Welcome to the city of eternal spring. Currently based in Medellín, I’ve spent a lot of time here, making any excuse to stay or return. With its nightlife, reggaeton, restaurants, co-working spaces, and tree lined streets, Medellín has something to offer any type of traveler. A guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Paisas, the locals of Medellín. They are passionate, welcoming, and full of life.
Where to Stay
El Poblado is the most popular neighborhood for both tourists and expats, and for good reason. It’s relatively safe and boasts a high concentration of bars, restaurants, and hostels/hotels. It’s where Colombian culture collides with modern comforts. There is always something to do and people to talk to.
- Los Patios, Viajero, and Masaya: These three hostels are all in a similar location and are very social. In general, these hostels are well thought out. Beds are either built into the wall (pod-esque), or they have curtains, with personal lights, fan, outlets, and lockers. They have bars and rooftops with either a pool or hot tubs. Staff are friendly and bilingual
- Rango Boutique Hostel: I like this hostel because it’s social but not necessarily a party hostel. Very centrally located (between Manila and Provenza). There is a cafe on the ground floor and a WeWork across the street if you need a remote office
- Hotels: The Click Clack Hotel and Landmark Hotel
- Airbnb is always an option. Make sure to read reviews regarding location and noise
- Blink Spanish Immersion & Hostel: A good option if looking to study spanish for a week+
- Avoid: Hostels in Parque Lleras and read reviews regarding the noise if not planning on partaking in the party scene. Thursday-Sunday especially can be very loud
Laureles and Envigado are popular neighborhoods amongst ex-pats and those looking to venture into a less touristic area. Laureles is my favorite place to stay when I’m in Medellín for an extended period of time. It’s a more laid-back, community vibe, with great food. It’s a bit cheaper than El Poblado as well.
- Hotel Santafé Coliving: Nothing fancy, but a clean single room with double bed, private bathroom, smart TV, and shared kitchen/coworking/rooftop, in a great area for only a few dollars more than a dorm room in El Poblado (~$26/night). Tip: Request a room not on the first floor if possible as the cleaning crew was loud really early in the morning. There are also other co-living apartments in the neighborhood to check out but this is my go-to accommodation in Laureles thus far
- Pura Vida la 70 Hostel: Great location, super affordable, a bit noisy with mediocre facilities. If you’re not planning on spending much time in the hostel itself, this is a decent option
- The Rock Hostel: Again, very affordable. Well located if planning on using the metro, but a bit further from the restaurants and cafes for my preference. A bit loud at night, as their name suggests, there’s a big emphasis on music. No lockers within the room which I found a bit odd
- Airbnb: Read reviews and keep in mind that you get what you pay for
Tip: Medellín is no longer a secret. While you can always find accommodation, the highly rated hostels and hotels do sell out and can be a bit more expensive during the weekends.
Where to Eat
Favorite Restaurants:
El Poblado
Provenza and Manila are both areas in El Poblado filled to the brim with local and international restaurants and cafes
- Idilico: Fine dining in a non pretentious environment, for a relatively affordable price, located in Manila. The focus here is serving delicious, high quality, and seasonal food. Though the food itself is beautifully plated and the restaurant is cozy, I appreciate that the focus is on the food vs the party atmosphere of many restaurants in El Poblado. They also have a vegetarian dish that isn’t on the menu
- Mamasita: This is a fun place with music and fancy cocktails. The food is elevated typical Colombian dishes
- Relato: One of the restaurants in Provenza with very cool decor, drinks, and a great menu. Make a reservation if possible, or put in your name and sit at the bar until a table opens up
- Panka: Another Provenza restaurant but sushi focused. They love to serve dishes that are on fire or have dry ice. Fancy aesthetics
- El Botánico: Another upscale Provenza bar/restaurant with a bit of everything
- Criminal Taqueria: Two locations in El Poblado, both with outdoor seating (provenza & manila). I’m normally not a taco fan, but I went back to this place twice in one day. Both the vegan and vegetarian taco were fantastic
- El Altar Taco: Another casual taco spot with locations in provenza and manila. People swear by it and the one next to los patios is always busy
- Zorba: Fresh pizza and Mediterranean food. More relaxed vibe than those located in Provenza. There is almost always a line for a table so it may be a good idea to go early or expect to wait a bit
- Lezzet Cocina Turca: Turkish food with a nice aesthetic and great service. Really good for brunch
