Cerro El Picacho, Mountainous natural park in northwestern Medellín, Colombia
Cerro El Picacho is a hill in northwestern Medellín, Colombia, with a network of paths, viewing areas, and religious monuments at the top. Its slopes carry patches of native forest, while the summit holds a Christ statue and supporting urban infrastructure.
The hill was part of a royal road connecting Santa Fe de Antioquia and Medellín from the 18th century through the early 1900s. The Christ monument was put up in 1936, shifting the site from a transit route into a place of pilgrimage.
The summit statue is called Cristo del Picacho, a figure over 10 metres tall. Monseñor Félix Henao Botero, founder of the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, promoted its placement in 1936 among farming families near the hill and city residents. It remains a pilgrimage site, and the Colombian singer Darío Gómez referenced the hill in his 1996 song "El morro".
The paved, lit road from the El Picacho neighborhood carries little motor traffic and is used for jogging and dog walking. Since 2021 the Metrocable Line P links Acevedo Metro station with the hill, with a public stretch to the neighborhood and a tourist stretch up to the summit. Strong winds at the top favor kite flying; on weekends vendors sell hot chocolate and empanadas.
The Colombian singer Darío Gómez released the song "El morro" in 1996, which refers to Cerro El Picacho. The hill also keeps stone embankments from the old royal road between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Medellín, still visible along the route.
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