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Valparaíso is a small town in the southwest of the Antioquia department in Colombia. It’s a few hours south of Medellín.
Introduction to Valparaíso, Antioquia
Modern-day Valparaíso was originally inhabited by the indigenous Cartama people. They left the area after the arrival of the Spaniards. The town was founded as El Hatillo on April 23, 1860, by Pedro Restrepo, Tomás Uribe Toro, and Waldo Ochoa. It became a municipality on May 11, 1864, and was later renamed by José María Ochoa after the city of Valparaíso, Chile.
Today, the town relies on agriculture, mostly coffee, as well as livestock farming. It remains off-the-beaten-path with very little interest for tourists, but is situated in beautiful natural surroundings.
Parque Principal
Parque Principal is the main plaza in Valparaíso. It’s a pleasant space with tall trees, plenty of benches, and a coffee kiosk in the center. There’s also a bust of Rafael Uribe Uribe (1859-1914), a lawyer and general in the Thousand Days’ War. A cultural center in Medellín is named after him.
You’ll find a few attractive colonial buildings around the plaza as well as some monuments paying homage to the town’s agricultural roots.
Church of Santa Ana
The Church of Santa Ana (Iglesia de Santa Ana) is on the south side of the plaza. It was originally built between 1880 and 1882 but was under reconstruction at the time of our visit, awaiting funds for a new roof.
The Neo-Colonial style church features a single nave with a large chapel off to the left side. There are some impressive stained glass windows as well.
Cultural Center and Archaeological Museum of Valparaíso, Antioquia
The Cultural Center (Casa de la Cultura) is a block from the plaza. The building is decorated with a colorful mural dedicated to the town’s history and culture. It features the small Archaeological Museum (Museo Arqueológico), which opened to the public in 2008. The building is typically open Monday through Friday but was closed on the Monday we walked by. Admission isn’t posted anywhere but like other cultural centers in Colombia I assume it’s free (as of July 2025).
Rafael Uribe Uribe House Museum
On the outskirts of Valparaíso is the Rafael Uribe Uribe House Museum (Casa Museo Rafael Uribe Uribe). It covers the life of Uribe and has spectacular views of the mountains and town. Admission is free (as of December 2024). Hours aren’t posted but it was closed on the Monday when we tried to visit.
Where to Eat in Valparaíso, Antioquia
We had lunch and coffee during our visit to town.
PeruManía
PeruManía was a pleasant surprise. We didn’t expect a small off-the-beaten-path town to have a high-quality Peruvian restaurant. The original is in Medellín and there’s also a branch in Salgar.
We started with an order of spring rolls, causa limeña, and ceviche. Everything had a delicious flavor, especially the causa limeña and ceviche.
For our main courses, I had the chaufa trilogía, which is a fried rice with chicken, beef, and pork. Marisol had the Thai salmon. We couldn’t have been happier with our meals.
Mulero Café
We stopped into Mulero Café for an afternoon cup of coffee. It’s located right on the plaza and has an attractive patio, but there’s also an outdoor terrace in the back with nice views of the countryside. As for the coffee, it’s good, but the service lacks attention and professionalism.
