The Ultimate Guide of 22 Things to Do in Jardin Colombia

If you’re looking for the quintessentially Colombian pueblo, then you might just find it in Jardin.   Jardin – pronounced har-deen – is a well-kept – not quite discovered by mass tourism, town in Colombia’s Antioquia province.  Jardin is a small, but beautiful town.  You’ll find hostels and hotels with decent Wi-Fi, good local places to eat, or pizza if you desire.  You’ll find a central plaza lined with colorful buildings, and cafes and you’ll find rural Colombians getting on with their lives, almost as amused by you, as you’re intrigued by them. The scenery here is glorious.  There are rivers, streams, and mountains covered in trees, banana trees, and coffee plantations.   Jardin is just 135 kilometers from Medellin, less than 100 miles.   Yet it might as well be a million miles away.  Jardin is peace and tranquillity.  Jardin is old men serenading you as you walk along unpaved roads.  Jardin is watching the Paso Fino Horses in the Plaza del Libertador parade while drinking a cold beer.  It’s glorious and you should go. Now. Here’s a whole host of other reasons why you should go to Jardin and the best things to do there.

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The Best 22 Things to Do in Jardin Colombia

While I’m going to describe a lot of different things to do in Jardin, one of the best things to do in Jardin is simply just to be here.  There is a lot to be said just for absorbing the feel of a place, and of our 6 weeks in Colombia on this visit, Jardin was the essence of Colombia that I enjoyed the most.  It was peaceful.  The coffee was the best I tasted in Colombia.  It was a place to drink a cold quiet beer.  The bars on the edges of the Plaza del Libertador were full of western boot-wearing rowdy locals, tipping a courteous cowboy hat to say welcome.1

1. Visit a coffee farm – coffee fincas in Jardin

There are several excellent places to go and visit a Coffee Finca in Colombia.  One is Salento, where there are a bunch that you can visit – you can read about them here,  another is Jardin, where you can visit two seriously interesting coffee fincas.  You can take a Jardin Coffee Finca tour at

• Finca Los Angeles Jardin
• Finca Milena Jardin Coffee Tour

Finca de Los Angeles Coffee Tour Jardin

This is the best Jardin coffee tour to take if you speak reasonable Spanish.    If you understand the concept of coffee production, then your understanding of Spanish can be less rather than more.   If you want to brush up on your Spanish, then Jardin is an amazing place to take a Spanish lesson or two!

The coffee tour of the Finca de Los Angeles isn’t just about learning about coffee production, in fact, you’ll learn more about the life of the coffee farmer and producer than coffee production as a whole.  And that isn’t a bad thing.  Learn about the migrant population of Colombian coffee pickers who move around Colombia picking coffee – as all the coffee here is picked by hand. You can book a tour in Jardin here.

Learn how it takes just 12 days to get from bean to cup here.   And get here under your own steam too.

Tours of the Finca de Los Angeles cost around $25,000 COP – and you’ll need to book directly with the owner’s wife to confirm (pay cash when you arrive).  If you’d like to have lunch here as well, it’s 20,000 COP on top of the tour.  There is a tour at 10 am and one at 1300. Take a bus from the bus terminal at Carrera 6 and Calle 8, pay $3,000 or a taxi for $15,000 COP.  It’s best to contact via Facebook

Finca Milena Coffee Tour Jardin (also known as Finca Margus Coffee Tour)

This is more a hotel that’s also a coffee Finca.  They provide amazing coffee tours, great food and are located outside Jardin.  It’s just a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride from Jardin, (or a 45-minute walk) and you can organize your attendance by WhatsApping Martha on (+57) 311-398-1236.  Tours cost 50,000 COP per person.

2. Drink Coffee in Jardin

There are several great coffee places in Jardin, it stands to reason, it’s a coffee town in one of Colombia’s most important growing regions.   You’ll find many places to “enjoy” the locally preferred “Tinto” – which is the Colombian name for the heavily sweetened black coffee that you’ll see everywhere in flasks.

There are several great coffee shops in Jardin though that are worthy of a visit.

