Silletero Flower Farms in Santa Elena
Farms of the silletero families in Santa Elena, up in the hills above Medellín, that take visitors all year with a reservation. One of the best known is the Finca Silletera Abuela Sarito, in the Mazo vereda.
- Hours
- Visits all year with a reservation through WhatsApp (checked 2026-10-12).
- Price
- Paid; the fee depends on the tour and is confirmed when you book.
- Price level
- $$$$$
- Duration
- 2 to 4 hours
- Address
- Finca Silletera Abuela Sarito, Vereda Mazo, Santa Elena corregimiento (rural district), Medellín (about 45 to 55 minutes by car from El Poblado).
The silleteros are the farmers of Santa Elena who come down every August carrying silletas (wooden frames loaded with flowers) on their backs in the Desfile de Silleteros of the Feria de las Flores. The rest of the year, several families open their farms: you walk through the gardens and crops, see how a silleta is built and hear the story of the tradition from the people who carry it.
The Finca Silletera Abuela Sarito is in the center of the Mazo vereda and is run by the Vásquez Gutiérrez family, with Guillermo León Vásquez in charge. It has a collection of more than 400 old objects from rural Antioquia, a garden of traditional flowers, a replica of an adobe chapel, a nature trail, a fonda (country-style tavern) where they give talks and workshops, and a kitchen for groups of up to 100 people.
Other farms are open too, like El Pensamiento, run by the Zapata family in the Barro Blanco vereda, with more than 70 species of flowers and a small family museum. They're all part of the Corporación de Silleteros de Santa Elena and ask you to book before you go.
What to see
- The gardens of traditional and ornamental flowers.
- The silleta-building workshop.
- The collection of old objects at Finca Abuela Sarito.
- The replica adobe chapel and the nature trail.
- The monument to the silleteros in the Santa Elena town square.
Getting there
- Bus: buses to Santa Elena leave from downtown, near La Placita de Flórez (Carrera 41 and Calle 50), every 30 minutes.
- Metro and Metrocable: Line A to Acevedo, Line K to Santo Domingo and Line L to Arví; from there, a shared van or on foot (about 15 minutes).
- Car: 45 to 55 minutes from downtown or El Poblado; the farm has parking.
Tips
- Book before you go up: the farms don't take visitors without an appointment.
- Bring a jacket; Santa Elena is colder than Medellín and it rains often.
- During the Feria de las Flores (late July and early August) there are more activities and also more people.
- Combine the visit with Parque Arví, in the same rural district.
FAQ
Can you visit the silletero farms outside the Feria de las Flores?
Yes. They take visitors all year, always with a reservation.
Where is Finca Abuela Sarito?
In the center of the Mazo vereda, in the Santa Elena rural district of Medellín.
How do you get there by public transportation?
By bus to Santa Elena from La Placita de Flórez, or by metro and Metrocable to Arví and then a shared van.
What do you do on the visit?
Walk through the gardens, see how a silleta is built and learn the history of the silletero tradition.
On the map
Photos: Andreasuescun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
