Wanna Get Away? Santa Fe De Antioquia Colombia

It seems Colombia has hundreds of holidays so this particular holiday I was looking to get out of the city of Medellin and do some exploring.  I decided on checking out Santa Fe De Antioquia .  Santa Fe De Antioquia is a municipality located in northeastern Colombia, about one hour from Medellin.  The temperature there is usually between 75 – 90 degrees, which is very alluring to tourist, both foreign and Colombian.

To get there, you can take a public bus from the north terminal in Medellin which costs 10,000 Colombian Pesos per person, or about $3.50 USD.  During the week, the trip can take less time than the weekend or holidays.  It took me close to an hour to arrive from Medellin.  You can also take private transportation like cars or motorcycles.  I took the public bus and was lucky enough to seat in the front seat that offered spectacular views of the mountains and trees.

If you are looking to stay the night, there are plenty of very nice hotels, or hostels if that’s your preference.  You can find plenty on the main road or around the main park in the city center.   Room rates start from 70,000 Colombian Pesos a night, or about $25.00 USD, depending on the type of hotel you are looking for.  Some hotels also offer “green spaces” to relax and swimming pools because the temperature is usually warm.

Also keep in mind that this area is host to tourists from all walks of life. And as such, hotel facilities can vary drastically, as they can all cater to different clientele. Be sure to ask to view the rooms before you settle on a hotel and also ask if there is hot water, as some hotel’s don’t have this. I chose to stay in a hotel alongside the main park, which is what I would recommend. The hotel owner also told me I can checkout “whenever,” which allowed me extra time to do some exploring since I could leave my belongings in the room well into the afternoon.

Nightlife

Nightlife here is pretty consistent with Colombian nightlife.  There are tons of nightclubs and bars located around the city’s main park and they’re open until about 3 am.  There’s a good combination of music and lots of rum, beer and aguardiente flowing to keep the party going.  Most of the people, sit at tables outside the bars and clubs and enjoy the cool breeze and warm weather and head inside to a bar to dance when their song comes on. It’s definitely a site to see when you look to your left and see kids playing in the park at 1 am and look to the right and see couples dancing salsa or grinding on the dance floor.

As far as things to do, you must go to the “Puente De Occidente,” located about 10 minutes by public transport.  This is the seventh longest “suspension bridge” in the world and is made of wood , iron and steel.  You can walk the bridge itself and take gorgeous pictures midway through, or, for a better view, you can scale some rocks and go to the “viewpoint” where you can see it from a higher angle. If you do this, make sure you take plenty of pictures as the view is spectacular.

If you do decide to go, make sure you plan your transportation back to your place of origin in advance.  There is only one bus station and you may encounter long lines at the end of a weekend.  In fact, I went to the bus station at about 2pm and I was told that buses were sold out until 7pm!  Luckily, there was an enterprising older man there that had access to a party bus (don’t ask where he got it) and offered to take those who were interested back to the city, for a reduced fee of course.  Oh, and it was also first come first serve!  So after the mad rush to get on this bus, I made it safely back to the city.  We also made two stops to liquor stores on the way.  This bus trip was well worth the $3 I spent!

All in all, Santa Fe De Antioquia is a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.  It’s a safe place to go explore or hang out with friends and family.  The people are friendly, the weather is warm and the small town vibe has just enough to do to keep you entertained and happy.