Food Tours · Tour

Twelve Hours to Jardin: Picking, Lunch and the Cable Car

Twelve hours, and six of them are in the car, which is worth saying plainly because it is also the reason to go: Jardin is three hours southwest of Medellin, properly into the coffee region, and it is a different Colombia from the city. The drive passes Cerro Tusa, the largest natural pyramid in the world, and then plantations most of the way. The farm comes first. The growers host you, hand you a cup of coffee, and then take you through every stage from harvesting to packing. You try picking, which is harder and more selective than it looks; you will not be fast. Lunch is cooked at the farm from what they grow, which is the part people remember. Then ten minutes down to Jardin, which is on most lists of the most beautiful towns in Colombia: colonial architecture, balconies full of flowers, and coffee shops on every side of the square. A guided walk covers the landmarks and the history. Two stops there are worth the trip on their own. The rustic aerial cable car, which is a working commute between two mountains rather than an attraction. And Dulces del Jardin, for the sweets. Private, in your own vehicle, up to fifteen people, in English or Spanish, with hotel pick-up and drop-off, a professional guide and driver, snacks, lunch and unlimited coffee at the farm. Breakfast is not included. Not recommended if you are pregnant, because of the drive.