Medellín is truly blessed with the natural beauty of lush, green mountains completely surrounding the city.

On a beautiful Saturday morning, we headed to a lesser known park called Parque Ecoturistico El Salado located in the mountains of the Medellín suburb, Envigado. After a short ride on the Metro, we hopped on the local bus that took us up the mountain to the park entrance.

The Park

The 42-acre ecological reserve contains picnic and swimming areas, trails, play structures, and nature activities.

The park is supported by the government and by Comfenalco, a nonprofit company that provides health, wellness, and other services to the residents of Antioquia.

After we entered the park, we headed to a skill test activity. This activity consisted of a 60-meter course passing through obstacles twenty feet in the air. The older I get, the more afraid of heights I become. So, this was really a test for me. Our friend Angela also took the challenge. Kathy was in charge of cheering us on, taking photos and screaming for us. I’m sure if we fell, she would be right there to catch us.

Park Trails

The park has manicured paths, gardens and trails that lead to the top of the mountain and to miradors” (look-out spots) for gorgeous views of the park and the city. Along the path, we saw birds, butterflies, and exotic plants. There are also trails that follow the river which runs through the park.

We continued our hike along the river to the large picnic area with seventeen picnic shelters for family and group gatherings. Each shelter has benches, tables, and hooks to hang hammocks. There are also fire pits for cooking. The traditional Colombian soup called Sancocho is the usual picnic food cooked over the open fire. The restaurant inside the park sells the soup kit with kettle, chicken, veggies including corn, yucca, potato, carrots, and other veggies.

As we hiked along the river we saw children and adults haul their blankets, snacks, and towels along the river trails to stake the perfect spot for swimming in the river.

During our time in Medellin, we have visited most of the tourist sites and on this Saturday we enjoyed the solitude and nature of Parque Salada.

Every day since we arrived six months ago, we give thanks for the perfect temperatures, sunshine, flowers, and greenery all around us. Because Medellin sits at nearly 5,000 feet above sea level near the Equator, it has summer-like temperatures year-round. The average high is around the 80-degree mark and the temperature at night drops to around 60 degrees. It rains every few days but usually the rain comes in the late afternoon for an hour or less. We take out our umbrellas and continue our walk.

We will miss this city called, “The City of Eternal Spring.” We are leaving soon for Equador and we will be at a much higher altitude with cooler temperatures. We think we will enjoy wearing sweaters and jackets but will miss the perfect weather here.