Because it’s no more than an hour away, but quite a few degrees colder than Colombia’s second largest city, the sleepy town of El Retiro is also referred to as “Medellin’s second floor”.
The town traditionally lives off its agriculture, milk, woodwork and furniture. Many of the too small wooden chairs with leather seats you so uncomfortably sit on in Medellin were manufactured in Retiro.
Tourism never was considered important by any of the town’s mayors, probably because no one thought any tourist would ever take the trouble taking the bumpy bus ride into the cooler climate.
This doesn’t mean Retiro isn’t interesting for tourists though. Its colonial city center is gorgeous, the people are friendly and the peace of the surrounding mountains is like a hot bath on a cold day or a cold shower on a hot day.
The cool thing about the mountains surrounding Retiro is that there are fincas everywhere. A short drive around the town or simply informing yourself in the town will probably get you a nice finca for a nice price where you can spend a few days enjoying the sun or light a fire to stay warm at night.