• Café Macanas on the main square by the church gets rave reviews and has a great garden in which to enjoy your java.
• Café de Los Andes also on the main square also is well recommended.
• El Artesano – on Carrera 3 between Calle 11 and 12 – this place does amazing coffee – choose your bean, then choose how you want it prepared – from French press to Chemex, to cold brew.

3. Eat Jardin Trout at a Trout Farm

While you can pick up trout at a restaurant in Jardin as part of the menu del dia, the best trout to be had is out at one of the trout farms.  In mountain regions in Colombia, you’ll soon come to recognize the trout as THE main dish item to eat.  A la Plancha is usually the healthiest way to eat it – on the grill.  But trout from a trout farm is the freshest. The closest trout farm to Jardin is the Estadero El Arka.   You can your own trout for lunch or simply pay someone else to.

4. Food Stalls in Plaza del Libertador Jardin Colombia

On an evening in the Plaza del Libertador, the food stalls are set up.  They’re great value for money, with a burger or hot dog being the favorites amongst the locals. You’ll also find empanadas, buñuelos, arepas and papas rellenas.   The burgers are awesome in a fast food but slow sort of a way.  The best food stall by far is the roasted potatoes stall.  These tiny little potatoes are just amazing.  They’ve been boiled and then roasted and a little oil or butter.

5. Take a Spanish Lesson in Jardin Antioquia

We spent 2 months in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala back in 2016 taking Spanish lessons with the amazing Catalina at Sol Latino.  5 hours a day, plus homework, plus ALL the additional trips they put on was a brutal schedule. But it was amazing.  I think we did it the wrong way.  Knowing what I know now.  I’d take lessons for a while – maybe 2-3 weeks, then I’d travel somewhere, do something and then take more lessons.

Sign up for Spanish lessons in Jardin here with Hablea

That’s what we did in Jardin.  There’s a drop-in session that you can take – like literally drop in.  For an hour if you want to.  Jardin is a fabulous place to take Spanish lessons.  You are unlikely to be surrounded by other English speakers, so the environment is great. The lessons are as informal or formal as you want them to be and the pueblo of Jardin is as cheap as chips to live in.  Plus little to no traffic pollution, and the noise levels are low < seriously if this doesn’t get you here, nothing will – this is Latin America and EVERYWHERE is loud!

6. Enjoy Plaza del Libertador, Jardin Antioquia

Jardin’s main square, named for Simón Bolivar, is surrounded on all sides by vividly painted two-story colonial buildings.  Cafes, bars and small stores line the edges, the stunning Basicilia of the Immaculate Conception sits at the top of the plaza.

There’s a fountain in the center, trees to provide shade and the vividly colored wooden seats of the cafes and cars spill into the center area.  At night there are food stalls, prancing Paso Fino horses, and a fantastic local vibe. This is a glorious town square – there’s an amazing one at Villa de Leyva too.

7. Explore the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

You cannot miss Jardin’s Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.  It’s located at the top of the main square, the Plaza el Libertador.  This is one of the few churches in Latin America that is as gloriously photogenic on the inside as it is on the outside.

It was first built in 1872, although construction of the current church didn’t start until 1940.  It is almost entirely from locally quarried stone – as a penance for sins, parishioners brought hand-carved stones from a local quarry – their penance was apparently that they have to bring the weight of their sins in stones.

8. Watch the Paso Fino Horses in Jardin’s main Square

The Paso Fino horse is unique to South America and is a purebred recognized for its rapid trotting gait.    There is no greater treat in Jardin than to see these gorgeous creatures being put through their paces – you’ll hear them before you see them – on the square or the streets around.

9. See the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock at the Reserva Natural de Rocas

You don’t have to be a hardcore birdwatcher to head to Jardin, nor do you have to get up before sunrise to see stunning birdlife.  You can walk to the Reserva Natural de Rocas in five minutes from the center of Jardin.

Here are the famous Gallito de Roca Jardin Antioquia.

It’s here in Jardin that you can see one of the world’s most unique birds.  Dusk is the best time to see them as they gather in this small reserve.  Here you’ll see around 50 of the Gallitos de Rocas – the Andean Cock of the Rock.

