Located east of Medellin, the wonderfully preserved colonial town of Santa Fe de Antioquia makes for a great day trip from Medellin.
The driver of the local bus, which I had unluckily chosen, was obviously on ‘something’. Ignoring every single speed restriction en route, he managed to get us from Medellin to Santa Fe in less than an hour – the journey normally takes an hour and a half!
Founded in 1541, Santa Fe is the oldest town in the region. It was a prosperous centre during Spanish rule, and the capital of Antioquia until 1826. When the capital moved to Medellín, it lost commercial importance and as a result escaped the ‘destruction’ of progress, leaving its narrow cobblestone streets, lovely plazas and whitewashed houses intact.
The town is famous for its carved wooden doorways and flower-filled patios, it’s a picture postcard location and my camera was on overdrive.
The unusual 291m wooden bridge (Puente de Occidente), which spans the Río Cauca, is 5km east of town. When completed in 1895, it was one of the first suspension bridges in the Americas.
Next stage: Day trips from Medellin continue.
