Colombia Travel Guide
JARDIN
Colombia
Jardín is a picturesque colonial village surrounded by verdant mountains and coffee and banana fields. The town’s life centers around its main square, bordered by colorful houses and cafés and overlooked by a stunning cathedral. The vibe is laid-back and welcoming, with locals in cowboy attire, donning traditional hats, seated on bright chairs with cowhide backs.
We are on a quest across Colombia to discover the top local agencies to establish a trustworthy network of experts and gather unique, valuable insights for each destination. Our aim? To make you fall in love with Colombia effortlessly.
- In Colombia since 2015
- + 1000 verified experiences
- + de 100 experts met
- + 150 optimized itineraries
Editor
Updated on
KEY INFORMATION ABOUT JARDIN, COLOMBA
For making smart choices quickly and effortlessly.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
A peaceful town surrounded by stunning nature.
The earliest records of Jardín date back to the mid-19th century during the Spanish conquest.
The town likely got its name from its founders, enthralled by the lush jungle filled with colorful trees—white Yarums and yellow and pink Guayacans.
Its development is primarily driven by coffee cultivation.
Besides its colonial charm and the pleasure of enjoying the peaceful life of a small Antioquia town, Jardín is packed with hiking trails of different difficulty levels. It also has coffee farms, waterfalls for canyoning, and beautiful sites accessible by horseback.
The climate of Jardín is tropical.
Days are warm, and nights are never really cold. The temperature remains almost constant throughout the year (around 23°C during the day and 18°C at night).
It rains regularly. The sunniest months are from mid-December to mid-March and mid-June to mid-August.
Avoid going during the high season (lots of Colombian tourists).
For the best experience in Jardín, I advise staying for at least three nights. This will let you alternate between hikes and leisurely moments, absorbing the local atmosphere at your own pace.
© Tomplanmytrip
THINGS TO DO IN JARDIN
Jardín is a wonderful destination to enjoy the easygoing lifestyle of a colonial village in Colombia.
Wander through Jardín among its bustling, colorful streets, visit the artisan shops, walk around its main square bordered by white facades with painted woodwork, and sit on a bench under a Guayacan tree. Blend in with the locals by sitting at a café to savor a delicious tinto (coffee), nibble on a pastry, and watch the world go by.
For a lovely view of Jardín and its surroundings, take a tuk-tuk to Café de Jardín, where you can enjoy a tasty mora juice and grab a bite. Then, walk to the Christ statue and return to the village using the staircase (which can be muddy during the rainy season).
© Tomplanmytrip
jardin surroundings
Stunning mountainous landscapes to explore and a deep-rooted coffee culture.
Colombia is one of the world’s largest exporters of Arabica coffee, and Jardín’s economy mainly depends on its cultivation. A visit to a coffee finca is a must, in my opinion. You can even stay on a coffee farm.
If you simply want to savor the coffee, sit at a café terrace like Los Andes on the main square. You can watch your coffee being prepared using the method of your choice.
The mountains surrounding Jardín are filled with various difficult trails and stunning waterfalls.
From the La Herrera trail, a 20-minute walk to La Cascada del Amor, to discovering the Cueva del Esplendor, and the Las Siete Cascadas trek, a 7-hour loop through magnificent vegetation with numerous streams, there’s something for everyone, regardless of fitness level.
Horseback riding is a delightful way to experience the breathtaking landscapes around Jardín. You have various options depending on the time available and your riding abilities. My favorite ride is to Chorro Blanco.
For canyoning fans, La Escalera, a large waterfall split into 18 smaller ones, offers a fantastic playground.
Paragliding lovers can launch from the center near Andes.
Amateur and professional birdwatchers can observe the famous Andean Cock-of-the-rock at the Reserva Natural Jardín de Rocas just outside Jardín. Alternatively, you can take an organized tour with a local agency to visit the Reserva Orchideas, known for its golden hummingbirds, or the Reserva Loro Orejiamarillo to see the magnificent yellow-eared parrots.
© Tomplanmytrip
WHERE TO STAY IN JARDIN
My favorite hotels and coffee farms.
Staying in the village gives you the convenience of being close to cafés and restaurants, but you might have to get used to the familiar sounds of local life.
For accommodations, the harmonious Hotel Plantación, with its sustainable approach, is a lovely option, as is the elegant Hotel Passiflora, with its excellent restaurant. Hotel Dulce Campestre offers quiet double and family rooms for those on a budget. Another excellent choice is Hotel Plenitud.
Nature lovers will enjoy the tranquility and views of the green, mountainous landscapes, though dining in Jardín in the evening will be more complicated.
The delightful Casa Hotel Porton is an excellent choice for families on the village’s outskirts. If you’re looking for comfortable and budget-friendly accommodation, Jardín Consentido will surely please you. For those wanting a deeper connection with nature, the beautiful Gulupa Ecolodge offers both comfort and an idyllic setting.
