in Antioquia Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam ante Aristippus, et ille melius. Nos paucis ad haec additis finem faciamus aliquando; Ergo adhuc, quantum equidem intellego, causa non videtur fuisse mutandi nominis. Quia nec honesto quic quam honestius nec turpi turpius. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Legimus tamen Diogenem, Antipatrum, Mnesarchum, Panaetium, multos alios in primisque familiarem nostrum Posidonium. Summum a vobis bonum voluptas dicitur. Prodest, inquit, mihi eo esse animo. Et nemo nimium beatus est; Qui non moveatur et offensione turpitudinis et comprobatione honestatis?

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1. Jardín – “A Colombian Colonial Jewel”

And so we finally find ourselves at the last of our top 10 secret Colombian tour locations – the absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Antioquian pueblo of Jardín. Meaning simply “Garden,” this pueblo has hardly altered since colonial times of 140 years ago. Still bearing the colonial architecture of the time, the whitewashed buildings are all regaled with bright and colourfully painted doors and windows, balconies and locally-made cowhide chairs. It will really feel as if you are stepping back in time to the true culture of Colombia. Not too heavily featured in guide books, the pueblo of Jardín really is a Colombian colonial jewel. And, if you’re looking fora true testimonial, you need only look at the number of city-dwelling Colombians that come and visit here during the holiday seasons.

4. Rio Claro – “Jungle Wildlife”

A not-so well kept Colombian secret is the thriving city of Medellín. However, did you know that a mere 3 hours away from its center, you can find yourself wandering within a protected tropical rainforest, a real jungle? Yes, dear traveler, indeed you can. Much of the Magdalena Valley was once home to vast stretches of rainforest, inhabited by many wildlife species. So-called progress has reduced their extent, but many still exist within conservation projects for the nature-loving tourist. One of these is the private ecolodge of Rio Claro, situated on the banks of the Magdalena River.

For those who like their personal documentaries to be based firmly in natural history, Rio Claro offers an amazing glimpse into the region’s jungle wildlife. Here, you can see red howler monkeys, white-footed tamarin monkeys, parrots, herons, toucans, giant fish, and even fluorescent scorpions (yes, fluorescent ones), and all the time dodging enormous blue morpho butterflies. A little harder to spot maybe, but the rainforest is also home to sloths and agoutis (big rats, to you and me), and otters can sometimes be seen larking about nearer the riverbanks.