends insisted that I visit the majestic El Peñol.
On a tour to El Peñol and Guatapé with LandVenture Travel, our guide Andrés took us on the scenic route leaving Medellín. We crossed by a reservoir with massive homes built next to it and made an unscheduled stop in the village of El Retiro.
A very popular thing to do in Medellín is ride the Metrocable, which is the cable car system connected to the metro. My first ever experience with the Metrocable was at Line K at Acevedo Station (Estación Acevedo).
A good place to visit while in Medellín is Pueblito Paisa. It’s a a small replica Antioquian village on top of Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara), a small hill in the middle of the city.
The biggest social event in Medellín is the annual Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores), held annually in August.