- La Revuelta: Cute open air Mexican restaurant with large menu and sharable dishes. Nice place for brunch/lunch
- Mondongo’s: Typical Colombian food with many locations. Probably the most famous place to try local dishes. Not a huge array of veg options so I admit, I’ve never eaten here
- Rocoto: Peruvian food in Provenza with a more relaxed vibe than Relato or Panka, fantastic spicy pisco sour
- Azai Praia Lovers: Great for brunch. Healthy inspired food and drinks
- Olivia: Good for pitchers of sangria and sharing pizza/pasta/salad. The location in Manila has nice outdoor seating
- Helecho: Vegan sushi – maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am for sure here for it
- Mija: Best bread in El Poblado, hands down. This cafe is super cute with a large menu for breakfast and lunch
- Urbania: My go-to for cold brew and almond croissants. Staff is also incredibly nice
- Cafe Dragon: Relaxed cafe by day, trendy restaurant by night with cocktails, music, etc. The aesthetic is really well done and it has a ton of natural light. A great place to work or get brunch (the french toast is unreal but very sweet – great to share). I like that there’s always some Colombians there, not completely gringo
- Hija Mia: A Manila classic. Great for people watching. The food is objectively good and I love that they serve breakfast all day
- Bread Factory: On the ground floor of Rango Boutique Hostel there is a cafe with a solid breakfast/lunch and coffee. It has a patio overlooking a park. Really relaxing atmosphere. If you’re staying at Rango, consider the breakfast included option – it’s much better than the typical hostel breakfast (or don’t if you want to try out different places)
- Velvet: Cafe in Provenza. Good for working with various seating options
- Amelia Coffee: Cafe in Provenza. Wifi was meh but vanilla iced latte was delicious
- General Cafe: Comfortable place to work from. They have a cafe and restaurant – on the more expensive side
Laureles
- Saludpan: Part health food store part restaurant/cafe. They have a large menu and a great value menú del día for breakfast and lunch. Even their menú del día has multiple options such as raw food, vegetarian, fish, chicken, etc. There’s typically a line that forms around 12:30 because it’s that good. Highly recommend the chai latte with almond milk
- Naturalia Cafe: Great place to work form during the day. They have an assortment of drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic), veg and non veg menú del día, and a large a la carte menu from french toast, tofu scramble, to homemade pizzas
- INA: plant based restaurant, casual setting with a bit fancier dishes, great for lunch or dinner especially to share a few appetizers/mains and drinks with friends
- Cafe Cliché: French cafe with creative drinks such as a matcha milkshake and flavored/infused cold brews. Also has cocktails and french inspired food
- Café Revolución: Delicious and affordable breakfast, comfortable place to work from, and good prices. It’s a popular place, especially on the weekends – you’ll hear a lot of English. Big fan of their diry chia with almond milk
- SMASH Avocadería: Avocado toasts, bagels, salads, bowls – they have a bit of everything. All with an obvious avocado theme
- Délmuri Coffee and Bakery: Good food, fresh pastries, multitude of drink options. Another good place to work
- Matchachá: Though I’m impressed with the prevalence of matcha in many cafes in Medellín, this is a cafe dedicated to Matcha where you can find many variations of the drink with some matcha and health themed baked goods and food. Try their Keto Snickers or Matcha Reeses
Eat Like a Local:
- Bandeja Paisa: a platter composed of meat, rice, beans, arepa, and plantain. This is your best bang for your buck. It can be modified with an egg and/or cheese for vegetarians or simply without meat for a carb heavy vegan modification. I typically go to the walking street off of Parque El Poblado (with the lights) to have this. It becomes pretty lively at night and a good place to try the local food in large portions and have a drink or two
- Crepes and Waffles: considered sacred amongst Colombians. Think similar caliber to TGI Fridays or Cheesecake Factory, but without the “elevated fast food” stigma. They are located in malls, airports, everywhere. You’ll see business men, families, teenagers, literally anyone enjoying lunch or just a dessert as they are also known for their ice cream. I admit, when I gave it a chance, they do have decent food (though i think there are better restaurants especially in Medellín and Bogotá – lo siento)
- Rappi: Get just about anything delivered to you with Rappi, an app similar to Uber Eats
- Grocery Shopping: Carulla (Whole Foods-esque) and Éxito (Walmart-esque) are both great grocery stores
Nightlife
Nightlife in Medellín is incredible. The love for reggaeton, dancing, and aguardiente is palpable and fuels the nightlife scene.
