Post by Deleted on May 26, 2017 7:52:13 GMT -5
Another couple asked my wife and me if we would like to tag along for an overnighter in Jerico last month. It was a puente weekend, so we kind of hesitated because of the crowds and inflated prices. I checked out booking.com, and did not see any vacancies inside the pueblo. I spotted a finca about 2 kms outside that still had 2 rooms available. I quickly booked it at a rate of 160,000 pesos per night (per couple) including breakfast. As it turned out, Finca Altamira was a gem. A little rough on the undercarriage getting there, but well worth the effort. Normally, the nightly per person rate is only 35,000 per person, but when it's a puente, one pays a premium. Without any stops, and no traffic, we could have made Jerico from El Oriente inside of 4 hours. The quickest route to Jerico from Medellin is via Caldas, then on to Bolombolo and Jerico. The road is in pretty good shape as well. Up until last month, I've only been in Jerico once... and for only 2 hours while on a bus tour of La Ruta Panelera.
Even with an overnighter, I felt like we were just scratching the surface of everything this little pueblo has to offer. For our next trip to Jerico, we intend to stay at least 4 nights... 2 at the finca, and 2 in the pueblo to combine the right amount of exploring, shopping and relaxation. Finca Altamira has been in the owner's family for over 150 years. The rooms are nothing fancy, but have private baths. Don Flavio makes an excellent country breakfast and serves it with his own blend of organic coffee. He and his young wife are excellent hosts, and will go to great lengths to make sure your stay is comfortable and enjoyable. Moto-raton transport is available for pick-up at the finca, if you don't want to drive into the pueblo for sightseeing or whatever. The next trip, we figure 2 nights at Altamira, and another 2 nights at one of the hotels we checked out near Parque Reyes, like Hotel La Casona, should do the trick. During the weekdays, "downtown" hotels charge between 32,000 and 35,000 per person per night (breakfast included.)
We just chilled out on the first night at the finca... ordered some domicilio... and chatted with some of the other guests while enjoying Don Flavio's coffee. The following morning, we awoke early, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast of fresh fruit, quiche lorraine and arepas de mote and queso campesino. We packed our things, and spent the rest of the day in the pueblo... with plans to leave not too late as to avoid the mad rush back to Medellin. Our first stop was La Iglesia de Mama Laura... a religious bucket list item when in Jerico. An unimposing church by Colombian standards, but a very important piece of history for Colombian Catholics. We ended up parking a block from the main square, Parque Reyes, so we could take in as much of the sights with the little time we had. The area around Parque Reyes is chock-a-block with quaint panaderias, cafes and restaurants. Coffee vendors in the park sell bags of organic coffee for 15 - 16 mil. I bought a few different varieties, and the coffee is excellent. Throughout the heart of the pueblo, there are a number of nice boutique hotels that are very inexpensive during the week. The main cathedral, "Nuestro Senora de la Mercedes," dominates the park. We did not enter the cathedral nor the religious art museum in the basement. We headed a block down from the park, and paid a visit to the Museum of Jerico, operated by a local foundation. The 3 mil entrance fee was well worth it. Although small, the museum has an impressive collection of local artifacts, works of art and a display of historic religious items. The remainder of the time, the 4 of us enjoyed browsing in the many shops and sampling coffee in the various cafe's in and around the park. BTW, leather goods in Jerico are works of art... and sold at bargain prices (about 1/2 of what you would in Medellin.)
Things we want to see next time...
Cathedral Nuestro Senora de las Mercedes
El Salvador- A giant Christ Statue (like in Rio... but much smaller) perched upon a hill overlooking the pueblo
Los Bolsos- A botanical garden at the base of El Salvador
The telefrico from El Salvador to Parque Natural de los Nubes or the "Cloud Forest"
Sample some more local cuisine in the many restaurants throughout the pueblo
All in all... a good time was had by all... but we agreed that one night was not enough.