Entry to the reserve costs 10,000 COP and the best time to go is the afternoon opening time of 1630-1800.  There were just 6 other visitors when we visited.  The owner speaks Spanish only, but you can wander around on your own, the reserve is small, but the birds are very obvious.  No flash on your camera, but definitely head to this place, it’s a unique opportunity.

10. Rent Bicycles in Jardin

Rent a bicycle in Jardin to see a little more of the countryside a little more quickly.  There’s a bike rental shop in Jardin close to Plaza del Libertador, or you can check them out on Facebook – or simply ask at your hotel or hostel.

11. Visit the Cueva del Esplendor, Jardin

The Cueva Del Esplendor is unique and can be visited as a hike or a horse ride from Jardin.  It takes around 3 hours to hike here.  If you’re planning to do this, we recommend a set of hiking poles, for getting back down, if nothing else.

This cave has a hole in the roof, where the famous Jardin waterfall cascades in from.  It’s possible to swim in the resulting pool.  Organize a trip with your hostel or hotel or book one here.

12. Take a Horse Ride or Horse Trek in Jardin

You can combine a horde ride with a visit to the Cueva del Esplendor – taking a horse trek to the cave will cost around $45,000 COP per person although this does include lunch.  If you just want to take a trot around the town, then a 10-minute ride will cost around $5,000 COP. You can reserve a horse riding trip in Jardin here.

13. Have a beer or aguardiente in Jardin

I don’t think I’ve been to a town in South America that has more bars and cafes than Jardin.  They’re quaint, original, and lovely.  They’re a fabulous place to people watch, whether your drink is coffee, beer, or aguardiente.  Check out the bars at the corners of the Plaza del Libertador and hang out in the window seats for the best overview of Jardin’s life.

14. Enjoy local food in Jardin

Many of the blogs about Jardin that you will read explain the international cuisine available in Jardin.  And that’s true.  If you want pizza, pasta, and brownies there are cafes here where you can get them.  And they get rave reviews from other travelers.  If that’s your penchant, then you’ll want to head to

• Cafe Europa: Cosy with a focus on Italian favorites like pizza and pasta.
• Bon Appetit: Everything from curries to pasta to noodles.
• Las Brazzas: a meat-focused restaurant, which also provides sides that include salads and rice, plus excellent dipping sauces.
• Café de Los Andes – great for Sunday brunch with fabulous ham, eggs, and croissants.

However, we recommend that for a little more local flavor and a lot more food for your peso, go to Calle 9 between Carrera 5 and 6 for two great value local spots.  You can fill up on a menu del dia for very little money.  If the main meal in the middle of the day isn’t your thing (it’s rarely ours), then ask for it “Para Compartir” – to share.  And you’ll get the same menu del dia (meal of the day) for the same price, but with two drinks, two plates, and two sets of cutlery for the same price.  We find it more than enough for lunch!

15. Eat Avocados in Jardin

You can’t fail to miss the fruit stalls in the Plaza del Libertador – if you’re here at the right time of year for avocados then you MUST try them.  Locally grown and just so, so creamy, they’re enormous and a meal in themselves.

16. If you have a sweet tooth visit Dulces de Jardin

Dulces de Jardin was founded by Mariela Arango in 1995 and is located on Calle 13 between Carrera 5 and 6.  You’ll find all manner of homemade sweet stuff here – jams, jellies, candies, biscuits, although it’s the arequipe that is the main attraction.  A sauce made of natural flavorings and condensed milk it often has additional flavorings added.  Prepare for a sugar coma.

17. Take a great short circular walk in Jardin

We mapped out this circular walk to take in a number of attractions and what to do in Jardin, Colombia, so we’ll take them in order.  This route as described is just around 4 kilometres from the Plaza del Libertador.  First walk to the corner of Carrera 9 and Calle and 11, where you’ll find a signpost and a narrow cobbled path.  This circular walk will take in waterfalls, the bat cave, fabulous coffee and banana plantations, (where you may be lucky enough to be serenaded by local musicians like we were), and then you can return to town on the Garrucha – cable car if you dare!

If you decide not to take the Garrucha, then continuing on to walk and return to the Plaza del Libertador will make the walk a total of around 5.3km.

