The oldest city in Antioquia — white colonial walls in the hot Cauca valley
Santa Fe de Antioquia is the historic capital of the region that would later give birth to Medellín, founded by the Spanish in 1541 on the banks of the Cauca River at a lower, hotter elevation than the rest of Antioquia. The town is a beautifully preserved colonial gem: whitewashed buildings with terracotta roofs, cobblestone streets, gold-mining-era churches, and a bridge of fame — the Puente de Occidente, a 291-metre iron suspension bridge built in 1895 that was one of the first of its kind in the Americas. It sits only 80km from Medellín, making it a favourite weekend escape for Paisas see…
Founded as 'Santa Fe' in 1541 by Marshal Jorge Robledo, it served as the political and ecclesiastical capital of Antioquia for nearly three centuries until Medellín supplanted it in the early 19th century. The town's relative decline after losing the capital status is precisely what preserved its colonial fabric — unlike Medellín, it never underwent large-scale modernisation. Its Cathedral of Santa Bárbara (1729), the Church of Chiquinquirá, and the Museo de Arte Religioso all date from the gold-rush colonial era when Antioquian gold flowed through this town.