- Hostel Rooftops
- Los Patios has a rooftop pool and bar for guests to use, if you’re not a guest you’ll need to buy a day pass
- Viajero has a rooftop bar with two large hot tubs, free to use but remember to bring your own towel or rent from the front desk
- Masaya has a rooftop bar and pool, free to use by anyone
- Rango has probably the most “swanky” of the hostel rooftop bars where they take mixology very seriously. This small bar has kind staff, always up for a chat, and a great view. It tends to be a more mature scene, with international expats, digital nomads, and locals on a night out. Tends to be less crowded as compared to the other hostel rooftops. They also have a pool but it’s very small
- Bars in Poblado/Parque Lleras/Zona Rosa: If just arriving, partaking in the bar crawls or gringo Tuesday can be helpful. Besides the drink deals and free shot, whatever it is, you get a good overview of the bars and clubs in the area. It’s easy to meet other travelers. The itinerary stays pretty consistent so if you do the crawl once, you can probably meet up with them in the future without doing the official tour. Common complaints are that the crawl goes to bars and clubs that are otherwise empty. To be fair, I’ve never actually done it.
- Popular bars in El Poblado:
- Click Clack Hotel: Nice lobby bar and a rooftop pool/bar with good cocktails
- Perro Negro: Loud, crowded, reggaeton club
- La Octava Bar: Has a ball pit
- Calle 9+1: A more casual bar
- Vintrash: Also plays electronic music in addition to reggaeton
- Envy Rooftop at the Charlee: Bougie rooftop bar with a “fancy” crowd. Worth a drink for the view
- Alambique: Cocktails, food, and sometimes live music. This is a speakeasy across from Parque El Poblado
- Foxey Pub: a beer centered rock bar in Manila. Has indoor seating and a rooftop terrance. They have food (burgers, fries, etc). Especially during the weekends, this place gets very lively and the second floor is set up with local brewery stations like a food court style so you can go around and try different beer or kambucha. You’ll see in the google reviews, everyone describes this place as “friendly” and I would definitely agree
- Siete Pulgada Listening Bar/Small Bar: really cool speakeasy with cocktails, vinyl records, and live music
Note: Parque Lleras is surrounded by lively bars and clubs, you will most definitely walk through if you’re on a night out, but it’s also the epicenter for sex workers and their pimps. Take extra caution as crime here is petty but organized. As of March 2023, Parque Lleras is somewhat under construction but the area still stays true to its reputation
- Late night:
- Seven Club: We used to call this Club Siete but as per google, it’s actually called Seven Club. This club is a bit out of Poblado, closer to Envigado. This is where everyone congregates from 4am-7am as most of the other clubs shut down. Cabs and Ubers are ready to take you there and back. Be careful, as prepagos (“paid” women) and pickpockets are as plentiful as the aguardiente shots, looking to take advantage of drunk tourists
- Not Poblado:
- Laureles: Carrera 70, otherwise known as la 70, is where you can find many local bars and salsa clubs. Don’t judge a restaurant/bar by it’s appearance. Some of the most “tacky” looking restaurants become the most fun and popular bars in town (secure a table on the early side). There are also more chic bars and restaurants on the side sheets around the main strips. This is a great place to go if you’re trying to get out of the gringo scene. A night out in Laureles was the first time I really saw Colombian/Paisa dance culture. To really take advantage of the salsa culture here, try taking a class. They’ll also have some good suggestions of where to go out
- Las Palmas is where you can find restaurants/clubs such as La Chula and a few “Gentleman’s Clubs”. I’ve never personally gone out in this area but I imagine it to be frequented by businessmen and those who are into a Vegas like club scene. Again – I haven’t been so I can’t properly judge. I’ve just heard that you should be prepared to spend a decent amount of money
What to Do
- Real City Walking Tour (tip based): Hear me out – Guatapé and Comuna 13 are mentioned below and are definitely the more popular attractions where you may leave with a photo for instagram. HOWEVER, if you’re looking to actually learn something about history, culture, politics, and visiting the less “sexy” but more “real” downtown area, do this tour. It’s the safest way to explore the center while getting your bearings. I’m admittedly not a walking tour enthusiast but this one .. 10 out of 10 review. They made it super comfortable and anonymous to tip, suggesting between 30-40k COP which is about 6-8 USD for a 3-4 hour tour. Very fair in my opinion
- Guatapé: There are a few ways you can visit Guatapé from Medellín. What to do – Climb the rock, take a boat tour, visit the town. For an entire breakdown of Guatapé, read my guide here.