Start at the fabulous Plaza del Libertador and walk up past the Dulces de Jardin to the corner of Calle 13 and Carrera 8.  Take the signposted route to the waterfall.

18. Walk to Cascada del Amor waterfall

It’s just about 1.5 kilometers from the Plaza del Libertador that you’ll find the Cascada del Amor waterfall.  The walking is easy, slightly uphill, but on a quiet unpaved road after the cobbled path ends.

19. Visit Jardin’s Bat Tunnel – tunel de murcielagos in Jardin

As you hike up the road from the Cascada del Amor waterfall, you’ll spot, on the left a great pool to cool down in (and it’s freezing!), on the right, there’s a gate with a sign on it.  Hang around here and meet Nicole, who will take you for a tour of Jardin’s Tunel de Murcielagos.

This is also known as Jardin’s Rock Garden Tunnel and you’ll see it on Google Maps as Charco Corazon.  The tunnel was built completely by hand by Rubén Darío Rendón Díaz, his brother-in-law Don Mario, and Nelson Darío Naranjo Acevedo, between 2008 and 2011 in their spare time.  The reason?  To create a tourist attraction originally.   The tunnel measures 160 meters long and is 2.5 meters wide.  The tunnel is not cramped and it’s easy to walk through, although you should take a red-lighted torch for easier walking.

There are thousands of bats that now live in there, there are vampire bats, hone creepers and porcupine bats too.

The owners plan to open a wine bar here in the future, at this time the price for a tour of the tunnel and an explanation of the bats (in Spanish) is $5,000 COP per person.

20. Explore the Coffee and Banana Plantations of Jardin

While there are organized tours of the Jardin coffee plantations here if you continue up the road from the Bat Tunnel and take the right when the road forks, you’ll be in the midst of Cofee and Banana plantations.  While these are private property, walking down the road in their midst is peaceful and an easy walk.

21. Take a Drink Stop in the Plantations

There’s a small covered area on the right-hand side as you wander along – grab yourself a cold beer, or a michelada, or perhaps a coffee, and enjoy the peace of the countryside.  Or, if you’re lucky you’ll end up being serenaded by some of the locals.

22. Take the Jardin Garrucha – Cable Cars in Jardin

While there are reports of two cable cars in Jardin – an old one and a newer one.   The newer one apparently still out of service for maintenance, however, it’s the old one, the Garrucha, that you want to head to.  The Jardin Garrucha cable car is operated by a mechanical pulley system and the cars themselves resemble a brightly painted garden shed.

The Garrucha was originally used for those workers living in the hills to get easier access to town, and you’ll likely share your ride with locals.  It’s perfectly located to take a walk up through the banana and coffee plantations and then return to Jardin by the Garrucha – after of course sampling the fares at the café at the top of the Garrucha while enjoying the views and waiting for the next available car.

If you just want to ride La Garrucha, it’s at the corner of Carrera 9a and Calle 12.  A return trip is $8,000 COP, with a single trip costing $4,000 COP.

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How to Get to Jardin

You are likely to arrive in Jardin from Salento or travel from Medellin to Jardin.  Both trips are easy bus trips if a little arduous.  We’ve covered these two primary bus routes to Jardin below, with information valid in December 2018.  We’ve detailed the bus times to Jardin and how to book your bus ticket to Jardin too as well as how long it takes to get to Jardin from Medellin and from Salento.  The bus journeys don’t change often, but at least one of the bus routes was new in December 2018!

How to Get to Jardin from Medellin

The bus journey time from Medellin to Jardin is 3.5 – 4 hours and all buses depart from Medellin’s Southern Bus Terminal.  The drop-off in Jardin is outside the bus company offices in Jardin.  Both companies that run this service have offices close to Jardin’s main square, the Plaza del Libertador. I wrote about how to get to Jardin from Medellin here.

To get to Jardin from Medellin you need to take a bus from the Terminal del Sur.  This is close (about a 25-minute walk) or a short (5 minutes/COP6000) taxi ride from the Poblado metro station.

There are two bus companies that travel from Medellin to Jardin. You can buy tickets online here or simply go to the bus station and buy your tickets from there.

