EAST
The green Route of Antioquia
If you are looking for a traditional touristic place and close to Medellin, you do not have to look any further: The East of Antioquia. It has various places to enjoy, cultural offerings, beautiful natural landscapes, wide offerings in hotels and gastronomy; all these things make this subregion a must-see.
When you leave Medellín, just 30 minutes after you go on the road, you may start to enjoy the natural beauty of the subregion. The municipalities of this trajectory which have received the name of the Green Route are a constant attraction on the highland, and to get to them, one may use three routes starting from the capital of the department, all of them destined for Rionegro, the main municipality of the zone.
One way is the one that heads up to Santa Elena, where the silleteros are from and where each year they give life to the Flower Fair. Santa Elena belongs to Medellin; it is the first cultural and weather sampling of the East: Agricultural vocation and it has an average temperature of 16°C.
Another option is las Palmas road. On the Alto de las palmas, one may indulge in typical cuisine, meats or arepas of chocolo. Along the road it is possible to buy craftsmanship work in wood or rustic furniture. Also, One may take a deviation towards El Retiro And La Ceja, Other two municipalities of the Eastern part of the departament. In addition, this road takes you closer to one of the dams of the subregion: La Fé, near to El Retiro And La Ceja.
The third way is Medellin Bogota Highway. The first municipality that you encounter is Guarne, where worseback riding races take place at its hippodrome, on Thursdays and Saturdays. These races are closely watched by lovers of horseback riding in the country.
A natural and potential abundance of the East are the water reservoirs. This has motivated the creation of hydroelectric plants, and for this reason Antioquia supplies a third of the energy that the entire country consumes. Therefore, the "Touristic Dams Route" was created.
The most famous dam of the subregion is El Peñol-Guatape, located an hour and half from Medellín and it is close to two municipalities that give the dam its name. One may go through the dam by boat and enjoy a pleasant stay on the dam's banks, thanks the hotel infrastructure available all year long. When the dam was built, the El peñol municipality was completely flooded and had to be transferred to another place.
There, aquatic sports are practiced such as water ski and canoeing. Next to the dam it is also located the El Peñol's rock.
When one ascends up the top of the rock, located 220 meters from the solid ground after one ascends almost 700 stairs, one's eyes see the spectacle of the highland covered by the dam. Furthermore, on top of the stone, was built a place where you may buy and indulge in products from the region.
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| Guatape's dam and its stone in the background |
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| Area in the municipality of Guarne |
One way is the one that heads up to Santa Elena, where the silleteros are from and where each year they give life to the Flower Fair. Santa Elena belongs to Medellin; it is the first cultural and weather sampling of the East: Agricultural vocation and it has an average temperature of 16°C.
Another option is las Palmas road. On the Alto de las palmas, one may indulge in typical cuisine, meats or arepas of chocolo. Along the road it is possible to buy craftsmanship work in wood or rustic furniture. Also, One may take a deviation towards El Retiro And La Ceja, Other two municipalities of the Eastern part of the departament. In addition, this road takes you closer to one of the dams of the subregion: La Fé, near to El Retiro And La Ceja.
The third way is Medellin Bogota Highway. The first municipality that you encounter is Guarne, where worseback riding races take place at its hippodrome, on Thursdays and Saturdays. These races are closely watched by lovers of horseback riding in the country.
A natural and potential abundance of the East are the water reservoirs. This has motivated the creation of hydroelectric plants, and for this reason Antioquia supplies a third of the energy that the entire country consumes. Therefore, the "Touristic Dams Route" was created.
The most famous dam of the subregion is El Peñol-Guatape, located an hour and half from Medellín and it is close to two municipalities that give the dam its name. One may go through the dam by boat and enjoy a pleasant stay on the dam's banks, thanks the hotel infrastructure available all year long. When the dam was built, the El peñol municipality was completely flooded and had to be transferred to another place.
There, aquatic sports are practiced such as water ski and canoeing. Next to the dam it is also located the El Peñol's rock.
When one ascends up the top of the rock, located 220 meters from the solid ground after one ascends almost 700 stairs, one's eyes see the spectacle of the highland covered by the dam. Furthermore, on top of the stone, was built a place where you may buy and indulge in products from the region.
