Don’t miss this hike in Jardín, Colombia — Ruta de las 7 Cascadas
Jardín is a colorful cowboy town tucked away in the mountains of Antioquia, one of Colombia’s 32 departments.
Less touristy than some of the more well-known stops on the classic backpacker trail, Jardín’s quaint charm and authentic feel quickly made it my favorite place I’ve visited so far in Colombia.
There is something for everyone — whether it’s photography, bird watching, coffee, hiking, or just strolling through the colonial streets and observing local life. I read another blog and the author said that she felt more like an observer than a tourist in Jardín compared to the other Colombian destinations she had visited, and I think that is a good way of putting it. One of my favorite things to do here was just sitting in the plaza at night and watching kids chase each other around the fountain and trios of older men in cowboy hats gather for their evening beers.
This post, however, will focus on one particular hike I did, because Jardín truly is a hiker’s paradise.
The 7 Waterfalls hike (Ruta de las 7 Cascadas) is a 20.5 km loop that takes you to four impressive waterfalls and passes through green valleys, rolling hills, and lush jungle. The varied terrain and scenery make the 7 hour hike one of the most fun and interesting hikes I’ve ever done.
The Route
I used this map from Wikiloc. The trail is not well marked and you could easily take a wrong turn somewhere, so you do need to navigate yourself. Wikiloc has GPS so your map will automatically sync with your walking even when you lose service. I would recommend doing the loop clockwise, so the reverse of how it’s marked by the arrows above. This way you do more of the technical hiking in the first half of the hike, and the second half is a relaxed cool-down on a flat/downhill gravel road through some beautiful rolling hills and fields of flowers with grazing cows.
The first waterfall, Cascada la Escalera, is located by Puente Curvo, which I took a tuk tuk to in order to save time. The ride took about 15 minutes from the main plaza in town and cost us 12,000 COP. If you get an early start at 8 or 9 a.m., you could definitely walk this bit.
Thumbs up for waterfall #1!
From here, it’s a mild ascent past some banana plantations until you reach a house at the end of a driveway. It felt a little weird just walking onto someone’s property but don’t worry — you are going the right way. On the right side of the house is a small gate. Go through that gate and you’ll pass a few cows. From here the trail continues past a few more cattle gates and the ascent steepens as you pass beautiful green valleys that reminded me of Switzerland. Every two minutes I was pulling out my phone to take another picture because it just kept getting prettier.
We arrived at waterfall #2, la Caída del Dragón, about an hour after starting at Puente Curvo. There is a small pool at the bottom of the waterfall if you feel like going for a cold dip. I unfortunately forgot a bathing suit and chose to wear long pants so I didn’t go in.
Arms out for waterfall #2!
After a snack break and maybe a cold plunge, you have to go back the way you came from to continue hiking. The trail does not continue on the other side of the waterfall like I thought it would. The next leg of the hike will take you to the most dramatic of the four waterfalls, Cueva de los Guácharos. This stretch of trail is the most technical and strenuous of the entire loop, especially the descent to the bottom of the waterfall which involves lowering yourself down several slabs of vertical rock with ropes. We were lucky and had perfect weather all day, but I imagine this would be pretty tough in slippery conditions.
This was the most congested part of the trail; we ran into several guided groups here, but other than that we only saw a few people all day.
Upon reaching the bottom, you are greeted with a refreshing spray accompanied by the thunderous sound of water falling and rushing. The area surrounding the pool is partially covered by rock, giving it the cave-like feeling it is named after.
Not one but two thumbs up for waterfall #3!
To get back on the trail, you’ll need to hoist yourself back up the series of rocks you just came down until you reach a fork in the path. At this point, keep right and you’ll be on your way to the fourth and final waterfall of the hike (not sure why it’s called the 7 Waterfalls hike — maybe I missed the other three?). 20 minutes after keeping right at that fork, you will reach a rushing river with some ropes. Cross the river and you will come to peaceful pool, perfect for a swim and lizard (sunbathing) session. I was slightly stressed about time and wanted to make sure we were back before dark, so we just had a quick snack break, but the spot is idyllic if you have a little more time to relax here.
River crossing
Perfection
From here, it is about another 20 minutes until you reach the final (and best!) waterfall, Salto del Ángel. Best for last:) This waterfall felt more peaceful than the others. The rush of water was quieter and there was a nice misty spray all around the fall. As I pulled out my phone to take some pictures, I noticed a rainbow had formed at the bottom, making the whole scene almost ethereal.
This picture doesn’t even do it justice
Hike for about another hour before reaching the gravel road. Everything is so GREEN. I couldn’t get over it. Some of the trail here is quite overgrown so just make sure you’re referring to your map.
Once you reach the gravel road, it is all flat and downhill for the rest of the route. You’ll pass gentle rolling hills and valleys with cows frolicking in the distance. Yes, frolicking! I had never seen a cow run before. I saw not one, not two, but THREE cows running with their ears flapping behind them in the wind. You will come to a house with a big blue gate and a German Shepherd. To pass through, the woman at the gate will charge you 17,000 COP. Shortly after, we came across a field of flowers that actually looked like how I picture Heaven. You’ll pass a few fincas playing Colombian music on speakers, the notes traveling all the way across the valley. The whole thing was out of a storybook. I’m trying my best to paint a good picture, but you just have to experience it for yourself.
Eventually, the gravel road spits you out onto the paved road leading back into town.
The house directly across from the end of the gravel road caught our attention with its elaborate garden and colorful flowers, so we paused for a moment to admire it. The lady who lives there was watering her plants when she saw us and she immediately waved us on in. At first I felt odd walking onto someone’s yard and I thought maybe the woman wanted money, but really she was just proud of her garden and wanted to share it with us. She insisted we take pictures by the porch window and the trickling fountain. Her name was Olga<3
What to Bring
At least two liters of water
Some snacks or lunch
Good hiking shoes
Sunscreen (I burnt my nose)
Cash to pay the woman at the gate
Bathing suit!
We sat at a little cafe attached to someone’s house and enjoyed a drink as the sun set over Jardín in the distance. The two steeples of the impressive Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepción peeked above the grass where (again) cows grazed peacefully.