Park Arví in Santa Elena

Description

Park Arví is located in Santa Elena. When I visited it was a wooded area and it had a very different climate to Medellin. If you go, I recommend that you wear comfortable and warm clothes. Is it the traditional zone of the chair makers, the ones who prepare them for the festival of flowers every year, loading ornaments of more than 70 kilos on their backs to take part.

How to get there?

I believe that you can get there by bus and by car, however, the route is longer because it goes via the road. The best way to go there if you are a tourist is in the metro, which becomes a cable car to arrive there. The metro is cheap and to get there you have to take the Santa Elena line, on that line you will be transferred to a cable car. I have never been up in one but the cable car allows you to enjoy a panorama of the city. Something very interesting is that the route to the park allows you to value the the poorest areas of the city and a public library with some beautiful architecture on the top. To travel up, the specific transfer to Park Arví has an extra cost. If you pay it you can arrive at the park within 20 minutes, whilst you can appreciate the wooded area, the flora and fauna whilst you have a pleasant conversation.

What to do there?

Park Arví has lots of activities. You can rent bikes (don't forget some form of identification, since I forgot mine and I was not able to rent one) and explore the park with the help of a guide or without one. The park is quite big and you can only wonder around some parts. Also, you can go walking. You can rent cabins and camp within the park, but it is very important not to get lost as it is huge. Just by the entrance there are people selling typical Colombian food, natural artefacts and lots of artisan products that are reasonable prices. And near the time of the festival of flowers (the first week of August) there are some ornaments with flowers exemplifying the silleteros (chair makers). In the entrance there is an enormous map to help you from getting lost. Also, there are numerous horses and some things you can ride. There are highway areas so take care. It is important to respect the return time of the cable car. I remember that it was at 6 pm, since after this time you have to return via a truck on the road.

Any recommendations?

Wear trainers, comfortable clothes, a jacket. If you want to buy souvenirs of Colombia and to eat something other than typical food then bring money.

Would you go again?

I think that this is one of those places where one visit is enough to see it well, however, I would not have a problem with going to visit this place again.