Puente de Occidente

The Puente de Occidente crosses the Cauca River between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Olaya. It's 291 meters long and was built between 1887 and 1895 with wood, iron and steel, under the direction of Antioquian engineer José María Villa. In 1978 it was declared a national monument.

What stands out most are the two white towers on each side, with pointed roofs, and the cables running down to the wooden deck. Walking it end to end takes about 10 minutes, and from the middle you see the wide, brown Cauca between dry mountains.

In 2023 it was closed for almost ten months for maintenance, and in 2024 it closed again for a month because a car damaged some beams. Since September 2024 only pedestrians, motorcycles and motocarros can cross.

It's about 5 km from the center of Santa Fe de Antioquia, on the road toward Olaya and Sopetrán. The usual way is to take a mototaxi from the square and combine it with a walk around town on the same day.

What to see

• The white towers at each end.
• The bridge's wooden deck and cables.
• The Cauca River from the middle of the bridge.

Getting there

• From Santa Fe de Antioquia: mototaxi or motocarro from the main square, about 10 minutes.
• From Medellín: bus to Santa Fe de Antioquia from the Terminal del Norte (Caribe metro station), 1 to 2 hours, then a mototaxi to the bridge.

Tips

• Go in the morning: at midday the heat in the Cauca canyon is strong.
• Bring a cap, sunscreen and water.
• Arrange with the mototaxi driver to wait for you or pick you up at a set time to go back to town.