Charming Photos of El Retiro in Antioquia, Colombia
We enjoyed taking photos in El Retiro, showcasing the local life on the streets and the perspectives down the colorful “carreras.” For visuals of what El Retiro is like, head into this collection of our best shots.
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El Retiro is an easy day trip from Medellin, and it’s funny to think that it’s still somewhat of a secret. This charming pueblo is full of Antioquian character, from the locals who sit in wooden chairs at cafes near the town square, to the coffee shops that celebrate Colombian coffee heritage.
We stayed with friends outside El Retiro for a week, and despite having been to Medellin twice before, we were enchanted with this authentic village. We liked photographing the unique architecture, the colorful doorways and the newfangled and modern boutiques juxtaposed next to ages-old hardware stores and bodegas.
Is El Retiro on your itinerary for your travels to Medellin and nearby destinations? I couldn’t recommend a stop in this town more, so that you can be pleasantly surprised by this colonial gem only 40 minutes from the big city.
Check out our photos below to discover what El Retiro is like.
For starters, here’s Becca with the most brightly-painted turquoise and orange doorway on one of El Retiro’s main streets.
The main plaza of El Retiro isn’t short at all of greenery, and was redone in the past few years to feature thoughtfully-placed plant life and benches for sitting. For learning about where to eat and drink in the town center, head to our El Retiro travel guide.
Our friend Ryan was sure to note to us that in the main plaza of El Retiro, you’ll find a single wax palm tree, the same kind native to the Valle de Corcora to the south near Salento.
In addition to buñuelos as a local treat, the restaurants on the main square serve up all types of delicious fried delicacies.
Becca wanted to make sure we stopped by every vibrantly-colored wall that had gabled windows.
Part of visiting El Retiro is getting yourself outside of Medellin, so make sure you check out the nearby nature. There are waterfalls, hikes and natural parks, as well as biking trails that won’t disappoint for their scenery and photo ops.
All of these reasons are why El Retiro is one of our favorite day trips from Medellin, especially for street photography and nature photography.
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