Medellín to Girardot City Road Trip: Stops Along the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Medellín to Girardot City is 254 miles (408 km), about 6 h 12 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Colombia — Level 3, Reconsider Travel

Read the full advisory before you go: Colombia. Advisory issued: Colombia March 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Colombia: “Mountain roads may lack safety features such as crash barriers or guard rails.”
Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La EstrellaCatedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, CaldasOur Lady of Poverty Cathedral, PereiraJardín BotánicoQuimbaya MuseumCatedral de la Inmaculada Concepción de ArmeniaJardín BotanicoCatedral de IbaguéMuseo de Arte del TolimaMedellínGirardot City
Route from Medellín to Girardot City with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance254 mi (408 km)
Drive time without stops6 h 12 min
Main roads, in order25BAN
Departments on the routeAntioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío, Tolima, Cundinamarca
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

The Medellín–Girardot City drive in a few lines

25BAN (42 mi) carries about 17% of the 254 miles. It runs through 6 departments: Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío, Tolima, Cundinamarca. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Medellín to Girardot City, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miDepartment
local roads0–88Antioquia
connecting roads8–91Antioquia
local roads9–145Antioquia
connecting roads14–162Antioquia
local roads16–237Antioquia
25BAN23–6542Antioquia
local roads65–166101Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío
connecting roads166–1704Quindío
local roads170–25484Quindío, Tolima, Cundinamarca
  • Mile 66 of this route: Antioquia → Caldas (department line)
  • Mile 101 of this route: Caldas → Risaralda (department line)
  • Mile 104 of this route: Risaralda → Caldas (department line)
  • Mile 132 of this route: Caldas → Risaralda (department line)
  • Mile 159 of this route: Risaralda → Quindío (department line)
  • Mile 185 of this route: Quindío → Tolima (department line)
  • Mile 252 of this route: Tolima → Cundinamarca (department line)

Stops between Medellín and Girardot City

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 9), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (mile 14), Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, Pereira (mile 145), Jardín Botánico (mile 147), Quimbaya Museum (mile 170)
  • Museums and history: Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 9), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (mile 14), Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, Pereira (mile 145), Jardín Botánico (mile 147), Quimbaya Museum (mile 170), Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción de Armenia (mile 174), Jardín Botanico (mile 174), Catedral de Ibagué (mile 213), Museo de Arte del Tolima (mile 214)

Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella

Mile 9 · Basilica · 0.9 mi from the route

Part of the Archdiocese of Medellín, this Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá stands in the municipality of La Estrella, Antioquia.

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas

Mile 14 · Cathedral · 0.0 mi from the route

This Catholic cathedral in the Colombian municipality of Caldas is dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy and serves as the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Caldas.

Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, Pereira

Mile 145 · Cathedral · 0.5 mi from the route

Pereira Cathedral, formally Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, is the Catholic cathedral of Pereira, capital of Colombia's Risaralda department, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Jardín Botánico

Mile 147 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Jardín Botánico (Jardín Botánico de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira) is a center for research, conservation and environmental education at the Technological University of Pereira, Colombia.

Quimbaya Museum

Mile 170 · Museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Designed by architect Rogelio Salmona, Armenia's Quimbaya Museum displays about 390 gold objects plus pottery, stone sculpture and carved wood, mainly from the pre-Columbian Quimbaya culture.

Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción de Armenia

Mile 174 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Facing the Plaza de Bolívar in Armenia, capital of Quindío, this Catholic cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

Jardín Botanico

Mile 174 · Museum · 2 mi from the route

The Quindío Botanical Garden (Jardín botánico del Quindío) is made up of a group of rural properties in Colombia's Quindío department.

Catedral de Ibagué

Mile 213 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Formally dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the Catedral de Ibagué (Catedral Metropolitana de Ibagué) stands on the east side of Plaza de Bolívar in central Ibagué, at Carrera 3 and Calle 10.

Museo de Arte del Tolima

Mile 214 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

In Ibagué, capital of Tolima, the Museo de Arte del Tolima shows Colombian art alongside contemporary Latin American work.

More drives to Girardot City

From Medellín to other places in Colombia

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Medellín to Girardot City?

About 6 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 254 miles.

What is the driving distance from Medellín to Girardot City?

About 254 miles (408 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.

Is it safe to drive from Medellín to Girardot City?

The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Read the full advisory before you go.

What are good stops between Medellín and Girardot City?

Closest to the road: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (cathedral, mile 14, 0.0 mi from the route); Our Lady of Poverty Cathedral, Pereira (cathedral, mile 145, 0.5 mi from the route); Jardín Botánico (museum, mile 147, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.

How we put this guide together

Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.

Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.