Jardín — a breath of fresh air.
The central square
Town & People
Jardín is the Spanish word for “garden” and it’s a great way to represent its colors and many flowers. Tucked in a valley in the Andes, it is surrounded by mountain views and offers a small-town feel. Community and culture are obviously prioritized here as there is a large and vibrant central square where locals gather often. It is common to see horses trotting through town and men wearing sombreros that represent their heritage.
While local people are friendly, they do not go out of their way to entertain or please tourists. Hardly anyone speaks English and they don’t seem interested in attracting too many tourists. They seem more focused on preserving the environment and culture they have built than attracting visitors and exploiting their heritage for profit. They have their art, food and coffee for that.
Waterfalls & Attractions
Jardín is known by Colombians for the beautiful views and many waterfalls in the region. It is encouraged to visit as many of these waterfalls as you can. I visited Cascada Escalera by tuk tuk as well as Cueva del Esplendor by jeep and a moderate - difficult trek. It was one of the most unique waterfalls I’ve ever seen and I was pleased to learn they are monitoring the visitors, asking for entry fees for trail / infrastructure maintenance, and not encouraging over-tourism to the natural site. My group was the only one at the waterfall so it was apparent the regulation is paying off at keeping the natural wonder pristine.
Cueva del Esplendor
Locals also encourage tourists to appreciate the town from a different perspective at Cafe Jardín. From all viewpoints, including this one, you can see the large Catholic Church towering above the town. It seems to be a root of the community and centrally placed on purpose as spirituality is definitely engrained in this community.
Cafe Jardín
The church at the central square
Food & Cafes
Another notable aspect of this town was the amazing food and cafes. While there is a fair share of traditional Colombian food, it seems as though people in Jardin enjoy exploring news ways of cooking, eating and coffee-making. Since many Italians have immigrated to the town, there are many Italian restaurants that could compete with those in Italy itself. They have also taken a stab at Thai food and other far-away foods, which is rare for such a small town. And then there’s the coffee…. they really love their coffee.
Since coffee is the region’s largest export, most of the best coffee gets shipped away. However, there are some places that reserve the highest quality coffee for locals and visitors. I really enjoyed the coffee by Cafe Macanas, located next to the church in the main square as well as in another location at the sweet shop, called Dulces del Jardín. I walked in here thinking I would just be getting a desert and ended up having the barista, Richard, show me how he brews the coffee with the pourover method and try the coffee he is obviously very proud of. It has scents of florals that matched the flower decor around the shop and had an acidic taste, signifying it’s light roast composition. Richard let us know he is also experimenting with CBD coffee, now that it is legal in Colombia. He imported marijuana plants from California, USA and is growing his own to use in the coffee. We got to try this as well — very relaxing.
Dulces del Jardín
It was a real privilege to explore the lovely town of Jardin. I was amazed at how self sufficient this small town is and how well they are working to preserve their culture, heritage and natural environment. Moderate tourism is surely welcomed and encouraged, but it is important visitation is sustainable and supportive of the community’s progressive economic and social conditions. This is surely not a destination that needs tourists’ help to be beautiful.
