Plan a Trip to Santa Fe De Antioquia from Medellin

Santa Fe de Antioquia is the picture-perfect Colombian town we had been waiting for. On a whim, we decided to visit, as an overnigh trip from Medellin.

The town is a popular day trip or weekend trip for Medellin locals, and it seems it hasn’t quite caught on yet with the non-Colombian traveler crowd. Because we know how to spend a month in Medellin, we were able to explore the surrounding region, and Santa Fe de Antioquia is definitely worth a visit.

Use this travel guide to get to Santa Fe de Antioquia, explore all the things to do and find where to stay.

Where is Santa Fe de Antioquia?

Santa Fe de Antioquia is one of the best day trips from Medellin because it’s located “only” 57km (35 miles!) from the city center. Driving a rental car will be the fastest way to get there, but taking a bus (you can read our instructions at the end of this article) is not hard.

Santa fe de Antioquia is located northwest of Medellin, in the mountains and in gorgeous surroundings. It is known for being quite warm and temperate, despite the hilly location.

10 things to do in Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia is a small town, but there’s lots to do, from simply relaxing to touring around all the historical buildings and churches. Tourism seems like it was recently revamped in Santa Fe de Antioquia in order to get more visitors to the town, so although there is not much English at all, there are very nice plaques and signs outside all buildings of historical value.

See the town market on Carrera 12

Tamarind candy is by far the most famous local product in Santa Fe de Antioquia, and you can buy it in most bakeries (called ‘panaderias’), bodegas and markets. You’ll also see buñuelos in most bakeries, and be sure to pick one (or three) up if you like fried cheese! The main market (at Calle 10 and Carrera 12) is a calmer version of many other Colombian markets we’ve seen, and you can buy some starfruit, squash, zapote, tamarinds or guanabana, if you like.

Eat a typical Antioqueño lunch at any restaurant in the plaza

Any restaurant in the town plaza will serve bandeja paisa or a plato típico del dia (typical dish of the day). We picked a restaurant with a set menu for 11,000 COP ($3.41 USD), and we wound up with a spread of pasta soup served with a small arepa, grilled beef, beans, rice, potato and salad. This was enough to keep us going!

Try coffee at Cafe Canelo

Cafe Canelo is a trendy cafe housed in the Hotel Mariscal Robledo and its mission is to educate about the coffee process. We tried a roast from one of their nearby ‘fincas’ (plantations) and it was delightful, with notes of chocolate and panela (Colombian unrefined sugarcane).

The baristas are super friendly, and if you look up, you’ll see that the photos on the wall illustrate the coffee process, from picking the beans to the final pour. You can buy bags for purchase, and they also sell a delicious (we had to buy one) vegan gluten-free dairy-free soy-free chocolate.

Check out Hotel Mariscal Robledo

This is the fanciest hotel in Santa Fe de Antioquia, and it has unparalleled colonial charm. You can walk through the lobby and atrium area, which has antique sewing machines, old hats to try on, vintage film equipment and more. We had an arepa dinner at D’Kallana Arepas Artesanales, which connects to the seating area and is next to Cafe Canelo. There’s also a pizza restaurant within the hotel property.

Marvel at the interior of La Casa Solariega

This Belgian-owned restaurant and historic villa is now a very eclectically-decorated restaurant. Everything is vintage in style and beautifully restored. Stay for a Belgian beer! Next door is a Belgian ice cream shop, but its hours are limited.

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Visit the Museo Juan del Corral

This free(!) museum is also a former villa that now houses artifacts from the indigenous inhabitants of the Santa Fe de Antioquia surrounding region, nineteenth-century home goods of the mansion’s former owner and a restored version of a colonial bedroom. Don’t leave without seeing the bath part of the house.

Stop by a tienda de filigrana (filigree shop)

We learned a new word in English during our tour in Santa Fe de Antioquia, and that word is ‘filigree.’ In English, it means “delicate kind of jewellery metalwork, usually of gold and silver, made with tiny beads or twisted threads.” Its Spanish translation, filigrana, is the art of this type of metalwork mostly in silver pieces, and it is a local specialty.

