Happy Tuesday, y’all! Ok, this post is LONG (like, 3 months) overdue, and I’m so happy I’m finally getting to it. Next up in my Colombia travel diaries – 3 days in Medellín, Colombia! Hope y’all read my last post, about my 3 day itinerary for Bogotá, Colombia. From Bogotá, I flew to Medellín, on a domestic Avianca flight. This view from my plane, as we were descending into Medellín, was incredibly beautiful —
Medellín view from above
As for my 3 days in Medellín, due to some unforeseen circumstances (see: torrential downpour & a national holiday), I really only had like a 1.5 days in Medellín. So, this itinerary is a mix of the things I did and the things I didn’t have time to do, but were recommended by other tourists. You can find some general information – safety, currency exchange, etc – about visiting Colombia, in my previous post!
Getting there: Medellín airport is kind of far from the city. So, I’d recommend booking a taxi in advance. I booked one through the hostel I stayed at, and it was super convenient.
Where to stay: El Poblado is your best bet, in terms of what neighborhood to stay in. In Bogotá, I met all the peopled I ended up hanging out with, at a hostel. So, I decided to cancel my Airbnb & stay at a hostel in Medellín. I stayed at the Happy Buddha Boutique hostel, which was fine, but I quickly realized hostels are not my thing. I like to get a quiet, good night’s sleep, and that’s typically very difficult to get in a hostel. The El Poblado area is great! It’s walking distance to tons of restaurants, clubs/bars, and the train station (though this is a bit of a longer walk, but totally doable)!
What to do: I felt like 3 days are enough in Medellín. Had it not been for the weather & national holiday, I would’ve had enough time to do all the things I’d wanted to.
Day 1: Go check out the cable car and Santo Domingo. You can head to Poblado metro station, and take the metro to Acevedo station. When you exit the train at Acevedo station, just follow the signs to the metrocable and take a gondola ride up to Santo Domingo (included in your train ticket). The view of Medellín, from the gondola, is absolutely incredible. From there, you can pay extra and take the gondola, one more stop, up to Parque Arvi. However, in my opinion, that wasn’t really worth it. Contrary to what I’d thought, there is no view from Parque Arvi.
After the gondola ride, you can hop back on the train, and get off a the Berrío Park metro station, where you can check out El Museo de Antioquia and Botero plaza!
Medellín has tons of great restaurants and bars so be sure to get out and explore the night life, as well! El Poblado and Parque Lleras are fun!
Day 2: Day trip to Guatapé, because, this view ….
Head to the Poblado metro station (or whatever metro station is close to where you’re staying), and take the train to Caribe station, which is connected to the Northern Bus Terminal. From there, take a bus to Guatapé, which is about a 2-hour bus ride. The bus will drop you off at the bottom of the rock, and you can either take a taxi or tuk tuk to the foot of the rock or just walk up. And then …. comes the hike up this bad boy!
Also, be sure to take a taxi or tuk tuk & check out the little town of Guatapé, because …. these colors!
Day 3: Medellín has some really cool walking tours, that were all highly recommended! There’s also the Comuna 13 tour, which some fellow travelers raved about! I didn’t have time to do any of these tours, but I definitely feel like it’s something I missed out on, based on what people said about them.
There are also Pablo Escobar tours in Medellín – one included Guatapé and paint balling, as well. I wasn’t keen on entertaining anything Escobar-related. Although, the day I went to Guatapé, with a ton of other travelers from my hostel, we ended up taking a boat to one of Escobar’s estates, but it’s something I did because the whole group wanted to. I don’t think it’s something to glorify, but the option is there, if it’s something you’re interested in doing.
And that sums up my 3-day roundup of Medellín! Hope this post helps, if you’re considering going to Colombia! If you’ve been already, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also, if you’re planning on going, and have any other questions, please feel free to comment or reach out!
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