Paisas, people who live in the Antioquia area of Colombia, are known for their pride. The paisas who live in the picture perfect coffee country town of Jardin take things to a whole new level.
Traditional architecture thrives in Jardin, and not just around the town’s main plaza.
Taking pride in Jardin, Colombia
In order to become part of Colombia’s elite group of Pueblos Patrimonio a town must have preserved colonial architecture and living traditional culture. The quaint, quiet, colonial town of Jardin (simply called Jardin) has all of that plus a sense of pride that even casual visitors can feel.
Traditional white-washed colonial buildings are maintained proudly, their vibrant trim gleaming. The streets are clean. The locals, called Jardineros, are friendly with a charming unconscious habit of ending every statement with a rhetorical “¿Si o no?”.
Chivas, elaborately decorated buses, are an Antioquia tradition.
It’s pleasingly chilly in Jardin and many people bundle up in traditional ponchos. You’re likely to see someone’s fancy prancing horse “parked” at the main plaza while its owner dismounts for a coffee and a bit of showing off. There’s so little motorized traffic in Jardin that we quickly stopped looking both ways before crossing the street. All in all, the place looks and feels largely unchanged for the past 150 years because it is largely unchanged.
Locals and visitors take full advantage of the picturesque main plaza in Jardin.
What to do in Jardin, Colombia
We got our first taste of Jardin pride from Roberto who stayed late at the Casa Cultura in order to show us around. As we wandered past antiques, museum-quality pottery, a modern art installation, and more Roberto explained Jardin’s proud past as an agricultural area producing coffee, plantains, sugarcane, and beans. Those crops still exist, however, today Jardin is absolutely a tourist town but it hasn’t sold its soul.
Visiting Cascada de Cueva del Esplendador is a popular day trip from Jardin.
In addition to the Casa Cultural, there are plenty of outdoorsy things to do in Jardin including visiting one of the nearby trout farms for a bit of fishing (albeit in a modern-day barrel). Too tame for you? There’s also paintball, paragliding, rappelling, and a zip line. You can also take a jeep (30 minutes), horse (1 hour), and hike (30 minutes) to reach Cascada de Cueava del Esplendador where a waterfall tumbles into a cave (around 45,000 COP or about US$15 per person including a big homemade lunch).
Cascada de Cueva del Esplendador.
You’ll notice two illuminated crosses on hillsides facing each other above Jardin. A cable car, built to make it easier for people living in mountain villages to travel to and from town, goes up to each cross and it’s a popular trip at sunset. There are also some surprisingly chic clothing and accessories shops in Jardin if shopping is your thing.
Jardin, nestled in the Colombian Andes.
In a town as well-kept and well-loved as Jardin, our favorite activity was simply hanging out in the town’s main square listening to church bells at the Basilica de la Immaculada Concepcion (Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) or the occasional music school group practicing al fresco. There are plenty of places to sit in the leafy La Libertad Plaza, which was declared a national monument in 1985, or claim a traditional wooden chair with a rawhide seat and back hand painted with scenes of country life at one of the many coffee shops and bars that surround the plaza.
Chairs with hand painted leather panels are a Jardin tradition.
Hotels in Jardin, Colombia
Jardin has more than its share of hotels. We checked out many of the economical hotels before choosing to stay at Hotel La Casona located just a half block from the main square. The economical hotel options in Jardin are all fairly similar, but we were sold by the cleanliness and peacefulness of the La Casona (around 20,000 COP or about US$6.50 per person in a private room with private bathroom including breakfast).
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Hotel Jardin.
The most polished place to stay in Jardin is the Hotel Jardin. Located on the main plaza, the building has been meticulously restored even by Jardin standards. Its 11 rooms are atmospheric, spotless, and elegant (around 40,000 COP or about US$13 per person for private rooms with private bathrooms including breakfast). This hotel also has the best mattresses in town.
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Jardin travel tip
Jardin gets packed and prices go up on weekends, so try to visit during the week. Also, we found the hardest mattresses in all of Colombia in Jardin. Test the bed before you commit to a room.
Here’s more about travel in Colombia
What an amazing place! Gems like this are a big reason why Colombia is one of my favorite countries in the world.