This is a great wee old hot colonial town. It use to be a three hour ride from Medellin to this place, so still
say the guidebooks. However with the ending of construction of the longest tunnel in the country connecting
this town with Medellin the trip is now only about an hour and a quater. You can go for the day or if you
want spend a night there. There are plenty of accommodation options. During the week this place will be
pretty quiet but on weekends the town fills up with holidaying paisas from Medellin.
say the guidebooks. However with the ending of construction of the longest tunnel in the country connecting
this town with Medellin the trip is now only about an hour and a quater. You can go for the day or if you
want spend a night there. There are plenty of accommodation options. During the week this place will be
pretty quiet but on weekends the town fills up with holidaying paisas from Medellin.
Where to Stay
Hotel Plaza Mayor
Price per person 15,000 with bathroom, 12.000 w/out bathroom (monday-friday nights)
20,000 with bathroom, 15.000 w/out bathroom (saturday-sunday nights)
breakfast-4000pesos
lunch-6000pesos
Hotel Plaza Mayor
Price per person 15,000 with bathroom, 12.000 w/out bathroom (monday-friday nights)
20,000 with bathroom, 15.000 w/out bathroom (saturday-sunday nights)
breakfast-4000pesos
lunch-6000pesos
Hotel Mariscal Robledo
The flashest place in town is a bit more expensive than the rest but well worth it in my view. The Mariscal Robledo is
several decades old and has a nice history. It has been recently refurbished. Rooms are not cheap though (cheaper
during the week) and are around US$50 or $60 a person I believe. When I first went six years ago I paid only $6.
Thats inflation for you. The hotel faces Parque Chinca which is nice. You can also just pay 35.000 pesos and use the
swimming pool for the day. This price includes a free lunch.
The flashest place in town is a bit more expensive than the rest but well worth it in my view. The Mariscal Robledo is
several decades old and has a nice history. It has been recently refurbished. Rooms are not cheap though (cheaper
during the week) and are around US$50 or $60 a person I believe. When I first went six years ago I paid only $6.
Thats inflation for you. The hotel faces Parque Chinca which is nice. You can also just pay 35.000 pesos and use the
swimming pool for the day. This price includes a free lunch.
| Santa Fe de Antioquia |
Getting there and away
There are two ways to get to Santa Fe de Antioquia. Both leave from the Northern transport terminal. You can take a collectivo taxi which costs
13.000 pesos per person and takes about 75 minutes to reach the town or you can catch the bus which should set you back about 8.000 pesos
and lasts under two hours. From Santa Fe de Antioquia its a further seven hours or so to the Pacific city of Turbo. Frequent buses. Highly
recommended that one take the day bus. Now and then there the guerrilla stop buses on this road and kill or kidnap the odd person. Just keep
that in mind. Though hundreds of backpackers are doing the route and have yet to have any troubles.
There are two ways to get to Santa Fe de Antioquia. Both leave from the Northern transport terminal. You can take a collectivo taxi which costs
13.000 pesos per person and takes about 75 minutes to reach the town or you can catch the bus which should set you back about 8.000 pesos
and lasts under two hours. From Santa Fe de Antioquia its a further seven hours or so to the Pacific city of Turbo. Frequent buses. Highly
recommended that one take the day bus. Now and then there the guerrilla stop buses on this road and kill or kidnap the odd person. Just keep
that in mind. Though hundreds of backpackers are doing the route and have yet to have any troubles.
A nice trip from Santa Fe de Antioquia leaves from the main plaza and involves catching a moto-taxi
(see picture to the right) to the Puente del Occidente. This suspension bridge is one of the three
oldest in the Americas and was designed by the same guy who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New
York. The moto taxi driver will tak up to two people, costing 10.000 pesos or so, to the bridge, its
only ten minutes away. He will wait for you there and give you the chance to walk around and cross
the bridge and then take you back to town.
(see picture to the right) to the Puente del Occidente. This suspension bridge is one of the three
oldest in the Americas and was designed by the same guy who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New
York. The moto taxi driver will tak up to two people, costing 10.000 pesos or so, to the bridge, its
only ten minutes away. He will wait for you there and give you the chance to walk around and cross
the bridge and then take you back to town.
The streets around the large old plaza are cobblestoned and well
worth a few hours stroll. Stop in an ice-cream shop and buy a palito
de coco because its damn hot there during the day. At night
especially on the weekend the local discos will be humming to the
beat of vallenato music and perhaps some regaton.
worth a few hours stroll. Stop in an ice-cream shop and buy a palito
de coco because its damn hot there during the day. At night
especially on the weekend the local discos will be humming to the
beat of vallenato music and perhaps some regaton.
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