Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [177]
The bus from Medellín will drop you off at a gas station. Take the cobblestone road that curves up and past the gas station (1km) to reach the parking lot at the base of the rock. Here there are a host of restaurants, tourist shacks selling knickknacks, and a bronze statue of the first man to climb the rock. Numerous restaurants serve lunch (COP$7000-12,000). There are bathrooms just after you pass through the turnstile. Two shops sell religious trinkets halfway up. At the top, shops sells fruit juice, ice cream and salpicón (fruit salad punch in watermelon juice), but no beer.
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SANTA FE DE ANTIOQUIA
4 / pop 12,500 / elev 550m
This sleepy colonial town is the region’s oldest settlement and was once the capital of Antioquia. Founded in 1541 by Jorge Robledo, the clock stands still at 1826, the year the government moved to Medellín. Set on the low-lying banks of the Río Cauca, these days it attracts tourists from Medellín looking to warm up in its steamy climate.
Because it was eclipsed for so long by its neighbor 80km to the southwest, its colonial center never fell to the wrecking ball and today it looks very much like it did in the 19th century. The narrow streets are lined with whitewashed houses, all single-story construction and many ranged around beautiful courtyards. You’ll also see elaborately carved – and typically Antioquian – woodwork around windows and doorways.
Santa Fe de Antioquia makes a great day trip from Medellín, especially on the weekend, when paísas come to splash around in the many swimming pools at hotels and restaurants in town. The Puente de Occidente is also worth a look. There are lots of artisans and jewelry makers in town whose workshops are worth exploring, and don’t miss sampling pulpa de tamarindo, the beloved sour-sweet candy made with tamarind from the surrounding valley. Pick up a pack from one of the vendors on Plaza Mayor, the town’s sleepy main square. During the week you’ll find steep discounts on accommodations, when you’ll likely have the whole town to yourself.
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Information
Copidrogas ( 853 1274, 853 1637; Plaza Mayor) This fully stocked pharmacy also delivers.
Listo Comunicaciones ( 853 3357; 6:30am-10pm; per hr COP$1000) Internet open seven days. On the main square; also has telephone cabins. Sign outside says ‘Telecom.’
Tourist office (Oficina de Fomento y Turismo; 853 4139; Plaza Mayor; 8am-noon & 2-6pm) The tourist office is in the Palacio Municipal on the main plaza, and has useful information on where to stay, and on local craftsman and jewelry makers.
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Sights
Of the town’s four churches, the Iglesia de Santa Bárbara (cnr Calle 11 & Carrera 8; 5-6:30pm, plus Sun morning mass) is the most interesting. Built by Jesuits in the second half of the 18th century, the church has a fine, baroque facade. The interior has an interesting, if time-worn, retable over the high altar. The Museo de Arte Religioso ( 853 2345; Calle 11 No 8-12; admission COP$1000; 10am-5pm), next door to Santa Bárbara church, has a collection of religious objects, including paintings by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.
The Catedral (Plaza Mayor; morning & evening mass, plus 11am Sun service) is sometimes referred to as the Catedral Madre, as it was the first church built in the region. However, the original church was destroyed by fire, and the large building you see today was not completed until 1837. Until that year, Iglesia de Santa Bárbara did the honors as the cathedral. Once inside, have a look at the Last Supper in the right transept, and at an image of San Francisco de Borja with a skull in the transept opposite.
The two remaining churches, the mid-17th-century Iglesia de Chiquinquirá (cnr Carrera 13 & Calle 10), also known as La Chinca, and the 1828 Iglesia de Jesús Nazareno (cnr Carrera 5 & Calle 10), are generally open only for evening mass at 7pm daily. Admirers