Travel guide: Antioquia

From the hot west to the cool east, less than two hours from Medellín

• San Jerónimo and Sopetrán: heat and pools an hour from Medellín.
• Guatapé: the reservoir and the Piedra del Peñol, about 740 steps to the top.
• Rionegro and Llanogrande: cool weather, right by the airport.

The west: San Jerónimo, Sopetrán and Santa Fe de Antioquia

Through the Túnel de Occidente (the Western Tunnel), San Jerónimo (about 780 m above sea level) is 45 minutes to 1 hour from Medellín, and it is the town in Antioquia with the most fincas listed on Finkeros. Santa Fe de Antioquia (about 550 m above sea level), the department's former capital, has a colonial center and the Puente de Occidente, a historic suspension bridge over the Cauca River. It is the hottest of the three.

The east: Guatapé, El Peñol and Rionegro

Guatapé sits next to the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir and the Piedra del Peñol, a huge rock you climb by a staircase of about 740 steps. It has the highest median in the table. Rionegro and the Llanogrande area have cool-climate fincas and are right by José María Córdova airport, Medellín's international airport.

The towns of the southwest

Jardín and Jericó are 3 to 4 hours from Medellín. Jericó is the birthplace of Saint Laura Montoya, Colombia's first saint. Supply in both towns is smaller than near Medellín, so it pays to book early.

Getting there

From Medellín, Santa Fe de Antioquia is 1 to 1.5 hours away through the Túnel de Occidente, which has a toll. Guatapé is 1.5 to 2.5 hours away on the Medellín-Bogotá highway, turning off at Marinilla. Barbosa and Girardota are reached on the Autopista Norte (the northern highway).

What they won't tell you

The drive back to Medellín through the Túnel de Occidente backs up on Sunday afternoons and on holiday Mondays (Colombia moves most public holidays to a Monday, so the whole city returns at once). In Santa Fe de Antioquia the temperature is above 30 °C (86 °F) for much of the year: ask whether the bedrooms have air conditioning or a fan.