One of the nicest towns anywhere, Jardin, Colombia has charming squares, friendly people, and loads of attractions. We spent a few days enjoying the laid-back vibe and excellent outdoor activities and fell in love with the place! This post features our top things to do in Jardin.
About Jardin, Colombia
Legend has it that the town of Jardín got its name from the first settlers who spotted the valley which was beautiful jungle and called it “garden.” Unlike many towns in the Antioquian region, Jardin retains much of its architecture and landscape of 140 years ago. As a result, the colonial architecture predominates, attractive to the eye.
Getting There
A quick trip from Medellin, Jardin is surrounded by rivers and is still known for its lush green landscapes. We rented a car in Medellin and drove the 2+ hours south from the city. A lot of visitors take the inexpensive buses which run every hour each way direct. It’s a relatively easy trip, and once you’re there, all the top sights are in walking distance. Unlike Villa de Leyva, another of our favorite Colombian towns, we didn’t need or use the car for the top things to do in Jardin.
Jardin is a popular weekend getaway from Medellin, but not a good halfway point to the coffee district. If driving from Jardin to the coffee district, google maps recommends turning back almost all the way to Medellin before heading to the Zona Cafeteria. We found out, the hard way, it was because the road is winding, hilly, and not well paved. Even though it is a shorter distance, it is not faster.
Top Things to Do in Jardin
TOWN plaza
While in Jardin, you’ll naturally be drawn to the main square, which is dominated by a picturesque cathedral. The center of the square is filled with gardens intermixed with seating, food and craft vendors, and is always full of people. On the edges of the square are restaurants, coffee shops, and bars to while away some time. The main plaza, El Libertador, is a National Monument of Colombia.
We found a few great places to people and horse watch in Jardin’s square! That’s right, one of the best things to do in Jardin is watch the horseback riders perform on the cobblestone square. We saw men, women, and children riding around the square high-stepping their horses. It was great entertainment and the riders were having fun too.
Mountain hike
If you like to hike, definitely hike up the mountain in Jardin. At the top, there’s a restaurant with a Christ statue, a coffee shop with a Jardin sign, and some pretty spectacular views of the town and surrounding countryside.
The views are stunning, the coffee at the coffee shop is delicious and local, and trout farms for lunch are close by.
If you don’t like to hike, taxis and moto taxis are ready to take you up from town. We were passed by a lot of them!
Trout Farms
One of the best meals we had in Colombia was at a trout farm in Jardin, and we dined out a lot in Cartagena! After hiking up the hill, we stopped at one of the local trout farms outside of town. A popular Sunday lunch spot, it’s also a cool sightseeing experience. Set alongside a river, the farm we visited had several pools for the trout. You can walk around and look into the pools before or after your meal. We each had trout in a different style, mine with almonds. Each plate came with rice and salad for approximately $8USD. We loved that great meal post-climb, it was fresh and delicious.
You do not need to hike to access the top of the mountain or any of these locations. We saw plenty of people in their own cars and lots of taxis taking folks up and downhill to the restaurants, farms, coffee shops, and viewpoints. Everyone can visit!
Bird Sanctuary: Gallito De Roca
Another must-do in Jardin is a visit to the bird sanctuary, where the brightly colored cock-of-the-rocks roost each afternoon.
The Friendly People
We loved our time in Jardin. It’s a nice town with lots to do and nice people. In one of our favorite bars on the square, we met a friendly musician from the region who now lives in NYC. Everyone in the bar was cheering for Colombia in the futbol, drinking Aguardiente, and we joined in on the fun.
If you get to Colombia, I hope you can visit Jardin. We spent 2 nights there and felt like that was the perfect amount of time to do everything we wanted. We loved every minute!
Share this:
Jardin looks like a beautiful place to visit. I hadn’t heard of it before so thanks for sharing!
Mel, will definitely be saving this. We are thinking of traveling to Colombia in April, and already know that Medellin is on our list. I love that there is public transport to the town as that would be our preferred way to travel.
It looks beautiful! I especially like that the top attractions are within walking distance. I hate driving in unfamiliar places.
This looks beautiful and away from the hustle of the big cities. The hiking and the views sound spectacular. I am a big fan of bird sanctuaries and I have found those in South America are second to none.
I love these little towns where you can really get into the rhythm of life. That trout dinner sounded sublime.
I had never heard of this area before! Everything looks so lush and green and beautiful. I’d love to visit one day! Thanks for sharing. Xx Sara
Love getting outside the Main Cities and really experiencing a place like a local, taking in the Horses at the square, that Trout farm for a lunch and all of it!
What an awesome write-up! I was in Medellin a few years ago and wish I had known about this amazing gem. Will just have to go back one day ????
Looks fabulous Mel! I mean, I guess I would expect anywhere called Jardín to be lush and green, and this did not disappoint! I love the look of the hike to coffee with views and wowza at the birds in the sanctuary. This looks well worth the windy drive.
Jardin is gorgeous! We’ve been wanting to go to Central America for a while now for the rainforests? Seeing your picture of the colorful birds just had us adding this region to the bucket list!!
Shelbs, if you have the chance to go to Colombia, take it. The variety of sights is endless and it is so affordable!
Jardin looks like an amazing place to travel to. I have only been to Colombia one time, but would love to go back with the kids.
Marianne, I bet if you take your kids to Jardin they’ll hop on the horses! It would be a great place for them – the trout farms and the bird sanctuary, now I want you to go!