Sleeping at a coffee finca is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in coffee culture and share the daily life of the owners.
Finca Margus, Finca Café Historias, and Finca Mariposa are excellent choices with delightful hosts.
© Tomplanmytrip
GOING OUT IN JARDIN
A couple of places to relax and have a drink.
For a lively and local atmosphere, go have a beer or a stronger drink at Maria Gitana Taberna, the church bar. Don’t hesitate to add a note on the walls, already covered with an astonishing amount of scribbled words left by customers over the years in this old house.
You can also sit at Bar Chiquito on the main square and sip a cheap beer while enjoying the daily sights or watching the regulars play cards.
Café Jardin is the ideal place to spend the afternoon. It serves delicious fruit juices and coffee. The view over the village is superb.
© Tomplanmytrip
EATING IN JARDIN
My favorite cafes and restaurants in Jardin.
Situated next to the basilica on the main square, the delightful Café Macanas is perfect for a delicious and hearty breakfast. You can choose from various typical dishes, both savory and sweet. I recommend sitting at one of the colorful tables on its paved patio, where the walls are adorned with pots of greenery and flowers.
Just a short walk from the main square, Bella Pizza offers the best pizzas in town, with an Italian chef. The ambiance is cozy in the long room with a black and white checkered floor, a large counter, and rustic wooden tables. The restaurant is open only in the evening and also serves delicious pasta.
Óleo Bistró, located in the boutique hotel Casa Passiflora, is the best restaurant in town. In a delightful and traditional ambiance, you can enjoy a great selection of delicious Colombian dishes with successful touches of contemporary cuisine, all complemented by good wines.
Jardin de Jardin is a vegetarian restaurant offering inventive and flavorful dishes. Sit in one of the small, colorful rooms filled with plants in this traditional house that opens onto a green patio. I recommend trying their surprising and creamy avocado dessert. I enjoyed the cozy ambiance on a rainy evening, playing one of the many games available while sipping a delicious hot chocolate.
If you’re heading to the La Escalera waterfall via the “Salada path”, stop for lunch at La Trucheria La Argelia, 20 minutes from Jardín. On the veranda overlooking the ponds and river, you can savor a delicious on-site farmed trout, served with a generous traditional accompaniment.
© Tomplanmytrip
HOW TO GET TO JARDIN
And getting around.
This is the easiest option. Several buses depart daily from the Terminal del Sur with the Rápido Ochoa company. The journey takes 4 hours.
A chiva bus departs twice a day from the village square, taking 2.5 hours to reach Andes. From there, you need to take a 30-minute taxi ride to get to Jardín.
You must arrive in Riosucio (3-4 hours) by late morning to catch the Chiva bus, which departs in the early afternoon for Jardín (4 hours).
Getting around Jardín on foot is very easy. You can also use a tuk-tuk, or you might take a jeep, depending on where your hike starts.
IS JARDIN SAFE?
It’s a peaceful little town where you can walk around safely.
© Tomplanmytrip
itineraries
How to include Jardin in your trip to Colombia.
Ideal for traveling from Antioquia to the coffee region. After 3 nights in Jardín, head to Salento to see the wax palms and hike in the Nevados.
© Tomplanmytrip
Visit Jardin
I always enjoy returning to this charming little town, which I’ve explored thoroughly during my various stays.
I think it’s an excellent choice for travelers who like to take their time while having a variety of activities to brighten their day.
Let’s first discover the best things to do in Jardín and its surroundings.
Things to do in Jardin, Colombia
Staying in Jardín offers a delightful way to discover the life of a colonial village in Antioquia, complemented by stunning sceneries.
Discover Jardin without rushing
Jardín is one of Colombia’s 17 heritage villages. It’s a wonderful place to live, and I love immersing myself in its relaxed atmosphere alongside the locals.
Wander through the streets with white houses, colorful woodwork, and flower-adorned balconies. As you pass by, look discreetly through the open windows to see lovely little patios brimming with plants.
Stop by Don Samuel’s shop, where he makes the famous Aguadeño hat the local men wear. My father couldn’t resist getting one.
Stroll around the main square, surrounded by the colorful tables and chairs of the cafés, overlooked by the majestic Basilica Menor of the Immaculate Conception, a beautiful and elegant neo-Gothic building.
ADRIEN’S TIP
Walk around the main square in the evening to get beautiful photos of the basilica illuminated.
Enjoy a good cup of coffee
Don’t leave without enjoying a coffee on the main square.
You can opt for the welcoming terrace of Café Macanas beside the basilica or Café Cuchillas. If you want to discover various coffee preparation methods, head to the first-floor terrace of Café Los Andes. I had a coffee prepared with a Chemex. Plus, you can easily watch the local life in the square.
