One of our favorite things about Medellín is being able to explore so many pueblos Antioqueños within a few hours drive. One of the most popular escapes is Santa Fe de Antioquia, roughly 1.5 hours from Medellín. Despite the short distance, there is a huge temperature difference and Santa Fe de Antioquia is HOT! We spent 5 days exploring this pueblo with our kids and here’s our top recommendations for visiting as a family.
Quick info:
- Getting there: 1.5 hours from Medellín by car (can take a bit more on bus due to frequent stops)
- Weather: hot, around 28°C and 34°C (82°F to 93°F) while we were there, so plan outings for early morning and late afternoon
- Best for ages: all
- How long to stay: 2-3 nights, makes a good weekend getaway
- When traveling with small children: cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks make traveling with some strollers difficult. Strollers with thick wheels or baby carriers are best.
Where we stayed: Hotel Campestre Real
Hotel Campestre Real is on the main road that takes you into the town, just a 6 minute ride in. While staying in town can be convenient to walk around, we chose this stay because it had tons of outdoor space, was quieter, and a playground for kids
- Breakfast buffet included: typical Colombian breakfast options like salchicha, eggs (plan and with veggies), arepas, cereals, fruits, and juices
- Large pools for everyone: There are two pools and a jacuzzi for guests to enjoy. The main pool is surrounded by lounge chairs, umbrellas, and on weekends a DJ
- Playground on site: a HUGE plus and not available in many traditional stays in town
- Our room: we had our own cabin (everything is ground floor) with two beds, AC, plus two outdoor seating areas
- Honest take: Everything was very clean, there were plenty of families there and no one was bothered by kids, pet friendly, and food on site makes it the perfect place to relax
- Best for: families, friends, couples, wanting to relax but be close enough to run into town if need be
Things to do in Santa Fe de Antioquia with kids
1. Walk across the Puente de Occidente
El Puente de Occidente has ties to New York City! Designed by engineer José María Villa, he took inspiration for the suspension design from his previous project, The Brooklyn Bridge. It was once the largest bridge on the continent, now is closed to cars though you can walk and drive across by moto. It’s a pretty cool and random piece of Colombian history to experience with your kids. When you walk across you can find some food, snacks, and a bathroom.
2. Kanaloa Waterpark
We visited on a Saturday and got lucky with a nearly empty park. We absolutely love Kanaloa, and it’s easy to spend the entire day here. There are multiple pools, slides for all ages, and a granja where you can feed animals included in your ticket cost! No extra fees. There are a few restaurants on site that as far as park food goes, was very good.
Pro tip: spring for a private cabaña, it comes with comfortable seating, a cooler to keep drinks cold, and most importantly, FANS!
3. Spend an evening at the Plaza Mayor
Day or night, you’ll see people spending time in the main park, Plaza Mayor Simón Bolivar. But once the sun goes down and the temperatures cool, the park livens up! Kids running around, local vendors, people grabbing a bite or drink, and if you’re lucky they do events at the park from time to time!
6. Visit Museo Juan del Corral
A small colonial house turned museum. Entry is free but you must put your bags in a locker before entering. I thought the kids would have been super bored here, but it’s small enough to hold everyone’s attention while displaying cool artifacts from when the town was founded.
7. Count pool time as a plan
Just in case I didn’t get my point across before, Santa Fe de Antioquia is a HOT! So pool days are a plan in itself. Lounge by the pool, and if you stay in a hotel like Campestre Real, you can get food and drinks poolside! For the kids, it’s the perfect plan!
Where to eat
Santa Fe de Antioquia has restaurants which boast Colombian, Mexican, Peruvian, and other international cuisines. Here is our list of restaurants – but check your hotel because many have on-site restaurants, too!
- La Malsentada: a Mexican inspired Colombian restaurant combining both influences. The dishes here are great though it is on the pricer side ($60.000-160.000 COP) and they have live music on select nights.
- Al Alma: Al Alma has a few locations of restaurants around Medellin and Colombia, but this restaurant located in the colonial town also is home to their personal branded boutique hotel. If you’re looking for brunch, this is the best place in town. Pastries range from $6.000-13.000 COP and plates can set you back $20.000-100.000 COP.
- Pikeos: A Peruvian restaurant full of traditional flavor and great size plates. For the price range of $40.000-60.000 COP you get a great value meal, potentially two.
