Federico, Christine (a German traveler who stayed in my household for the past week and served as a much-appreciated companion), and I ventured to Santa Fe de Antioquia for a day of exploration on Thursday. Our journey there took us through many beautiful scenes of the Andes Mountains (up to the clouds) and through the longest tunnel in all of Latin America (8 kilometers!). Santa Fe is the oldest settlement of the area and is very well preserved because of its “Patrimonio Cultural” status, which means that its buildings and public places cannot be modernized in any way. It was founded in 1541 and has tons of history, a lot of which is related to the large role it played in the slave trade. It features old-fashioned, narrow cobblestone streets and elaborately carved woodwork around windows and doorways. The pueblo definitely had a very colonial feel to it!
In addition, Santa Fe de Antioquia is home to the national monument of Puente de Occidente (“West Bridge”), which is an attraction because it was one of the first suspension bridges constructed in the Americas. It was designed my José María Villa and was completed between 1887 and 1895. We braved the heat and humidity to cross the bridge and climb various rock faces to get better views of the scenery and the Cauca River.
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