The first time I was going to travel to Rio Negro, Colombia, I remember my mother feared for my life. She had preconceived notions about Medellin, Colombia being a dangerous place, as it had been drug capital of the world–after all, that is where famous drug lords like Pablo Escobar came from. That was back in 2007 and I was seven months pregnant with my first child. I have since been back to Medellin, and more specifically Rio Negro, Antioquia a handful of times…2009 when my daughter was almost 2 years old, 2012 when my daughter was almost 5 and my son was one and a half, and then in 2014 and again in 2018. Every visit, I have always had a beautiful time and enjoyed being with beautiful people…who are also my family…because my husband is Colombian.
Heritage
My husband, William, was actually born in Venezuela. His mother is Colombian, and William hardly remembers Venezuela, but he remembers going to his uncle’s finca and riding horses with his cousins, or sleeping in the loft of his Abuelita’s house in Rio Negro. This is my children’s heritage and it is important to me that they know and experience it.
Medellin is quite the bustling city crammed into a valley that is surrounded by mountains. The Medellin airport is actually in Rio Negro, which is up in the mountains. My husband’s family lives in Rio Negro. He has described how it used to be this small village, but now Rio Negro is fairly populated as well. Bis Abuela’s (My husband’s grandmother, but my children’s great grandmother) home was in the old part of Rio Negro. It had the characteristics of a traditional town home….big wooden doors with wooden shuttered windows, and a courtyard in the center of the home.
Family and Fincas
Family gatherings were at Bis Abuela’s home, with lots of activity centered around the kitchen, cooking up favorite foods like empanadas, pan de queso, buñuelos, and arepas con queso fresco, among other delicious foods.
My times in Rio Negro were relaxed with a lot of quality family time. We took walks to the old covered bridge that my husband remembers from his childhood, or my mother-in-law took us on a walk to where she was born (although the structure is no longer there). On occasion while walking down the street we would come across a man herding his cows down the street, or we would see a donkey pulling a cart.
Our family took trips out to different fincas, which are country homes, that belong to different aunts and uncles and relax in the beautiful surroundings. Some of the fincas we visited were close to Rio Negro, and less developed, and other’s had beautiful homes.
Sopetran
Other finca’s were further away, like one in Sopetran, which was about a 2 hour drive from Rio Negro. Unlike the brisk weather in the mountainous area of Rio Negro, Sopetran was hot! Fortunately for us, the finca there had a pool! The village of Sopetran was quaint, and a walk through the town found people drying coffee beans. There was also a trail that led to a refreshing waterfall.
Medellin
Since I am not a city person–too “peopley”–Medellin isn’t the place that I gravitate too, however since we have more family that live there, we have spent some time there too. Mulitple times we have been there at Christmas, so we have been able to enjoy the Christmas lights downtown that cross the river, and though VERY crowded, I have enjoyed going there, although family has said that you need to be aware of your belongings (I have not had any problems). We have also found overlooks where we admire the cityscape against the mountainous backdrop.
Guatapé
One of my favorite places to go, and I think I have gone to visit each time, is the town of Guatapé. It is a small town set on the shores of the lake, but there are lots of tourists, although mostly local/national tourists. The town has an interesting history that we discovered during a boat tour of the lake– that the original town is actually under the lake. They built a dam and flooded the area, and at one point on the tour you can see the cross that was on the top of the church in town. You can also see where Pablo Escobar had a retreat on the outskirts of Guatapé that was bombed out by the government.
My favorite is climbing La Piedra del Peñol. It is a huge boulder that juts up out of the earth 656 feet, but the climb is not for the faint of heart. No elevators here, just 649 stairs, but worth the view at the top.
Eje Cafetero
On our last trip in 2018, we went for a family reunion and to celebrate Bis Abuela’s 97th birthday. The family decided to go to an area referred to as Eje Cafetero, in Quimbaya, Colombia….a 7+ hour drive away from Rio Negro. Since the family is quite large, we rented a bus to get down there. If you are prone to car sickness, this might not be the best option. Be advised, that the road is very curvy, and even with Dramamine, people still got sick (I felt nauseous a few times, and I don’t typically get motion sick). I was very thankful when we arrived!
Even before we left Rio Negro, the whole trip was planned to make sure that we arrived before Colombia’s World Cup game. The energy was palpable, and there was much excitement when Colombia pulled off the win against Poland, and then later in the week against Senegal. We stayed in a Finca-style “resort,” Hotel Campestre Montecarlo, that had individual quarters with bed/s and a bathroom, centered around a dining area with catered meals. It also had a pool and a small playground area for the kids to play on.
Parque Panaca
While in Eje Cafetero, we went to a couple different amusement parks. The first one we went to is called Parque Panaca. This park was less of an amusement park, but a park to celebrate the culture of Colombia, especially the countryside around Eje Cafetero. It’s tagline is “sin campo, no hay ciudad” which is roughly translated “without the country there is no city.”
You can enjoy shows and interact with different animals, mostly livestock. They also have shows with dancing and singing.
In some of the shows they call for volunteers, and sometimes, like in my case, they drag you up whether or not you want to go (I sat in the back corner, but I assume I look “American” enough, that I didn’t blend in. Although there were a lot of people, it appeared most of the people were from Colombia). My husband loved that I got pulled up, and of all things I competed with another volunteer to milk a cow–which was a new experience for me–and I WON (pat myself on the back). Definitely as an introvert, this was a little outside my comfort zone, but it made a good memory. That being said, the rudimentary Spanish I knew came in handy, but it would have been helpful if I knew more.
Parque del Cafe
We also visited Parque del Café, which was more of an amusement park with lots of different rides. Some of the roller coasters felt (to me) like they should have had more safety. For example, one of the coasters (Krater) only had a lap bar, and it felt like I could have slid out, as it goes straight up, as in looking directly up at the sky, before plummeting straight down, and if I recall it had some twisting upside down too. That being said, Krater was my daughter’s favorite ride (she was 10) and she rode it twice (with me), even though some adults (like my husband) didn’t want to take the risk.
There were many rides that had height restrictions (understandably), but it limited a lot of what my 7 year old son could ride on. Nonetheless, there was plenty to do, and my kids especially would love to go back.
Salento
We also stopped by the picturesque town of Salento. The family meandered the town’s street and stopped in stores to do some shopping. We found some local men that were willing to take us for horse back rides. Enough of the extended family wanted to go that we broke into two groups….those with more experience that could go at a faster pace, and those of us with less experience and/or children. It was a beautiful, albeit short, ride through the surrounding mountainous countryside. And peaceful. I recommend it!
Would I go back to Colombia? Ave Marie, pues, mija! Absolutely!!! It is a place near and dear to my heart. That being said, my next trip there will be different from all my other trips to Rio Negro. Within a month of our last trip (2018), Bis Abuela passed away, and took a piece of my Colombia.
Feel free to watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qos_qaBubo