Jardín is a coffee town in the green mountains of southwest of Antioquia. It wasn't mentioned until very recently in many tourist guidebooks, therefore it's still relatively "undiscovered". Many Colombians have known about it for a long time and we've seen more and more foreigners each time we visit.
Jardín, founded in 1864, is considered by many to be the most beautiful and best preserved town in Antioquia. Usually most town plazas have the best preserved and most colorful colonial buildings in the entire town. Once you've seen the plaza, you've pretty much seen the town. That's definitely not the case with Jardín. Its proud residents have made sure that just about every building in town is kept up to date without losing their cultural heritage.
The church is considered among the most beautiful in the country. It has a brick exterior and interior with gold leaf trim. Many brightly colored colonial buildings with balconies line the streets around the plaza.
The Museo Clara Rojas is worth a quick visit. It's an original colonial house that was built by the daughter of one of the founders of the town. Admission is free with an optional donation. An enthusiastic guide will take you through the rooms and explain the history of the town in about a half hour. Some of the rooms have period furniture and original artifacts. Another room has a huge mural of important people in the town's history.
On one side of town is a cable car at La Garrucha, which is a deep ravine. This cable car, which used to transport coffee and plantains, now lifts people to a high viewpoint that has a café. It's a very romantic setting with incredible views of the town and surrounding countryside. The café serves empanadas and drinks, sometimes until after midnight. The cable car runs until the café closes for the night.
Another cable car is at the other end of town and takes visitors to a statue of Christ and a different viewpoint.
For visitors with more time to spend, there are several opportunities to visit the natural areas around Jardín, including ecological tours and trails, nature preserves, waterfalls, ravines, caves, and traditional fincas. Just like the rest of the region, the scenery is spectacular.
Visit Jardín with Paisadventure on our Paisadventure, Colombia Essentials, and Complete Colombia tours, or add it to any customized tour.