Colombia
Region
Antioquia is a department in northwestern Colombia, stretching from the Andes to the Caribbean coast on the Gulf of Urabá.
by Felix Gillen
Antioquia is a department in northwestern Colombia, stretching from the Andes to the Caribbean coast on the Gulf of Urabá. You go there for Medellín, the country's second-largest city, and for the surrounding mountain villages like Guatapé and Jardín.
Antioquia, covering approximately 63,600 km², is Colombia's sixth-largest department and has nearly 7 million inhabitants. More than half of them live in the Valle de Aburrá, the valley surrounding the capital city Medellín.SubregionsFor travelers, three parts are particularly interesting: the Valle de Aburrá with Medellín, the Oriente with the Guatapé reservoir and the Piedra del Peñol, and the Suroeste with coffee villages like Jardín. To the north, Antioquia has about 220 km of Caribbean coastline, including the Gulf of Urabá.
Food & Drink in Antioquia
Paisa cuisine is hearty and rustic, featuring beans, pork, corn, and panela. In the mountain villages, fresh trout from fish farms is also served.
Bandeja paisa
A large plate with rice, beans, chicharrón, ground meat, chorizo, fried egg, arepa, avocado, and ripe plantain. It is Antioquia's signature dish and often serves two.
Mazamorra with bocadillo
Cooked corn in milk, sweetened with sugar or panela, with a piece of guava paste. Traditionally eaten after Bandeja Paisa.
Arepa Antioquian
Thin, plain Arepa, just corn, lightly toasted. Also available with cheese or butter.
Aguapanela
Panela drink, unrefined cane sugar, served hot or cold with lime. It accompanies many meals in Antioquia.
Best Time to Visit
When is the best time for your trip?
23–24°C·53–244 mm(heavy rain)
Medellín has year-round temperatures of 22 to 24 degrees. It rains least in June-August and December-February. April-May and Oct-Nov each bring over 230 mm of rain.
The values come from Olaya Herrera Airport. Jardín in southwestern Antioquia is 1,750 meters higher than Medellín.
Seasons
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Dryer season, Peak season
The drier period
Transitional
The Rains
Best Time to Visit
▶Show detailed monthly data
| Month | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Sun (h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23.0 | 141 | 5.5 |
| February | 23.3 | 149 | 5.4 |
| March | 23.1 | 251 | 4.8 |
| April | 22.8 | 300 | 4.1 |
| May | 23.0 | 239 | 4.5 |
| June | 23.7 | 87 | 5.5 |
| July | 24.0 | 56 | 6.4 |
| August | 23.9 | 53 | 6.0 |
| September | 23.2 | 115 | 4.9 |
| October | 22.2 | 276 | 4.3 |
| November | 22.0 | 327 | 4.5 |
| December | 22.5 | 244 | 4.9 |
Videos & Travel Reports
Städtetrip: Medellín, Kolumbien | DW Deutsch
Der Städtetrip der Deutschen Welle stellt Medellín vor, die zweitgrößte Stadt Kolumbiens. Er erzählt auch, wie sich die Stadt seit ihrem Ruf als gefährlichste Stadt verändert hat.
Deutsche Welle introduces Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, and how it…
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Paisa Culture
The inhabitants of Antioquia call themselves Paisas. In the 19th century, colonists from Antioquia settled large parts of what would become the coffee region in the south; many places in the coffee zone were founded by them.Feria de las Flores: Medellín's big flower festival takes place in August.Zócalos: In Guatapé, painted relief plinths from the early 20th century adorn house facades.Coffee: In Suroeste, coffee is the most important crop, for example, around Jardín.
Getting There and About
Medellín: Central hub with Metro, Metrocable and two long-distance bus terminals.To Guatapé: Buses from the North Terminal in Medellín, about two hours.To Jardín: Buses from the Terminal del Sur in Medellín, around 134 km, 3 to 4 hours depending on the connection via winding mountain roads.
