Medellin was once near to the remaining position someone would pass.
For many years, it used to be referred to as the bottom of Colombia’s maximum notorious cartel, the house of Pablo Escobar, and (within the early Nineteen Nineties) for actually having the sector’s easiest crime fee. Yep, it used to be very a lot no bueno.
Then, Medellin progressed… so much.
I first visited Medellin again in 2014 simply prior to it actually hit the highlight. I believe for plenty of vacationers it used to be a fantastic marvel to determine Medellin used to be more secure, livelier, and extra habitable than they’d imagined. Quickly, many expats and virtual nomads additionally started to acknowledge Medellin as an reasonably priced and engaging position to are living.
Phrase unfold. Medellin become a factor.
Now, as I revisit Medellin in 2022, it kind of feels the pendulum has swung the opposite direction.
In recent years, Colombia shuttle boards and discussion groups debate whether or not Medellin is ‘hyped up’. Some vacationers marvel what the fuss is all about. Some virtual nomads are even turning their noses up at Medellin having grow to be a ‘gringo the town’, overtaken by means of foreigners like themselves.
So what came about? And will have to you continue to talk over with Medellin?
Let me provide you with my 2 pesos.
Is Medellin price visiting?
From a vacationer’s standpoint, I believe Medellin is indisputably price visiting for a minimum of a number of days. I’d even say it’s one of the profitable locations in Colombia. However… it’s helpful to have the best expectancies.
Medellin can be a fashionable town with many red-brick condominium blocks in addition to many shanty cities at the slopes of its surrounding hills. There isn’t that a lot of a ancient outdated town if that’s what you’re hoping to search out.
Lots of the points of interest and issues to do in Medellin also are arguably extra of hobby to citizens. It has some beautiful parks, a botanical lawn, a really perfect science museum, and plenty of renovated public squares — however that’s perhaps now not what you got here all of the means right here for. Alternatively, cultural points of interest just like the Museo de Antioquia (with its many Botero works) are for sure extra of hobby to guests.
But even so this, Medellin is indisputably the position to be informed about its fashionable historical past and the drug cartels. It’s additionally interesting to peer how poorer spaces were utterly reinvigorated. Comuna 13 was once one of the vital town’s most deadly spaces; now it’s a humming vacationer vacation spot famed for its boulevard artwork and certain vibes.
Medellin has nice nightlife and a large number of global delicacies, particularly within the prosperous community of Poblado which is well liked by expats and vacationers.
Purely at face worth, I imagine Medellin is usually a smidge disappointing if it’s been hyped as much as you numerous. On the other hand, I nonetheless assume Medellin is a terrific town — and I imagine the important thing to appreciating it’s to in point of fact know its tale.
As soon as you already know this tale, Medellin will for sure click on for you in a large means. A minimum of, I will be able to say it completely did for me.
Working out Medellin
There are two varieties of people that have visited Medellin: those that have finished the Medellin Actual Town strolling excursion and those that haven’t.
I’ve finished actually numerous strolling excursions around the globe, however I nonetheless believe this one top-of-the-line I’ve ever finished.
If you wish to perceive Medellin’s previous and provide from a deeply non-public standpoint, then the Actual Town strolling excursion is a will have to. It’s run by means of locals and all the guides lived via Medellin’s ‘dangerous years’ by hook or by crook.
(By way of the best way, I don’t earn the rest from this advice. It’s simply my best shuttle tip for Medellin!)
Some distance from the standard cookie-cutter excursion, the tales advised by means of my information left me deeply affected. Born and raised in Medellin, as a kid he witnessed folks getting gunned down with computerized rifles proper in entrance of his space. He additionally describes a horrific grenade assault at a metro station and a marketplace bombing that killed two dozen folks.
By way of listening to from any person who in truth lived via all of it, you achieve a actually bright image of what Medellin used to be like only a few many years in the past. On the other hand, this excursion isn’t just in regards to the dangerous days, however about hope and development.
Listening to in regards to the dangerous from the previous makes you recognize what Medellin is nowadays. And also you’ll in point of fact get started seeing it with other eyes.
You’ll acknowledge how Medellin went via a complete transformation. Squares that had been as soon as the scene of brutal killings were changed into colourful public areas. Libraries and galleries have sprung up far and wide. A development that used to be as soon as a shelter for criminals is now, fittingly, town’s Centre for Schooling.
At the left, a sculpture that when exploded in a bombing assault. The artist, Fernando Botero, insisted town stay it as-is, with a brand new sculpture positioned subsequent to it as a reminder of previous and provide.
Whether or not you are taking the Actual Town excursion or just spend sufficient time in Medellin, you’ll without a doubt quickly pay attention of “Metro Tradition”. It’s every other piece of Medellin’s tale.
The Metro gadget used to be constructed throughout the peak of the Violence (it will get written with a capital V). It briefly become town’s primary image of exchange. Take a better glance and also you’ll see the metro gadget is if truth be told a supply of pleasure a few of the Paisas, totally freed from any graffiti, chewing gum, or cigarette buds.
The metro strains its connecting cablecars had been an city making plans masterstroke, serving to to tie town in combination and combine the slums with town correct, thus elevating alternatives for the deficient. Within the outer barrios, you’ll see posters subsequent to city renovation initiatives with slogans similar to, “right here too the Metro Lifestyles lives”, appearing how the Metro has grow to be a shorthand for Medellin’s revival.
If you see Medellin on this context, it turns into a LOT extra fascinating.
