Medellín Travel Guide: What You Should Know Before You Go

Medellín was one of those places we arrived in with no expectations, a lot of questions and, if I’m honest, a little bit of nervousness. We had heard so many different things about the city before going that we didn’t really know what to expect and it was our first stop on the journey.

After spending time there, I understand why people have such different opinions about Medellín. There are beautiful parts, difficult parts, incredible experiences and things that made us uncomfortable. And that’s exactly why I think it is worth experiencing for yourself.

We spent around two weeks in Medellín and could easily have stayed longer. So if you’re planning a trip there, here are some of the things we think are worth knowing before you go.

Where should you stay in Medellín?

The two areas you’ll probably hear about most are Laureles and El Poblado/Provenza.

We stayed in Laureles and personally really liked it. It felt more local to us, there are plenty of restaurants, cafés and shops around and you can walk to a lot of places. It also has good Metro connections, which made getting around much easier.

El Poblado and Provenza are much more tourist-oriented. You’ll find lots of hostels, hotels, restaurants, bars and activities there, so it can be a very convenient place to stay, especially if you’re only in Medellín for a few days. If nightlife is one of your main reasons for visiting, staying closer to Provenza and Parque Lleras also means you don’t have to travel far when you go out.

For us, Laureles was the better fit because we liked having a slightly more local feeling while still being close to everything we needed.

How long should you stay?

For a first visit, we would recommend around three to five full days.

That gives you enough time to see some of the main sights, explore different parts of the city, try some food, experience the nightlife and still have a little time to simply wander around. If you have more time, though, Medellín is definitely a place where you can slow down. We stayed for around two weeks and never felt like we had completely run out of things to do.

Getting around Medellín

The Metro was one of our favorite ways to get around. We found it clean, easy to use and surprisingly reliable, and it also gives you a completely different perspective of the city.

The Metro connects with buses and the Metrocable, so you can reach quite a lot of places without needing a car.

We also used Uber quite often. It worked well for us, but there is one thing you should definitely keep in mind: traffic can be terrible.

A journey that looks like twenty minutes on your phone can easily take twice as long depending on the time of day. So don’t plan your day too tightly around travel times. Buses can feel even slower, although they are another useful option once you get used to them.

If you’re moving around the city, give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.

What should you actually do?

There is a lot more to Medellín than just Parque Lleras and Comuna 13.

Comuna 13 is one of the places we would still recommend seeing even though it is extremely touristy. There are shops, cafés, music, food, street art and plenty of places to stop and take photos. We spent a couple of hours there and enjoyed the atmosphere. They try to sell you a tour to go there but honestly just go by yourself and let the vibe take you.

We also took the Metrocable to Parque Arví, and the ride itself was already part of the experience. Looking down over Medellín and seeing how dramatically the city changes as you move higher up was something we really enjoyed.

If you want something more active, Cerro El Picacho gives you an incredible view over the city. We actually ended up getting ourselves into a slightly complicated situation there because we hadn’t properly planned how we were going to get back down. You can read that story here: TheDayWeGotStuckonaMountaininMedellıˊn.

We also joined a Free Walking Tour, which we always recommend when arriving somewhere new. Having a local guide explain the history and context of a city makes you notice things you would probably walk past otherwise.

And if you like dancing, Medellín is a really fun place to be. We took a beginner Bachata class with Dance Free, went to the Wednesday Bachata event at Brutal and checked out Gringo Tuesdays. You don’t have to be an experienced dancer to join in. We actually found these kinds of activities to be some of the easiest ways to meet people.

One experience we would especially recommend is a coffee tour at La Hacienda. It was one of the more expensive activities we did in Medellín, but even as people who normally look for cheaper options, we thought it was worth it. Our guide knew an incredible amount about coffee, there were plenty of tastings and the whole experience was very interactive. The location itself was also beautiful.

What is Colombian food like?

Food was probably one of the things we had more mixed feelings about.

