If you ever think of having an escape for the weekend, this town is the place to be.

Jardín is a quaint town saturated with coffee and Colombian culture. It was a good change of pace compared to the neighbourhood of Laureles in Medellín where I’m living now and even more so coming from Vancouver, where most people have packed schedules and are hurried to get to the next appointment after another.

With Colombia’s Independence Day landing on the Friday and the Annual Film Festival happening on the same weekend, the quiet town became lively day and night. In the morning, I would leave home earlier than usual and walk to the town centre to grab my cup of coffee and a fresh buñuelo for breakfast before the crowd starts piling in. Now, I’ve tried buñuelos that came in packages back home in Vancouver but THIS… this is the real deal. Fresh out of the fryer, you can pick it up with a napkin and pay 1 mill COP ($0.35 USD) to the lady behind the stand.

Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee

Jardín is one of the best coffee-producing regions in Colombia. On the 3.5 bus ride to Jardín from Medellín, I only saw fields that stretched beyond the hills covered in banana trees and coffee bushes on the ground. In Café de los Andes, when I looked at their menu, there were more than 20 options for the type of coffee I can order. How does one choose?? Answer: try everything if you’re a coffee lover. At least try a tinto café! Café de los Andes is a nice little café that overlooks the entire town square so you can sit comfortably on the second floor while you sip on real, authentic coffee.

What We Ate!

On the first night, a group of us headed out to a small vegetarian restaurant that’s just a 3 minute walk from the town centre. If you are craving some savoury, comfort food, this is the place to go. Destino Silvestre is an adorable restaurant with good food and good people.

Fried Patacones with avocado.

Whenever I was feeling peckish, I’d walk to the town centre to choose a fresh snack to munch on. Whether its fruits or veggies, arepas or empanadas, they got it all. The food stands serviced many folks that were here for the festival. Honestly, I’ve made arepasback in Vancouver before but after watching the professionals make it on a grill, I now know how to REALLY make one. The key to a perfect arepa? Lots of butter probably.

And while the food stands are there, you must try fried patacones (fried plantains). Ask to add guac and salsa on it and your tummy will be so happy.

Atmosphere

In the evenings of my weekend in Jardín, more chairs were set up in the courtyard in front of the church, more families came to sit around the tables to talk. It was amazing for me to see families gathered without their cellphones and children behaving. Is it possible to have zero kids throw tantrums in public? I don’t know. Whatever was in the air, it made everyone happy. 

The grandmas and grandpas wrapped in their light blanket as they listened to their families with a smile on their faces. That was a sight to see! What made me smile even more were the old men in striped baggy shirts and cowboy hats, leaning their wooden chairs against restaurant walls, laughing at some stupid joke their buddies say.

My Thoughts

Overall impression of Jardín? Absolutely quaint and unique. If you got some spare time to even stay for one night, I highly recommend it. Hostels and hotels are very homey, just book ahead of time!

Rebecca.