- Comuna 13: This is a half day activity to explore the neighborhood that underwent an incredible transformation from one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellín, to the safe and art filled community that it is today. From El Poblado you can reach Comuna 13 by metro or by Uber. (Though I admittedly got very lost when taking the metro) There are three ways to explore Comuna 13. First is the historical tour – not the graffiti tour. This is what I did and I really enjoyed it. Seems that most of the tours, are led by a tour guide who grew up in Comuna 13. You should be able to find plenty of tour guide recommendations online or by asking your hostel. Zippy Tours is popular. Second is the graffiti tour, this is the most common tour organized by hostels. Unless you’re a real art enthusiast, I’d recommend the historical tour as you’ll pass the artwork in the process and you can probably make your own analysis. Third is to go independently, read about the history online, and walk around
- Of note: I’m using the word “explore” a bit loosely here. Over the past few years it’s become wildly popular and a bit of a Disney world experience. Worth a few hours? Totally. It’s for sure a Medellín bucket list item, but I wouldn’t call it the most authentic experience anymore
- Parque Arvi: A nature preserve in Medellín, reachable by a combination of metro and cable car, the actual public transportation which is used for the locals to reach villages in the hillside of Medellín. You can spend a half or full day here depending on what activities you wish to partake in. Once you reach the park, you can engage in activities such as hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There is a small community in the town with a few restaurants, tiendas, and craft/food markets depending on the day. There is a tourist center where you can learn more about the activities. Visit this site for more details https://asocialnomad.com/colombia/parque-arvi-medellin/. My favorite part was the cable car as it provided unique views of the city and a closer look into the smaller and less “glitzy” communities of Medellín. There are also a few other cable car routes if you’re not so interested in the park
- Jardín – If you have time, it’s definitely worth a trip. Here you can access coffee farms, waterfalls, caves, and hiking trails. Read my Jardín guide for more information
- Learn Spanish: Paisas, in my humble opinion, have the best accent in the Spanish speaking world. It’s relatively clear, slow, and a tad dramatic with facial expressions and gestures which provide much appreciated context clues. They also have great slang. Locals are happy to practice with you. I took one week of lessons at Blink Spanish Immersion which was helpful. You can also purchase Blink’s hostel and class package, which is a good deal. Other hostels such as Los Patios, Viajero, and Purple Monkey are right around the corner
- Learn Salsa: Blink offers salsa classes as well. Most hostels offer free salsa classes at least once/week, however these will be pretty basic. It’s a fun way to get to know other travelers in the hostel, but if you’re serious about learning, I would sign up for some proper classes
- Play Tejo: This is the national game of Colombia which is paired with some drinks. If you take lessons at Blink, they arrange group outings to play Tejo
- Modern Art Museum – I visited this museum on my last day of Spanish school. Worth a visit if you have time – even if it’s just to see some Botero with his classic paintings and sculptures. It’s accessible by metro
- Pablo Escobar Tours: Meh – I have mixed emotions about these. It’s an important part of history. Ignoring the narrative isn’t the right thing to do either. Do your research to make sure your money is going into the positive re-growth of the city and isn’t glorifying the man who killed thousands and was responsible for Medellín being on of the most dangerous cities on earth, only a few decades ago
- Tesoro Mall: A good place to stock up on some basics if staying in the city for a while. This mall happens to have a surprisingly incredible view of the city
Transportation
Airports: There are two airports, Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH), and Jose Maria Cordova (MDE). MDE is the larger, international airport, about ~40 minutes outside of the city. Currently the official taxi rate is ~98,000 COP (20 USD), slightly cheaper at times with Uber but around the same amount. There is a very long tunnel connecting the airport with the city, which has shortened the journey but requires a bit of a toll which has increased prices (built into the Uber and Taxi price, don’t pay anything additional).
Buses: North and South Terminal are utilized to connect Medellín to almost any other Colombian town/city by bus. Tickets can be purchased at the station or online on websites such as redbus. If tickets are purchased online, just drop by the bus company’s box office before boarding to get a physical ticket as the driver will request it.
Taxi/Car: Uber, Didi, Easy Taxi. Most apps can be used to call a car or taxi. Just keep in mind that these apps are technically illegal, however frequently used. Ubers for example will prefer that you sit in the front seat as you would with a friend.
Metro: Medellín has a clean, affordable, and easy to use metro system. Definitely worth checking out.
Enjoy Medellín! I hope you love it as much as I do.