After visiting Medellín’s Comuna 13 in the morning, it was time to venture out of the city in the afternoon. I completely love being surrounded by historical architecture, so Santa Fé de Antioquia was high on my list and it has not disappointed!
Santa Fé de Antioquia is a very charming old looking town. The reason for its historical look is that the regional government used to be based there, until it moved to Medellín in 1826 and since that time nothing seems to have changed.
As we’d rented a car from the airport we had an easy time getting there. I haven’t really kept track of the time but it must have taken less than 2 hours to drive from Medellín to Santa Fé de Antioquia. It was an enjoyable ride and the landscape was a pleasure to look at.
Upon arrival, we were in for a bit of a shock; it was so hot! Medellín has a very mild and spring like climate because it lies on a higher altitude. And it had only been a day or two since we had stepped on the plane from freezing London! Overwhelmed by the heat, we decided to have some food first. We went to Porton Del Parque, a charming restaurant in the centre of the town. The food was OK, standard Colombian fare. On the other hand, the interior of the restaurant was a lot more special and for that reason I would visit again. Lovely traditional furniture, lots of portraits on the wall and even a cute looking courtyard with a fountain and lots of plants.
After our late lunch, it was time to start exploring the town. We just wandered around, the centre of the town is very small so you can easily just walk and see where you end up. There are some lovely squares with greenery, beautiful churches and generally the town is full of charming little streets. It’s a great place to get lost and easily find your way out again ?
When we were walking around, we even came across a wedding party! I loved seeing the people celebrating on the streets, the women wearing colourful dresses. I felt very happy to be able to experience this special moment. I didn’t want to take too many pictures because I thought that might be disrespectful of their privacy, but I took this one with the church where the wedding took place.
The town has one larger square with another church and also a market, where they sell touristy things and more. We didn’t buy anything, because with Christmas just around the corner we had do save space in our suitcases!
When it was slowly starting to get dark, it was time for us to return to Medellín. We’d had a great time, and I would definitely recommend a visit to Santa Fé de Antioquia if you stay in or around Medellín.
Do you love to visit places where time has stood still? Put Santa Fé de Antioquia on your list, you won’t regret it! ?
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I love all the colorful photos! We’ll have to add this to our list!
Wow looks like such a gorgeous city. I have been to Cartagena in Colombia before and it was also amazing.I will have to go back and do some more exploring 🙂
Santa Fé de Antioquia looks gorgeous <3 It transported me to another era. If I were to ever visit it, I'm sure I'd lose track of time just walking the streets.
Holy cow, your photos are absolutely stunning! This was a great read, there’s nothing I love more than walking down cobblestone streets, thanks for sharing!