Andes

Last updated on November 17, 2025.

Andes is a coffee town in the department of Antioquia. It’s along the route to the more popular, beautiful, and tourist-friendly Jardín.

Introduction to Andes

Andes was originally inhabited by the indigenous Caramanta people. The first European to pass through the area was Spanish explorer Juan de Vadillo (b. c. 1495). The modern town was founded on March 13, 1852, by Pedro Antonio Restrepo Escobar.

Andes is primarily an agricultural town, with coffee as the main crop. It was the birthplace of Colombian writer, philosopher, and journalist Gonzalo Arango (1931-1976), who led a literary movement in the 1950s and 1960s known as Nadaism.

Getting to Andes

A couple companies pass through Andes on the way to Jardín from Medellín. Rapido Ochoa and Transporte Suroeste are the ones I’ve used. There’s a main bus terminal where buses from Medellín stop and another one a few blocks south of the plaza where you can find buses and taxis to Jardín.

Parque Simón Bolívar

Parque Simón Bolívar is the main plaza in Andes. It’s a nice wide-open plaza laid out in 1906 by architect Samuel Mejía Ochoa.

The plaza is surrounded by a mixture of modern and colonial buildings. It’s also a lively place, filled with tables where locals sit and enjoy coffee or drinks with their friends and family.

In the center is a beautiful bronze fountain installed in 1970. It replaced a bronze fountain imported from Paris in the early 20th century. The original fountain was moved to a nearby village.

Monument to Simón Bolívar

A monument to Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) stands on the west side of the plaza. A bust of the liberator originally stood in a different location, but the current equestrian statue was commissioned after it was damaged. The bronze sculpture rests on a marble pedestal.

Church of Our Lady of Mercy

The beautiful Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes) is on the south side of the plaza. The original church was made of wood and adobe in 1853. It was demolished in 1921 and replaced by a new structure designed by Samuel Mejía Ochoa. Construction began on March 27, 1922, and it was completed in the early 1940s.

The church was plagued by structural issues and the decision was made to remodel it. Work started on September 1, 1953, under Rafael Betancur. Italian architect Albano Germanetti was brought in to consult on the design, which is in the Flemish Gothic style. The project saw the transformation of the façade as well as the expansion of the interior. The dome, at a height of 47 meters, was built between 1964 and 1974, and all the columns were reinforced.

The church is on a Latin cross plan. The façade features twin bell towers, pointed arches, sculptures, reliefs, and a central rose window. The interior consists of a central nave with two aisles lined with chapels. Frescoes decorated some sections of the walls and you’ll also find some stained glass windows.

Murals in Andes

Within a block or two of the plaza, you’ll find a few impressive murals. First, on the Andes City Hall (Alcaldía de Andes) is a mural of a chiva set in front of scenes of the town and its natural surroundings.

You’ll also find a couple stairways with murals. A block west of the park is the Rural Essence mural, which is a painted with the partial face of a farmer. Finally, along Calle 49 is the Ancestral Nuances mural, depicting indigenous people and symbols.

Map of Andes