Step into any iglesia or catedral

Santa Fe de Antioquia has no shortage of churches for a small town. You can visit its cathedral, or any of the sometimes referred to as ‘templos’ (temples), such as Templo de Santa Barbara or Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquira. When we passed by on a Sunday night, we could hear music and singing coming from most of them.

Walk across the Puente del Occidente (Bridge of the West)

Confession: we did not visit the most famous bridge in Santa Fe de Antioquia, mostly because we didn’t have time. To visit the bridge, you can walk for approximately one hour, or take a tuk-tuk. Locals are very proud of this bridge and will ask if you have visited it. If we come back, we will visit the Puente del Occidente, and we also thought it was cool that its designer studied at Stevens University in New Jersey, and was involved in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge!

Take a historic center tour with Turantioquia

This city tour informed us of all the spots we may not have known about on our own. The guide spoke only Spanish, so it was a helpful experience to learn a lot of helpful words to describe our experience. Thank you to Green Nomads Hostel for taking us on this tour of town!

Santa Fe de Antioquia History

This town is located not more than 50 miles from the outskirts of Medellin, and it was the capital of Antioquia until Medellin took the title! Today, Santa Fe de Antioquia is a mountain town of 26,000 people, where it’s normal to see men in cowboy hats sitting around the town square, horses and mules in the streets and markets full of local Colombian fruits.

Architecture in Santa Fe de Antioquia is traditional and features short white buildings with colorfully-painted doors and window shutters, wooden balconies and stone churches. People are friendly, the town is safe, and there’s always a view of the green mountains in any direction.

How to get to Santa Fe de Antioquia

By bus

To get to Santa Fe de Antioquia, start at the Terminal Norte de Transporte in Medellín. This is the bus station for all destinations north and east in the country. You can arrive at the terminal by either Uber or by the Medellin metro to a station called Caribe. You will arrive on Piso (floor) 3 by either metro or taxi drop-off, and you can head down to Piso 1 by stairs or escalator to the ticket booths.

Look for Booth #20 for Transportes Gomez Hernandez. You can buy your ticket same-day for the next departure. It is cash-only and costs 12,000 COP ($2.99 USD) per person for a one-way.

From there, head out to the gates via the ticket check and metal detector, and ask anyone in uniform which Gomez Hernandez bus is for Santa Fe (it may say in the corner). Keep in mind that seats are assigned, and your ticket will say which seat you have. Bon voyage!

The ride takes approximately two hours. Once out of Medellin, the views of the green mountains and rural areas are very nice.

The bus will drop off at the bus terminal of Santa Fe de Antioquia, and if you’re starving by that point, don’t worry - there is a small market where you can pick up snacks and local goods (but we suggest waiting until you get to the proper town market!).

By private tour

I think guided tours are a good way to make sure you see the important sights, and save time with direct transport and a driver. A private small-group tour from Medellin to Santa Fe de Antioquia will help you with safe and easy transport.

Where to stay in Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia has a range of accommodation, from basic hotels to more upscale stays. There are also apartments for rent. You can find several accommodation options at Hostelworld if you’re on a budget, but most of the best options will be at Booking.com.

Many of the hotels offer an authentic Antioquian experience with nice staff, and a few hotels have swimming pools. Hotel Mariscal Robledo is gorgeous and will offer a more luxurious stay in a historic spot. We visited only to walk through. Hotel Boutique Al Alma is another highly-rated hotel with a swimming pool and lots of Colombian charm.

A recommendation for where to stay is the affordable Las Cabanas de Pino Hostel. Currently, it is the only hostel-style accommodation in the town. Remember to bring your passport if you’re not from Colombia, as every hotel or hostel will request it at check-in.

Is Santa Fe de Antioquia worth the trip?

For us, Santa Fe de Antioquia was an easy day trip or overnight trip from Medellin, and we enjoyed being somewhere new where we could avoid the crowds. In fact, we didn’t see all too many other travelers, which made the town feel very authentic.

If you’d like to feel immersed in Colombian culture in a safe and laid-back town, plan a trip to Santa Fe de Antioquia from Medellin.