35 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Jerico, Antioquia’s Most Charming Pueblo

A visual journey through Colombia’s loveliest small town, Jerico (Jericó) in Antioquia – plus my travel tips to help you visit Jerico.

There are a few towns and small cities I’ve visited on my travels that are etched in my memory more vividly than more. Ipoh in Malaysia is one of them, and Jerico – a tiny pueblo outside Medellin in Colombia’s Antioquia Department – is another.

One thing these two very different towns have in common – that thing that I believe drew me in and kept me around long after my planned departure date – is the illusion they give of stepping back into a different, simpler time.

Jerico promises the kind of immersive travel experience that’s becoming more and more difficult to find these days. I hate to use the A word, but in contrast to more-popular Jardin, Jerico feels more authentic, more real.

Jerico is located roughly halfway between Jardin and Medellin. It takes a gruelling twist-and-turn bus ride to get up the mountainside, but it’s more than worth the arduous journey.

We originally planned to spend two days in Jerico as part of our six-week visit to Colombia. That quickly turned into four days… Then eight days. We just couldn’t tear ourselves away.

If it weren’t for the wedding we had to attend near Bogota, we might have put down roots and stayed in Jerico forever!

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This post is my attempt to convey the essence of Jerico the best way I know how: in photos. I’ve also included my top 10 things to do in Jerico and some practical travel tips, including recommendations for where to eat and where to stay.

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Why you should visit Jerico

Looking at a map, Jerico is little more than a compact grid of streets, a tiny crosshatch scribbled on top of a vanishing plateau in the middle of Antioquian coffee country.

Once you arrive, you quickly realise a great many of those little streets are actually vertiginous cobbled lanes. Some turn into impossibly steep stone staircases that connect the upper and lower parts of Jerico.

Elvis, my guide who had recently moved to Jerico with his young family from Bogota, put it this way: “This town will fix your butt.”

Like every former colonial outpost, Jerico centres around a main square – physically and spiritually. Parque Principal is surrounded by aged shop facades, outdoor restaurants and leafy trees, with the modest Catedral Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes sitting silently at one end.

Even when the weekly produce market isn’t on, this is still the prime spot for people watching.

A constant stream of men wander by, all dressed in Jerico’s unofficial uniform: Leather boots, hat, a white scarf thrown over one shoulder, and a decadent carriel bag to complete the look.

Carriel bags are Jerico’s signature product. They’re traditionally only made in this town, and only by skilled craftspeople working on antique Singers. The distinctive leather bags feature scalloped lines, bright trimmings, and patches of cowhide. At first I found them a bit of an eyesore, but once I learned the story behind the design and saw them being made, I fell in love.

Carriels are small but thick with pouches and hidden pockets – a design feature intended to conceal valuables and love letters alike. Back in the day, gauchos would use their carriel as a makeshift pillow on long horseback journeys.

My trusty Jerico carriel is one of my most treasured possessions – and my husband still uses his carriel-inspired wallet from Jerico to this day!

The small side streets that radiate off Jerico’s main square are dedicated to these carriel workshops, bijoux coffee houses, and pokey restaurants serving up arepas de chocolo and heaving platters of Bandeja Paisa.

Typical colourful Antioquian facades, Jerico’s painted ladies, welcome you at every turn. Some are finished with ‘kneeling windows’ or half-doors, which I’m told are custom-made for eavesdropping on the neighbours.

Jerico is like that. It’s a tight-knit, value-oriented town with its own coat of arms, its own mythology, and its own way of living. When floods and landslides wreaked havoc on the town long after my visit, I watched on social media as everyone pitched in to clean up and rebuild.

In many ways Jerico is a time capsule showing us what Antioquia might have been like a couple of generations ago, when at the end of each day men ambled into the main square and tied their horses to the backs of wooden chairs before sitting down to a cold beer.

This being Antioquia, it’s coffee, not beer, that’s now the beverage of choice in Jerico. Cafe El Saturia and Don Rafa both roast their own beans, while La Nohelia on the city’s outskirts is a working coffee farm that offers immersive tours. 

Within Colombia, Jerico is best known for being the home of Santa María Laura de Jesús Montoya Upegui, Colombia’s only canonised Saint. She was born in Jerico in 1874 and is something of a local icon. You can see her image everywhere, peeking out through cracked kitchen doors and plastered on the bumpers of the electric tuk tuks that crawl the streets.

Jerico remains a deeply pious community – how could you not be spiritual when you live out your days in the shadow of a looming Christ the Redeemer statue. There are no fewer than 17 churches in town, and the local seminary has a healthy population of 40-plus priests in training – not too shabby for a town of just over 12,000 people.

Various chapters of Jerico’s history, religious or otherwise, are lovingly catalogued by devoted residents at a small local lore museum.

Like Jardin, Jerico is also a good base for coffee tourism. I spent a day at La Nohelia, one local farm that offers ecotourism activities including coffee tours. An early morning hike to Las Nubes, a moderate trail that leads you high into the clouds, was another highlight of my time in Jerico.