Alternative ways to revel in Medellin
What I additionally like about Medellin is that you’ll get to grasp the Colombian tradition, in addition to the use of it as a really perfect base for day journeys within the area.
Excluding finding out the historical past, to get probably the most out of Medellin right here are some things I like to recommend:
Take a shuttle to Guatape
K, it is a bit touristy, but it surely’s in point of fact a laugh.
Guatape is a village famed for its vibrant homes with superbly sculpted depictions of village existence decorating the decrease halves of each space. It’s a horny position to spend a while.
It’s also house to the rock of Peñol, an outstanding inselberg with 650 steps resulting in the highest, from the place you’ll watch a stupendous lake-strewn panorama.
It’s reasonably simple to get to but it surely takes a little of time: take the Medellin Metro to Terminal del Norte, from there it’s a 2-hour bus experience to Guatape costing about 11,000 pesos.
For a extra guided and whole enjoy you’ll additionally take a excursion, similar to this Guatape day shuttle on GetYourGuide (which additionally features a boat shuttle) or this Guatape day shuttle on Viator. The excursions are sooner as they come with lodge pickup and no public transit.
Move paragliding
The hills round Medellin are easiest launching spaces for paragliding. Tandem flights require no particular talents, are rather reasonably priced, and be offering impressive perspectives of town.
It prices round $50 for a flight. You’ll be able to e book this simply via Viator or via GetYourGuide.
Take a shuttle to Jerico or Jardin
Those colourful cities within the coffee-growing area south of Medellin are very a laugh to talk over with. You’ll see various espresso farmers and cowboys milling in regards to the streets and markets and a few of the rolling inexperienced hills you’ll talk over with waterfalls or take a espresso excursion.
It takes about 4 hours to Jerico or 3 hours to Jardin, so you could want to keep in a single day to make it definitely worth the shuttle.
See a football/soccer fit
No longer being into football a lot myself, this used to be extra of an anthropological workout than anything, however I cherished seeing how passionate the Colombians get about this game. Move with just a little staff (or a excursion) because the stands can get very mosh-pitty and loopy.
Move on an unique culmination excursion
I did this excursion and I cherished it because it presented me to a large number of lesser-known tropical culmination such because the soursop, guavasteen, candy granadilla, and the West Indian Locust fruit (a.okay.a. the pungent toes fruit).
You get to head to a few native markets and take a look at out about 20 other scrumptious issues (or much less scrumptious… see: pungent toes).
Take salsa classes
On some days you’ll get unfastened classes at specific hostels (for example on the Wandering Paisa) if you happen to occur to be the cheap traveler. There also are salsa classes presented at most of the salsa bars and faculties.
Dive into the nightlife
The nightlife in Medellin is indisputably a large number of a laugh, whether or not you’re the cocktail bar kind or wish to pass clubbing (many of the track is latin). Your best possible wager is to visit Parque Lleras within the Poblado house, which is a small park surrounded by means of streets with bars and eating places, all of that have open terraces with folks spilling out onto the streets.
Visiting vs. residing in Medellin
I believe a large number of the diversities of opinion about Medellin stem from whether or not folks keep for a couple of days, or for for much longer.
Medellin has so much going for it as an reasonably priced position to are living, with a gentle year-round local weather, a horny just right high quality of existence, and plenty of issues to do. That’s why it’s been very well liked by virtual nomads and far off staff (I additionally assume the relationship scene is a huge enchantment for some nomad varieties).
Despite the fact that Medellin stays a significant virtual nomad hotspot, very similar to Mexico Town, Chiang Mai, or Lisbon, its recognition turns out to have peaked just a little bit. Costs rose and gentrification set in, which has led to a few grumbling about it being “hyped up”.
There’s additionally been some backlash to sleazy foreigners coming to Medellin to search out prostitutes and medication and such. Some Fb teams for Medellin have needed to get started a “no jerks” coverage.
Some citizens additionally don’t just like the life of Pablo Escobar-themed excursions, short of to position this unsightly technology at the back of them.
However if you happen to’re visiting as a vacationer for a couple of days, you’ll most certainly be 100% unaware of those controversies.
Whilst Medellin isn’t a town with any colonial or historic historical past and even many conventional “vacationer websites”, it provides a really perfect window into Colombian tradition and its more moderen historical past. For those who’re on a bigger shuttle via Colombia, I indisputably wouldn’t skip it.
Is Medellin nonetheless bad?
Medellin is now not the area of Pablo Escobar, however it could nonetheless be just a little tough across the edges. Don’t put on dear jewellery, stay your telephone on your pocket, and take reputable taxis at night time (or ride-hail apps) while you’re going out.

I’ve requested locals in regards to the protection in Medellin on numerous events. I as soon as requested a gaggle of locals who I’d befriended in the event that they’d ever been robbed or had the rest occur — I won moderately the collective eye-roll. One lifelong Paisa advised me all of the barrios (commonplace neighborhoods) are principally protected and that simplest one of the communas (hillside shanty cities) can also be bad nowadays.
I do assume the placement is usually a bit other for vacationers, as they could also be extra focused than born-and-raised locals.
The most secure community is for sure Poblado, which is the place maximum vacationer lodging is. This house is moderately prosperous and global regardless that, so it’s a little decrease on native vibes. Laureles is every other nice house to stick. The metro gadget may be very protected and protected, so you’ll use it to get round with none issues.
Normally, Medellin isn’t bad, however being a large town in South The usa it’s nonetheless smart to take some elementary protection precautions.
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Posted OCT 18, 2022 (Up to date Oct 26, 2022)