JARDIN IN COLOMBIA – AUTHENTICITY AND TRADITION BETWEEN COFFEE PLANTATIONS

135 km south of Medellín, at the beginning of the coffee zone (eje cafetero) you are coming to the small authentic town Jardín. The restaurants in the brightly painted one-story houses around the square are the meeting place of the locals in the afternoons and evenings. Chattering and with a regional coffee in the hand they let the day end.

Jardín is literally located within a garden. The green hills with small coffee plantations surround the village and invite you to beautiful walks. Most tourists go to Salento and Armenia to experience the eje cafetero. In Jardin you can still find originality. So you should not miss the Sunday market, when the farmers of the surrounding mountain villages come in traditional costumes to Jardín to sell their vegetables.

Most of them seem to move into the bars very quickly. With music, a spontaneous dance and quite a bit of beer the events of the last week are exchanged.

Activities

Kissing … yes, kissing and eating Samosa are part of the panoramic snack:

In Jardin you start on the east side of the Carrera 6 Barrio. Following the path, you will reach the green hills bordering Jardin. At the waterfall Cascada del Amor lovers should kiss and according to the legend, if you do so you will stay together for a lifetime. If it’s that easy then this trip is definitively worth it. Continue over the Volcano River, after the bridge you have to follow the left path. At the next junction, you can make a short detour to the left to see another waterfall. Or you follow the winding path up the hill. Turn right again and you will soon reach a small snack bar on the hillside.

In high spirits and with a few empanadas you can enjoy the panoramic view over the village and the mountains. If you want to save the way you can reach the snack bar with the small gondola “Teleferico La Garrucha”. The starting point of the gondola is Calle 12 Gomez Angel in Jardín. Alternatively you continue the path down to the valley, which is quite muddy when there is bad weather.

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gondola to the panorama restaurant with view over Jardín

Cave Cueca del Esplendor: The waterfall which falls through a hole in the cave ceiling is best reached on the back of a horse. Inquire at your hotel for a guide with a horse. Anyone who sets out on foot should start early, as the path is muddy and difficult to walk.

When in Jardín you should visit one of the coffee farms in the surroundings. During your visit through the plantation you learn how to pick beans and process them into coffee.

Costumes and buzz on the Sunday Market: Many farmers live remote in the mountains. On Sunday everyone meets for a chat and to sell their goods. At the market you can negotiate with farmers in traditional costumes and get in touch with them over a beer and with loud music in the busy bars of Jardín.

One-day excursion to the wax palms in the Valle de Cocora

Where to eat

Cafe Europa: In this restaurant you can enjoy Italian flair in Colombia. The stone-baked pizzas and pastas are a lovely change to the Bandeja Paisa, the traditional Colombian dish with rice, meat, plantain, beans and avocado. Address: Cl. 8 # 4-02, Jardín, Tel + 57-312-2302842, open 16h – 22h.

Panorama snack: from Calle 12 Gomez Angel, an old gondola “Teleferico La garrucha” takes you to the small panorama restaurant with a view over Jardín and the mountains. Worth a visit, especially with good weather. (Coordinates 5.590697, -75.819848) As described in the activities around Jardín, the panorama snack is also a good way to end the hike „Cascada del Amor“ … see video.

Market square: around the market square, the colorful tables and chairs of the numerous cafes and small restaurants invite you to chill out in the afternoon.

Where to stay in Jardín

The Hotel Kantarrana Urbana Jardín is a small oasis centrally located in Jardín. The old colonial house has been beautifully remodeled and two rooms on the 1st floor offer a great view of the city and the mountains. A double room costs from 45 € per night for 2 persons including breakfast.

The house Casa Sol y Montaña is located in the middle of nature just outside Jardín. This lovingly furnished accommodation is ideal for nature lovers, families or if you just want to fall asleep with the chirping of crickets.

Boutique hotels in the heart of the colombian coffee region

Advice: from all accommodations you can explore the up to 60 meter high wax palms in the Valle de Cocora near Salento on a day trip.

• A stylish accommodation is the Sazagua Hotel. The spacious cozy rooms invite you to linger. The hotel has a pool and spa area and hammocks invite you to relax. The cost of a double room with breakfast starts at € 110.

• The Casa De Huespedes Castilla is a colonial house west of Pereira. The hotel is surrounded by a large garden and has a swimming pool. The cost of a double room with breakfast is 96 €

• The Hacienda Bambusa: Located in the green hills of El Cairo, south of Armenia, Hacienda Bambusa has a large garden and pool. Relax in the hammock after exploring the surroundings by bike, which is just one of the excursions offers by the hotel. The cost of a double room with breakfast and dinner starts at 290 €

Getting there and away

From Medellín: From the bus station Terminal del Sur in Medellín you can catch a bus to the center of Jardín. The ride will take 3-4h and cost around 22.000 COP per person.

Within Jardín you can get around with a TukTuk. As Jardín is a small town you can also easily explore the sights by foot.

To Armenia: The quickest way to get from Jardín to the city of Armenia is to first take a bus at the bus station in Jardín (at the southern end of Calle 9, coordinates 5.596888, -75.820437) to Felicia and than change the bus in Felicia to Armenia. (duration 3-4h)

To Salento: Get a bus in Jardín (bus station in Jardín at the southern end of the Calle 9 , Koordinaten 5.596888, -75.820437) to La Pintada (2,5-3h). In La Pintada you change bus direction Pereira (3h). In Pereira you can get another bus to Salento. Some of the buses continue after Pereira to Armenia. So you can stay on the bus and ask the driver to drop you of at the turnoff to Salento. Cross the street and hop on the local bus for the last few kilometers to the center of Salento.