Eat a good pastry
Got a small appetite? Head to Dulces de Jardín for a delightful pastry in a wonderfully photogenic setting with numerous hanging flower pots. Indulge in their homemade jams—they’re truly scrumptious.
TOM’S TIP
I was surprised by the variety of vegetarian restaurants. Here are a few places to try without moderation: Legado, Revolucion Bananera, Consulado Vegetal.
VIEW Jardin from above
Jardín is located in a valley, so there are stunning viewpoints not to be missed—especially with a good cup of coffee.
- Cristo Rey & Café Jardin: This is my favorite lookout. I like to take a tuk-tuk from the main square to Café Jardin (about 20 minutes). After a good coffee, I can walk to Cristo Rey (15 minutes). There’s a delicious restaurant there serving wood-fired steaks. From there, you can walk down through the sugar cane fields to La Argelia or take the stairs from the Cristo back to the village—be careful; this path can get muddy if it rains a lot.
- Mirador la Herrerita: I stumbled upon this little bar while walking above Jardín on my way to La Garrucha. It has a lovely terrace made of guaduas (bamboo), perfect for enjoying a beer or a coffee.
- La Garrucha: This is a cable car that crosses a quebrada (river) and reaches Jardín. It offers a great view of the village and the coffee and banana plantations. The cable car is closed at lunchtime.
Things to do around Jardin
The magnificent landscapes around Jardin will delight nature lovers.
VISIT A COFFEE FARM
Visiting a coffee finca is essential in Colombia, and Jardín’s climatic conditions make it ideal for this experience.
You can contact Finca Cafetera Los Angeles directly; the owners are delightful.
If you want to learn all about coffee cultivation and are tempted by a farm stay, Marta and Gustavo will host you at their lovely family finca and share their coffee passion. Additionally, Marta is an excellent cook.
At Finca Mariposa, I enjoyed the daily life with Dave and Maria, charming hosts who shared all the secrets of coffee in a stunning and comfortable environment.
Beautiful hikes
Encircled by beautiful greenery and hills, Jardín is an ideal destination for walking. You’ll easily find trails to match your fitness level.
THE EASY HIKES
This hike takes you on a scenic trail (La Herrera) from the village, leading to La Cascada del Amor and Charco Corazón. Afterward, you can continue to La Garrucha and then descend to Jardín—allow about 1 hour.
For an incredible view of Jardín, hike up to the Cristo Rey viewpoint. It takes about 1 hour on a steep, sometimes muddy path if you start from Calle 11 con Carrera 2, or 1.5 hours if you take the Salada trail to the left.
the famous Cueva del Esplandor
If you want a longer hike, I recommend visiting the Cueva del Esplendor, the most popular site in Jardín.
The more adventurous can hike there from the village (3 hours), but with so many great things to do here, I don’t think it’s worth it.
Personally, to fit in another activity in the afternoon, I chose to go through the official agency (here). This allowed me to take a jeep for the first part (50 minutes). After that, there was a 30-minute walk on an easy path to Finca Linda, where a hot agua panela breakfast with arepa and cheese awaited me.
Restored, I descended a narrow, sometimes steep, and slippery path to the waterfall (20 minutes).
The Cueva del Esplendor truly lives up to its name.
A powerful waterfall bursts through the rocky ceiling of a cave and spills into a deep pool surrounded by rocks. Naturally, I couldn’t resist taking a dip. I came out freezing but delighted—what wouldn’t I do for you?
ADRIEN’S TIP
It’s a very popular spot (especially on weekends), which can take away some of its magic. I recommend going with the first tour of the day
The great Las Siete Cascadas hike
This is my favorite hike, and I enjoy doing it after a hearty breakfast at Café Macanas.
After a 25-minute jeep ride, we took small trails through stunning Andean vegetation, crossing rivers and skirting canyons. Sometimes, I had to use pre-installed ropes, or José, our guide, would take one out of his bag. At lunchtime, we settled in a forest to devour a traditional meal José had brought, served on a banana leaf.
The circuit features 7 beautiful waterfalls, including El Salto del Angel, La Cueva de los Guacharos, and the astonishing Garganta del Diablo, where you can observe the strange hanging nests of the Mochileros—curious birds.
TOM’S TIP
Some steep and slippery sections require caution, especially during the rainy season. It’s best to be a good hiker to embark on this 7-hour adventure.
CANYONING
La Escalera and its 18 waterfalls are ideal for canyoning, especially if you want to try it out for the first time. The path along the waterfall to the top is very steep. But hey, good things come with sweat.
You can choose to descend two or five waterfalls. You’ll be well supervised, and all the necessary equipment will be provided.
ADRIEN’S TIP
For all these activities in nature, I went with the company Jardin de Aventura.
