Hiking Up Morro Gacho in San Francisco, Antioquia

TLDR? If you’ve been skipping leg day for a while now, head over to Morro Gacho in San Francisco to get your workout in.

San Francisco’s a small town close to the Medellin countryside, known for its stunning landscapes and trekking. Nothing surprising for a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, rivers, and wildlife!

One of the opportunities to enjoy what this region has to offer is hiking up Morro Gacho.

Check out this guide on what to expect when you head out to Morro Gacho. I’ll tell you all you need to know to enjoy this experience!

What to Know About Morro Gacho

Before we start talking about the hike, let’s get a feel for what Morro Gacho actually is. Morro Gacho is also known by the locals as “Teta del Morro”, “Morro de La Teta” or “La Teta”.

This mountain is over 7000 feet above sea level (2,300m) and the beginning of many water flows that became waterfalls. One of these is El Morro Waterfall, from which crystal clear waters you may drink. Refreshing!

This mountain has exceptional biodiversity and five-grade climbing difficulty. In other words, it’s quite the hike.

The Hike to Morro Gacho

The tour can start from San Francisco or Pailania. From there, you head up the mountain for about three or four hours, depending on how fast you can walk.

The hike’s about 4 miles (6,26km) long, with an unevenness of almost 4000 feet (1.161m). If you’ve skipped leg day, this will make up for it!

The highest point to reach is 6646 feet (2.026m), and the view from there is worth the effort! You’ll see some beautiful Antioquian landscapes, such as San Francisco, Magdalena River, San Nicolas Valley, the canyon of Verde River, and the Santo Domingo River. With a clear-sky day and a little luck, you’ll also see the stunning top of Sonson mountain.

The return can be from the same trail or a different one. It takes two hours. Finish the day by jumping into the cold water of the Santo Domingo River, the best way to relax your muscles after this workout!

Flora and Fauna

You’ll be amazed by the variety of flowers and plants along the way. Colorful flowers that came out of moss mattresses are the sign that characterizes this trek!

You’ll also find wild orchids growing into green grass or the bark of the trees. Do you know that the orchid is the national flower of Colombia? Colombians are very protective of this flower!

And if you want to see wild animals, I’ve got good news! You’ll share the hike with armadillos, squirrels, and opossums. I suggest you bring a good quality camera or a binocular to appreciate the variety of birds in the area and practice bird watching.

What Do You Need?

It’s better to bring just the bare necessities to make your walk easier. Trust me, the hike is steep, and the more you pack the harder it’s going to be.

Here are some things you will need on your hike: 

• Good quality shoes: with a firm grip and waterproof.
• A raincoat: the weather here’s mostly sunny, but better not let a little storm ruin your trip.
• A comfortable backpack: make sure it’s light and waterproof as well since you never know what might happen.
• Medicine: better safe than sorry!
• Water and snacks: if you bring plastic, please remember to pack it back out with you. We all need to do our part to take care of nature! 
• A camera: to take pictures and remember these moments!

Included in the Hike

What’s included in the hike depends on the tour you booked. Some include snacks, lunch and water, the guide, and the transfer from San Francisco and return. Some agencies also provide transport from Medellin to San Francisco. 

If you prefer to explore a new place by yourself, you can also hike up Morro Gancho on your own. Just be careful and ask for as much information as possible from the local people. You don’t want to get lost, after all.

Once you’ve got all the details, though, it’s a great way to enjoy the silence of a solo hike in nature.

For those who’d rather stick with a guide, I recommend you go with Aventura San Francisco. I’ve done hikes and rappelling tours with them and they’re absolutely fantastic.

They also offer three-day long trekking at Camino de Murringo. It was another rather unforgettable experience, so if you’re feeling brave, check that out!

Camino de Murringo

The trek in Camino de Murringo lasts about 19 miles (32km) and three days. You’ll walk along Río Verde, Río Melcocho, Río Verde de Los Henaos, and Río Verde de Los Montes. The difficulty’s almost the same as Morro Gacho.

Don’t worry about its length, because the stunning scenery will recharge your energy! The price of this hike is affordable and includes three meals a day plus snacks, water, insurance, accommodation in a cottage, and transport.

Hiking Up to The Unforgettable view of Antioquia!

So, get your workout on, enjoy some nature, and let Antioquia amaze you one more time!

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