Arepas are everywhere, and I really wanted to love them, but personally I found many of them a little too dry. Colombian mango, however, was incredible. We also became big fans of salted mango.

And then there was mondongo. I initially thought I was ordering some kind of chicken soup. I then found out what was actually in it: cow stomach.

I almost didn’t try it. I’m very glad I did.

If you’re travelling through Medellín, definitely try some traditional Colombian food rather than only eating in the restaurants you find on Instagram. Small local restaurants can sometimes give you a much better idea of what people actually eat day to day.

We were also told by several people that the food gets even better once you head towards Colombia’s Caribbean coast, so we were curious to see whether we would agree with that once we reached Cartagena.

Medellín at night

If you like going out, you won’t get bored in Medellín.

Provenza, Parque Lleras and La 70 are some of the main areas for nightlife, with bars, clubs, restaurants, shisha places and plenty of people out late into the night.

And I mean late.

Things don’t always get started as early as you might expect, especially on weekends. We enjoyed the nightlife, but it is also one of the parts of Medellín where you should pay attention to your surroundings. We heard several stories from people who had been drugged or robbed, so we took the warnings seriously and were careful with our drinks and belongings.

How expensive is Medellín?

Compared with many places in Europe and the US, Medellín can be quite affordable, but there are options for very different budgets.

You can stay in hostels and eat very cheaply, or you can spend considerably more on hotels, restaurants and experiences. We stayed in an affordable Airbnb and spent roughly €600 for the two of us over around two weeks, excluding some larger travel expenses. That is very specific to how we travelled, so I wouldn’t use it as a general budget estimate. One thing that did make us think was how differently prices can feel depending on where you come from. Jay got a really good haircut in Laureles for around €5. At first, your reaction is simply, wow, that’s cheap. But then you start thinking about the person doing the work and what that amount actually represents for them. Travelling somewhere more affordable doesn’t necessarily mean everything is cheap for the people who live there.

Is Medellín safe?

This is probably the question we were asked most before going.

Our experience was that Medellín wasn’t nearly as frightening as the picture we had been given beforehand. But that doesn’t mean you should switch off your common sense. We avoided wearing flashy jewelry, paid attention to where we were going and were more careful at night. We also listened to locals when they told us that certain areas weren’t places we should be walking around after dark.

For example, we stayed in Comuna 13 until around 8 p.m. and felt completely fine, but we wouldn’t automatically assume that the same would apply later at night. There is a difference between saying “we felt comfortable in Medellín” and saying “Medellín is completely safe.” We would never make the second statement.

If you want to understand more about our personal experience with this, we wrote a whole post about it: IsMedellıˊnReallyThatDangerous?

Where can you go next?

Medellín is also a great starting point for continuing through Colombia.
From there, you can travel towards places such as Cartagena, Bogotá or Salento, depending on the route you want to take. Just don’t underestimate the size of Colombia.
Places that look relatively close together on a map can still mean a long travel day. We travelled onwards by bus and were actually surprised by how comfortable the journey was overall. Night buses can also be useful if you’re trying to save both time and a night of accommodation.
There are also domestic flights if you’d rather save time, especially for longer distances.

Would we recommend Medellín?

Yes, we would.

Not because we think Medellín is perfect or because every experience we had was amazing. It wasn’t. We saw beautiful parts of the city and things that made us uncomfortable. We met incredibly welcoming people, had some great nights out, ate things we loved and things we probably wouldn’t order again. We also arrived with a certain idea of Medellín and left with a much more complicated one.

And honestly, that’s what made the city interesting to us.
If you’re planning to visit Medellín, come with an open mind, do your research, give yourself enough time and don’t be afraid to explore beyond the places you’ve already seen on Instagram.

There is a lot more to the city than the version you see online.
And if you want the really practical side of planning a Medellín trip, including the details we learned the hard way, that’s where our more detailed guide will come in.

Join our travel newsletter for stories and guides from around the world.

Written by Fabienne, Medellin