Rapido Ochoa Jardin runs buses to Jardin from Medellin throughout the day, there are 6 each day.  Seats are allocated when you buy your ticket, so check to see what seat you’ll get before booking the time.  Tickets for the Medellin to Jardin bus cost $27,000 COP.  The first bus to Jardin from Medellin is at 04:45 and the last bus is at 18:45. Book this Medellin to Jardin bus online now.

A second company Transporte Suroeste Antioqueño also runs buses 6 times a day, but it’s not possible to book these online.

How to Get to Jardin from Salento

Getting to Jardin from Salento is infinitely easier now and has been since 2019 – instead of being an entire (and very long) day of at least 3 buses, there is now a route that takes 2 buses with a leisurely connection in Rio Sucio.  Read our guide on how to get from Jardin to Salento and vice versa.

Where is Jardin

Jardin is 135 km (83 miles) to the southwest of Medellin.  While not far away, most of the route is along winding mountain roads with lovely views (so long as the weather is not set in).    Jardin is in the Antioquia department.

Jardin Colombia Map

Jardin Town Map

Where to Stay in Jardin

There are a host of places to stay in Jardin – here’s our pick of the luxury places to stay in Jardin, mid-range places to stay in Jardin, and budget accommodations in Jardin. There are a good variety of places to stay in Jardin, although this is a weekend hotspot for Medellin residents, so you’ll want to book in advance if you’re planning a weekend or holiday trip.

Casa Passiflora Hotel Boutique, Jardin: The Casa Passiflora Hotel Boutique is located within Jardin’s historical district, just a few steps away from the Menor de la Inmaculada Concepcion Cathedral. The rooms at Casa Passiflora have a cable flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, a seating area, a private bathroom with a shower, and a safety deposit box. The hotel also offers a la carte breakfast daily and free WiFi access throughout the property. The Casa Passiflora also boasts an outdoor pool and a hot tub for spa services. This top hotel is a perfect place to stay when traveling to Jardin. Check out more reviews and room availability here.

40 Amigos Hotel, Jardin: The 40 Amigos Hotel is located on the outskirts of Jardin, ideal for those who prefer a quieter stay. The four-star hotel includes free WiFi throughout the property, a cable flat-screen TV, and a spacious private bathroom with a shower and hairdryer. The 40 Amigos Hotel also has a sun terrace along with a snack bar, and board games for entertainment. The 40 Amigos Hotel is the perfect place to stay when visiting Jardin, with its sunny atmosphere and friendly staff. See room rates and availability here.

Hostal Naty Luna We had a private room with a private bathroom at the very convivial Hostal Naty Luna.  The room was internal, so there was no road noise and the hostal was quiet.  Breakfast is included and there are shared rooms also available.  The location, not far from the Plaza is superb.  The internet is good here and Juan is a great host and extremely friendly. Check availability and book now!

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• Book Buses in Colombia with Bookaway
• Book accommodation in Colombia with Booking.com

Where to Go After Jardin

Try visiting Medellin after visiting Jardin – you can check out our recommendations on what to do in Medellin here!.  If you’ve arrived in Jardin from Medellin why not head to Salento in the middle of the coffee triangle?  In both places, you’ll miss the tranquil, local feel of Jardin, but experience some great Colombian hospitality.

Here’s our guide on how to get from Jardin to Salento and when you get there what you should do in Salento.

Final Words on the 22 Best Things to Do in Jardin

Jardin is a picturesque pueblo in the hills of Colombia’s state of Antioquia.  She is unspoiled and still only receives a handful of visitors.  You’ll find it busier with Colombian visitors at weekends and holidays so you will need to book Jardin accommodation ahead if you’re arriving at those times.   Set in a stunning location with friendly folks who will call out a “Buenas” to you as you walk past, no matter the time of day, who’ll welcome you to their town, we have just one regret about Jardin.  And that’s that we didn’t stay longer.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our guide to things to do in Jardin Antioquia.  Many of the Jardin things to do are related to the people here and we hope that you love them as much as we did.

We arrived in Jardin from Medellin (and here’s how to do that journey), and then left for Salento – and there are details of how to do that here)

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