Ultimate Guide to Medellín, Colombia

COLOMBIA - KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

LANGUAGE: Spanish

CURRENCY: Colombian Peso

ELECTRICAL PLUGS: Type A & B (If you’re from the USA, this is the same type of plug we use.)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Check your government websites for entry requirements specific to your country.

SAFETY: Contrary to popular belief (as well as a lot of govt. websites’ beliefs), Colombia is very safe. Just like anywhere else, including in the United States, you should be a vigilant and smart traveler. Watch your belongings, don’t go to certain areas without a local or guide, be confident, and be aware of your surroundings. There are parts of Colombia that are still high in crime, such as Cali, Colombia. However, with the end of the Escobar era and with the rise and importance of tourism, many of the large and popular cities are very safe.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Colombia is close to the equator. Therefore, it is a great place to visit year-round. However, the peak season with the driest and warmest weather, is December to March. Be sure to check the weather trends for the specific region of Colombia that you are visiting because there are many regions with varying weather trends. Medellín experiences the most rain from April to May and from September to November. We went in early September. It rained a bit, but wasn’t that bad. The sun would come out shortly after. I don’t mind visiting a country in the off-season because there are less crowds which is a big plus. Flights also tend to be cheaper during the off season.

HOW TO GET THERE

To get to Medellín, you will fly into José María Córdova International Airport (MDE). From there, you can take a car to your hotel, Airbnb, or whatever accommodation you have booked. Ask your host or hotel if they can set up a driver for you. This is the easiest and safest route.

NOTE: Uber is technically illegal in Colombia. This is because the government cannot regulate it. If you take an Uber, often times the license plate will be X’d out.

WHERE TO STAY

El Poblado or Laureles are two of the best neighborhood to stay in for tourists. Both neighborhoods are central and safe. We opted to stay in El Poblado at Celestino Boutique Hotel.

CELESTINO BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Vibe: What sold me on this hotel was the decor and great reviews. I feel like with a boutique hotel, you always get a unique experience. While we were there, Celestino had construction going on, but the noise really did not bother us. The price was also not bad for a high floor with a balcony.

Location: One big bonus that came with staying at Celestino was the location. We were able to walk around the neighborhood for all of our meals. The area is safe, and we had no troubles.

COVID-19: Celestino was able to arrange our Covid-19 test (required at the time to re-enter the United States). Someone came to our room, administered the test, and sent us our results via WhatsApp within two hours.

HOW TO GET AROUND

If you’re staying at an Airbnb or hotel, again, I recommend that you set up a driver with the host if you are going somewhere further than walking distance.

TIP: Our guide and hotel staff advised us not to go to downtown Medellín without a local or a guide. Downtown is extremely busy and can be a hot spot for thefts or other crimes. We had no issues while downtown with our guide.

ITINERARY: WHAT TO DO & SEE

There are so many things to do and to see in Medellín. How much time do you need there? I would say 4 days is perfect for your first time. We were there for only two full days, but we got to see and do a lot. So, if your time in Medellín is short, that’s okay. You can still see and do a lot in a short amount of time.

COMUNA 13, DOWNTOWN MEDELLÍN, AND METROCABLE
Comuna 13 was once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. The transformation began after Pablo Escobar’s death. The neighborhood of Comuna 13 is now something that its inhabitants are extremely proud of. We booked the Comuna 13 & Downtown: From violence to innovation tour as an Airbnb experience. You will get to explore downtown Medellín, ride the local transportation (train and metrocable), try some of the best street food, and wander around the incredible neighborhood of Comuna 13. The metrocable is an experience you don’t want to miss either! This tour is an absolute must while in Medellín.

Be sure to try the Arepa while in Comuna 13. This was one of the best things we ate while in Colombia.