HORSEBACK RIDING
A horseback ride is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery around Jardín without getting too tired.
There are several interesting itineraries (2 to 5 hours), but I recommend the ride with William to Chorro Blanco for a real adventure. I loved it—my backside a bit less.
My faithful steed and I followed an old mule trail through lush vegetation to a farmhouse where a traditional meal served on a banana leaf awaited me. Refueled, I continued on foot, emerging behind the Chorro Blanco waterfall through a mysterious 20-meter tunnel dug into the rock and tree roots.
ADRIEN’S TIP
This 7-hour hike includes 3.5 hours on horseback. Best done if you’re comfortable riding.
where to stay in Jardin, Colombia
The full list of my favorite hotels in Jardin.
Hotel Plantación: sustainable approach
Hotel Plantación is a great example of a successful eco-friendly commitment. It uses materials chosen for natural temperature regulation, renewable energy, a vegetable garden, and a delicious vegetarian restaurant. The hotel is full of light, with soft colors and comfortable rooms that open onto a balcony or patio. A minimum two-night reservation is required. It is located in the village.
Hotel Passiflora: Elegance and comfort
Hotel Passiflora is a beautiful and pleasant colonial house in the center of Jardín, opening onto a lovely flowered patio and overlooking a small garden with a jacuzzi. The elegant rooms are very comfortable, and the restaurant is the best in town. It’s an ideal choice for a romantic stay.
Gulupa Ecolodge : a beautiful view
Located 50 minutes on foot or 15 minutes by tuk-tuk, Gulupa Ecolodge is a beautifully constructed brick and wood building, tastefully decorated and nestled in the stunning hills overlooking the town. With comfortable rooms, suspended nets in an idyllic setting, and a jacuzzi, it’s a peaceful and cozy retreat.
Jardin Consentido: economic and peaceful
Located 10 minutes on foot from town (by taking the Garrucha), the small hotel Jardín Consentido is a haven of peace. The hosts are delightful and serve a delicious breakfast you’ll enjoy in front of a beautiful landscape full of flowers and birds. Even the rooms are spacious and perfect. In short, you feel right at home at Camilo and Lina’s place.
How to get to jardin, colombia
Getting to Jardin is easy enough, although depending on where you’re coming from, you may have to be a little patient.
FROM Medellín TO Jardin
Take a bus to Jardin departing from the South Terminal in Medellin. It’s best to go with Rapido Ochoa buses as they are faster than Transportes Suroeste buses—though they are less frequent. The ride takes 4 hours. Check the schedules for both companies.
FROM Jerico to Jardin
Take the Chiva (traditional bus) to Andes. It departs from the corner of Carrera 4 and Calle 8 near the basilica. There are two departures per day (morning and early afternoon). The trip takes 2.5 hours.
From Andes, continue your journey by bus or taxi. You will reach Jardin in 30 minutes.
From Pereira to Jardin
Take a bus with Flota Occidental from the Pereira terminal to Riosucio. It’s best to leave around 8 AM. The trip lasts 3 hours.
From there, continue by Chiva to Jardin. The ride is somewhat uncomfortable but fun and unique. There are two departures daily (morning and early afternoon). The journey takes 4 hours.
From Salento to Jardin
Take the direct bus with Flota Occidental, which departs from Salento to Riosucio in the morning. The trip lasts 4 hours.
Then continue by Chiva to Jardin. There are two departures daily (morning and early afternoon). The journey takes 4 hours.
If you miss the Salento–Riosucio bus, you can take a bus to Pereira and then follow the route to Jardin as described above.
TOM’S TIP
If you take the Chiva, check the schedules with your hotel. And if it’s a Sunday, arrive at least 30 minutes early to secure a seat, as Colombians like to visit their families on that day.
Getting around Jardin
The village is small (8 carreras by 15 calles); you can explore everything on foot.
If you feel tired or want to explore the surroundings, you can take a tuk-tuk. They are stationed at the main square, and the rates are regulated.
Some trails are in poor condition, so the only solution is to take a jeep with three front seats and two benches in the back. Be aware—it can be a bumpy ride!
ADRIEN’S TIP
There isn’t an “official” bus terminal in Jardin. You’ll need to go here.
Our articles about Jardin
Traveler Reviews
Destinations near Jardin
Interactive Map!
Guatapé
Follow us on Instagram!
Tomplanmytrip helps travelers fall in love with Colombia for free. To thank us, please use our booking links (Booking, Viator, GetYourGuide) and our online forms to contact the experts we recommend. This helps us earn a small commission and continue this amazing adventure. Rest assured, there are no extra fees. You’ll pay the same price as if you were booking locally.
Tom & Adrien
Discover More About Colombia
To learn everything about Colombia, check out our page dedicated specifically to this country!