Jardin, Colombia is a tiny pueblito in the coffee area about a 3 hour bus ride from Medellin’s south terminal. It is small, gorgeous, and totally worth going for a night or two.
The main square is full of beautiful flowers, yellow-flowered trees whose flowers were falling off in the storm that came in the night we arrived, and a pigeon-filled fountain (which wasn’t actually on when I was there).
Like most small towns in Colombia, it is built around a main square, overseen by a large church. Jardin’s church has one of the most colorful and gorgeous interiors in the area, and in Colombia.
Jardin is also known for its vibrant, decorative house exteriors,
beautiful gardens and flora
and the 2 metro cables (one at each end of the city) that bring you up the mountainsides to exquisite views of the city and the surrounding mountains.
And of course, Jardin is also known for the coffee – which people dry right on the sidewalks (so watch where you are walking, especially if you are exploring the side streets).
There are ample hotels in Jardin. We stayed at some no-named hotel, that Diego found for us over the phone, that looks like this out front:
It is just off the south side of the main square (opposite the church) with nice, simple private rooms that come with private baths, hot water, semi-decent Wi-Fi, and cable TV (though don’t expect a variety of channels). Our TV was even hooked into the CCTV for the town, so we could see what was going on around the square. The front desk is very knowledgeable and accommodating. If you need anything at all – from what to do around town to where is the best breakfast café (PS: its on the left side of the square when facing the church) – they can help.
Across the street was a nice little restaurant that served typical Colombian cuisine – but was open late. And by late, I mean 9 pm, because the whole town starts shutting down around 8 pm. You can find some cafes around the church that will serve drinks and, of course, coffee until around 10 or 11 pm.
There are a couple banks in the town too. Davivienda and BanColombia (as of Spring 2013, when I visited). A night or two in Jardin is the perfect, relaxing getaway form the bustle of the cities. If you want to kick back, explore some nature, or just sit and people watch while sipping the freshest coffee you will probably ever have, Jardin is totally worth the visit.
To get to Jardin, from Medellin, catch a bus or van from Terminal del Sur. Terminal del Sur is reachable by bus from Downtown Medellin or by an inter-terminal bus (which runs between Terminal Del Norte at the Caribe Metro Station and Terminal del Sur), plus probably other local lines.
However, if you do not live near Terminal del Norte to take the easy terminal-to-terminal bus, it is probably easier, and less confusing, to just hop a cab from where you are to the Terminal del Sur bus station.
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