GUATAPÉ & COFFEE FARM TOUR
A day trip for coffee lovers. Coffee lovers is me. So, of course we went. The tour we booked was the Guatape Rock & Coffee Tour & Picturesque Town, All in one day tour on Viator. This was a private tour which allows you to customize the day a bit if you want which is also cool. I’ve taken coffee farm tours in other countries before, and honestly, they’re all a bit different. It was amazing to see the beautiful farmland and countryside on the drive out to the farm. We got to pick coffee beans off of the trees, learn about the whole coffee production process, and of course, taste some. This was a full-day tour. After the coffee farm we climbed El Peñón de Guatapé. It was raining, literally pouring, the day we went. We still enjoyed it though. Then you will get to visit the actual town of Guatapé. The town is filled with colorful zócalos.

We also had a stop in Marinilla to try some local fruits before arriving at the farm.

PABLO ESCOBAR TOUR
We did not go on a Pablo Escobar tour while in Medellín. I originally wanted to, having been a Narcos watcher. However, after doing a bit more digging and research, we chose to go with the transformation tour I mentioned above instead to shed light on how far Medellín has come vs focusing on the violence that occurred.

ZIPLINGING & WATERFALLS
If we would have had a couple of extra days, we would have tried to go ziplining. We went in Mexico and loved it so much. You could also hike, visit waterfalls, ride ATVs, etc.

MUSEO CASA DE LA MEMORIA
The House of Memory Museum is a museum that is dedicated to the victims of the violence that once plagued Medellín and Colombia. The museum tells the history of that time through photos, videos, artifacts, and much more.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

There are so many restaurants to choose from in Medellín. There were a lot on my list that I wanted to try that I just didn’t get to. We chose whatever was within walking distance from our hotel. I honestly think that for Medellín - this is the best way to do it.

A couple of things to note when searching for restaurants to go to in Colombia:

The prices aren’t as bad as the reviews say. We thought we were going to spend most of our money at the nicer restaurants while in Colombia. Seeing all of the dollar signs and reading reviews, we were prepared. However, our final bills really surprised us.
If it’s a popular restaurant - make a reservation. Some reservations require a credit card to reserve a table, but most don’t.
Ask about the dress code. Not all restaurants and bars have dress codes, but many do. One of the bars we went to, we got turned away because my boyfriend had distressed jeans on. Luckily we were just around the block from our hotel. He changed, we went back, all was good.

Here are just a few of the places that we either went to or that we wanted to go to, but didn’t have the time.

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH:
Café Noir
D'André Gourmet - We went here for breakfast on our last day in Medellín.

Betty's Bowls
Pergamino Cafe - This popular café is directly across from Celestino Boutique Hotel. Oddly, we didn’t go. I wanted to, but our days were so packed that we only went to breakfast once while we were in Medellín.

LUNCH:
Restaurante La Matriarca
El Machetico
Mondongos Poblado
37 Park Medellín (below)

DINNER:
Barbaro Cocina Primitiva - Sede Poblado - This place was really our vibe. It’s super lowkey. The food was great, and we were able to sit outside.

Alambique - A great place for dinner and drinks with a bohemian vibe.
Café Zorba - A pizza place that we wanted to check out. It looks absolutely amazing. We didn’t want to walk there though, so we opted for the below pizza spot which was amazing too. Next time we will check out Café Zorba.
Pizzaiolo - We didn’t plan to go here. We just stumbled upon it while we were out looking for Café Zorba. The pizza ended up being amazing, and we could tell that it was more of a local spot. It’s very small inside, but it was nice to not have to go far for good pizza.

Carmen - One of the most popular and raved about restaurants. We chose not to go while in Medellín because we planned to go while in Cartagena.
Don Diablo Steakhouse - Right next to Carmen is Don Diablo Steakhouse. Don Diablo is owned by Carmen. We thought that it was going to be very expensive, but again, we were pleasantly surprised by the prices.

DRINKS:
Envy Rooftop - The perfect place to celebrate your arrival in Medellín. This bar has small bites and good drinks. Not to mention an amazing views of Medellín from the top floor.

Cerveceria 3 Cordilleras - For the beer lovers.
AltaGracia Restaurante/Café/Bar - Specialty cocktails

Final Thoughts
Honestly, if you are planning a visit to Colombia, you have to visit Medellín. There is so much culture and history in Medellín.

I hope that this guide gives you some inspiration for your own trip. If there are any questions, please leave them below; and I will try to answer what I can! As always, thanks for being here.

Love,
Ellie