- The Burger Factory: Colombian burgers, tables on the cobblestone street, and music coming from one of the restaurant’s speakers or the live musicians walking around and performing. If you’re looking for a lowkey local spot with comfort street food like chuzos, salchipapa, and Colombian burgers and hot dogs, this is your spot.
- Sabor Español: We went here with high hopes, but the plates were 50/50. Some things did not taste like the Spanish dish, like the patatas bravas which is my favorite dish and heavily disappointed me. However, the croquetas were decent and the camarones al ajillo were delicious. Service was lacking and we went largely ignored. The food is not objectively bad, and there might be other dishes that they do better. At $40.000-120.000 per plate we left feeling defeated and still hungry.
Coffee Shops
While Colombia has the famous Eje Cafetero coffee region, Antioquia boasts its own fincas to supply shops with fresh, locally grown coffee. Y imagínate, I’m Cuban living in Colombia, por supuesto I need a daily cup to survive!
- Cafe La Manchuria: This was my favorite coffee shop in town. Their beans were fresh y se notaba. The space is beautifully decorated as if you were sitting on a finca cafetera, and the pastries were delicious. We went with an espresso for me while my husband tried a natural soda de frutos rojos which had real fruit. The boys shared a chocolate cake which was deliciously rich.
- Cafe El Gobernador: a small but well designed coffee shop just steps away from el parque principal and a great place to take in some shade. No complaints on the coffee and the kids loved the cookies.
- Cafe Canelo: I absolutely loved not just the affogato (perfect to beat the heat), but the entire layout of this cafe. Seating is mostly outdoors in a covered porch, but they share a courtyard with a secondhand bookstore and historic hotel.
Tips for families
- Santa Fe de Antioquia is hot and sunny. Bring loose clothes, comfortable shoes or cobblestone streets, sunscreen, hats, and water bottles.
- Cash is still king, so make sure you have for the parking lots, small shops, and street food.
- Weekends are presumably more crowded, though weekdays are quieter and has less going on. We went mid-week experiencing a Thursday and Friday night which I thought was ideal.
- Santa Fe de Antioquia celebrates two major festivals, so plan accordingly whether you’d want to experience or avoid them.
- La Feria del Tamarindo is a gastronomic festival happening every August showcasing products and candies made from tamarind.
- La Fiesta de los Diablitos is roughly the 22-31st of December and dates back to colonial times where slaves were given time off. Now, has turned into a carnival like celebration with community events, art classes, live music and shows to celebrate the end of year.
Was it worth it?
Santa Fe de Antioquia is a great escape from Medellín if you’re looking to relax, experience slow life in a traditional town, and lounge by the pool. Don’t go expecting much else. Pool days and waterparks make this a popular weekend getaway for families living in the city.
If you’re looking for more family-friendly travels and less known destinations in Colombia, make sure you subscribe to the blog and follow along on our adventures through Instagram!
RANDOM but fun fact: as many of you know I am Cuban but was raised with Colombian cousins that are primos through marriage. Well, one of their distant relatives was the first (and only) Colombian saint, Madre Laura! Her home of 12 years is located in Santa Fe de Antioquia, a fact that none of the family knew until we happened to walk by her house! Of course I sent this to those cousins and it was a cool six-degrees of separation moment.
FAQ
How far is Santa Fe de Antioquia from Medellín?
Santa Fe de Antioquia is about an hour and a half drive from Medellin. My recommendation is to rent your own car to move around easier, however, if you plan to only stay in the main pueblo you can take a bus from the terminals in Medellin.
Is Santa Fe de Antioquia good for kids?
Yes! Santa Fe de Antioquia is where plenty of families from Medellin go to spend a weekend due to the warmer weather. Aside from Kanaloa, there are 2 other waterparks and most hotels have pools and playgrounds.
Keep in mind that the streets in the colonial town are cobblestone and there are uneven sidewalks and hills. Strollers with thick wheels work, but if you have a carrier that might be easiest, especially when going into a restaurant as the buildings are not usually very wide between tables, chairs, and navigating a stroller.
How many days do you need in Santa Fe de Antioquia?
A long weekend is the perfect amount of time! We were there almost a week and unless you really need to relax and disconnect, that might be too long with kids.
Many hotels also offer días de sol, which are day passes to use the pools and grounds without booking a night stay. Since it is so close to Medellín, this is a very popular option for a day trip.
¡Hasta la próxima!
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