Colombia: Medellin > Jerico > Mantanza > Donkey Sunrise @ La Union

Jan 2026 |

From Medellin, this was the first phase of the long ride south to the Ecuador border.

Ride 1: Medellin > Jerico

South of Medellin are 2 famous colonial towns, Jerico and Jardin. I worked out that it's possible to ride from Jerico to Jardin, and then south, so I chose to go to Jerico. After a ride through the grimy and traffic-filled south side of Medellin, the road comes to a narrow valley and then runs through some impressive scenery. Eventually, you turn off to Jerico, up over a high plateau, with some incredible views of the valley below. Jerico is a nice town, though I wouldn't put it at the same level as other famous colonial towns like Barichara or Villa de Leyva. I stayed one night, next to an extremely loud and melodramatic couple creating some serious sound effects.

Ride: 221 km / 7 hours

R2: Jerico to Jardin (abandoned) / Jerico to Manzales

I set out from Jerico for Jardin on an overgrown rural road, covered in wet leaves. Further along the road was a gnarly unpaved track, followed by a turn-off onto a worse-looking road (I think Google Maps was giving me wrong directions). Rather than just going for it, I stopped and waited until a moto came along that I could get some feedback regarding conditions. It was a local couple on a 250cc enduro bike; they showed me a video of the guy trying to ride up a muddy, steep section, spinning out. My mind was made up: I cancelled the plan to ride to Jardin and rode back to Jerico.

Manizales was a 4-hour ride south, so I set out for there. It's an interesting city, built high up the side of a famous volcano. It has some insanely steep streets. I stayed near the town square, a bit of a rough neighborhood. Unfortunately, the volcano was clouded over the next day, so I never saw it.

Ride: 185 km / 5 hrs

R3: Manizales to La Union / Donkey Sunrise

The ride from Manizales was nice, fairly flat, along a river plain, farmland, easy and relaxing. La Union is a fairly nondescript small town. But, as the home to Donkey Sunrise, it is a major draw for ADV riders. Donkey is run by a Dutch guy and his Venezuelan wife, and offers accommodation, F&B, a shop, bike rentals/tours/sales, and lots of great camaraderie. I only stayed a couple of nights, but there were others who had been around for a month or longer. It's a great place to enjoy some community, share plans, and make new friends. You definitely do not want to miss it if you are heading this direction.

Ride: 123 km / 3 hours

Stay: Donkey Sunrise *****