But my most memorable experience in Jerico – aside from waking up each morning in the beautiful El Despertar Hotel – was tandem paragliding at Ecoland over the lush valleys!

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Top 10 things to do in Jerico

Set aside a few days of your Colombia itinerary for Jerico – you won’t regret it. Here are just a few of the top things to do.

1. Mosey around the main square (⚑) – Jerico’s main plaza, Parque Principal, is a beautiful Spanish square lined with colourful facades and outdoor cafes. The Farmacia Leticia is particularly pretty.

2. Visit Bomarzo (⚑) – This multipurpose creative space houses several cafes, galleries and artist studios.

3. Visit a carriel workshop – Jerico is the home of these distinctive leather bags and there are dozens of open workshops around town where you can watch carriel craftsmen at work.

4. Wander through Jerico Botanical Garden (⚑) – A leafy oasis in the heart of the city.

5. Climb up to Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor Jericó) (⚑) – This hilltop viewpoint offers the best city views.

6. Do a coffee tasting at El Sarturia (⚑) – One of Jerico’s best cafes, El Sarturia roasts locally harvested beans onsite and offers professional coffee tastings in their breezy courtyard.

7. Try a chocolate-making workshop at Dulcearte (⚑) – Jerico’s resident chocolate maker, Lina, is a pro and can show you the ropes. She also sells bars and blocks of her handcrafted sweet creations.

8. Hike to Las Nubes (⚑) – A moderate hike to another stunning mirador with panoramic views of Jerico. Best when shrouded in fluffy clouds!

9. Take a coffee tour at Ecoturismo La Nohelia (⚑) – This gorgeous farm on the outskirts of the city offers immersive bean-to-cup coffee tours and accommodation in a delightful A-frame cabin.

10. Go tandem paragliding at Ecoland (⚑) – See Jerico from a different perspective! 

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More photos to inspire you to visit Jerico

As you can see, there are lots of wonderful things to see and do in Jerico – but I don’t think this town’s appeal can be pinpointed to a specific place, activity or even experience.

Being in Jerico transports you to a different time and place. It’s difficult to describe in words, so after that rather rambling introduction I’ve decided to capture the feeling of visiting Jerico with a collection of photos instead.

I hope I’ve done beautiful Jerico justice!

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How to get to Jerico from Medellin

Local company Trans Jerico runs a fleet of comfortable buses and microbuses between Medellin and Jerico, with a dozen or so departures daily in either direction.

The journey takes 3-4 hours in total depending on the route the driver takes. Tickets cost around 27,000 COP. Check times and fares on their Facebook Page.

It’s also possible to pick up a van along the road if you’re travelling from Jardin (this is what we did). If you’re coming from elsewhere in Colombia, it’s easiest to transit through Medellin first.

Where to stay in Jerico

Boutique hotel – El Despertar (⚑) Gorgeous boutique accommodation in an Antioquian-style house with a leafy central atrium. My top choice in Jerico and surely one of the best accommodations in Colombia.

Mid-range hotel – Hotel Madre Laura (⚑) Comfortable, budget-friendly rooms walking distance from the city centre.

Budget hostel – Las Cometas Hostel (⚑) Jerico’s best (and only) hostel, located on the riverside.

Where to eat & drink in Jerico

Cafe Don Rafa (⚑) – Excellent coffee and yummy cakes served in a breezy cafe overlooking the main square.

Cafe El Saturia (⚑) – Jerico’s finest specialty coffee house.

La Gruta (⚑) – Hearty and delicious Antioquian-style meals and fresh juices. The menu del dia (lunch  menu) is terrific value. My favourite restaurant in Jerico.

Isabel Parrilla Arte Café (⚑) – Try the Morillo Isabel, sweet slow-cooked marinated beef. Save room for a homemade cake afterwards.

Tangos y Algo Más (⚑) – A deliciously old-school bar where the walls are lined with beer bottles stacked in brightly coloured racks.

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Have you visited Jerico? Do you relate to my impressions of the town? Or if you’re planning a trip to Colombia, is Jerico on your radar? Let me know in the comments below!

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More Colombia inspiration

• El Despertar Hotel, Jerico’s loveliest accommodation
• 30 best places to visit in Colombia, the ultimate list
• 25+ things to do in Colombia, for every traveller
• 30 best things to do in Medellin, my Medellin city guide
• 2 days in Medellin, easy itinerary for first-timers
• Markets in Medellin, for fruit, flowers and more
• 30 best Colombian souvenirs and gifts, handicrafts and more
• Visiting Medellin’s Comuna 13, essential things to know before you go
• Guide to Jardin, Colombia’s most colourful town
• Colombian coffee tour, bean to cup in Concordia
• 7 things to do in Bogota, the best of the capital city
• Colombian cooking class, in the kitchen in Bogota