Once again, this tour felt like if my wife and I have a personal friend in meta-Jean who picks us up one morning at our hotel and not only takes us all the way to Santa Fe de Antioquia, but also makes various stops on the way to show us details of his country and culture. This is what Andrés and Medellín Day Trips offers. An opportunity for cultural immersion and that is what we look for when we travel and book a private guide. All in a comfortable, air conditioned SUV.
Our first stop in the tour was meeting Doña Ofelia and he Living Flower Museum (Museo Viviente de las Flores de Medellín). Being a native Spanish speaker, my wife and I enjoyed our conversation and jokes with Ofelia, however Andrés’s English is excellent for those not fluent in Spanish and he will be able to translate very well for you. We were given a gift of homemade Colombian ice pops by Ofelia’s daughter while enjoying the explanation of the flowers and the beautiful view in the mountains.
Next stop on the way to Santa Fe we went to see a rural cable car which connects various mountains with the main village in the rural parts of Medellín. The views from the cable car are majestic and you get to interact with locals on the way as many local farmers use this transportation method to transport their goods to the main village. Something that would’ve taken them in the past much longer due to having to climb down and back up high mountains.
After the cable car, we continued our road trip and when reaching Santa Fe, we were first taken to see an old suspended bridge crossing the Cauca River. Only horses, motorcycles, and pedestrians can cross this bridge. No cars are allowed. The views of the river from the bridge are breathtaking, and the historical explanations offered by Andrés are priceless.
Next stop is the actual town of Santa Fe de Antioquia, which was the old capital of Colombia’s Antioquia region until the capital was moved to Medellín. We had typical Colombian Paisa food, which was delicious. Nothing like having a local guide making the best recommendations according to your personal taste. We the had a tour around the main landmarks of Santa Fe with detailed historical explanations. At the end of the Santa Fe tour, we headed to a local fruit stand to taste different tropical fruits which taste was out of this world. This is included in the tour. after completing our fruit tasting, visiting a local historical hotel in town, and finishing the day with a nice cup of Columbian coffee at a local coffee shop with local waffle and ice cream; we then embarked our road trip back to Medellín in Andrés’s SUV. both ways on the trip, our conversations with Andrés felt as talking to an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time. His repertoire of music is large and he has something for every taste. However, if you love salsa music, that is his favorite.
All in all this was a day trip that was very well worth the price and really economical for everything that is included with this tour. I highly recommend you take this tour from Medellín with Medellín Day Trips. Muchas Gracias, Andrés (thank you very much, Andrés).
