Medellin - TAT (The Away Today) Score
| Medellín, Colombia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Cost Per Day (including transportation, lodging, food, activities, etc.) | $67.00 | ||||
| Architecture | 4 | ||||
| Food | 3 | ||||
| Walkability | 4 | ||||
| Public Transportation | 4 | ||||
| Activities | 5 | ||||
| Vibe | 4 | ||||
| All Around | 4 | ||||
How to Spend Three Days in Medellin, Colombia
Flying into this hilly city in the middle of Colombia was infinitely cool. As the plane started to descend, the clouds were kissing the mountains and bringing into view the towns on the outskirts of the city. The windy journey from the airport to the city center was equally beautiful. Medellin is a stark contrast to the other city in Colombia that I’ve been, Cartagena. Where Cartagena is hot & humid Caribbean city, Medellin is a cool, slightly rainy, city surrounded by nature.
Where to Stay
El Poblado seems to be where most people stay, whether it’s in a hostel, hotel, or Airbnb (including myself). The neighborhood has it’s own metro station (which is super easy to use!), some beautiful parks, tons of really delicious restaurants, and a super fun nightlife. I didn’t really hear of any tourists staying in different neighborhoods, so I would recommend only El Poblado as a safe bet.
I stayed in Los Patios hostel, it’s the nicest hostel I’ve ever stayed in!
How to Get Around
My first suggestion is always walking, you get your bearings straight and get to see more of the city. Medellin is pretty large, so walking isn’t always the best choice to see the whole city. The metro isn’t incredibly vast, but it can get you close to most major tourist attractions. It’s also very cheap, about ~2.50 Colombian Pesos each way. There’s a series of teleferico (cable cars) connected to the metro, which are free of charge! We got stuck in a storm while on a teleferico, so we had to get out at a station pretty far away from El Poblado. We met a local woman who commutes via teleferico, which was a vast improvement to her previous commute, time wise and budget wise.
The airport is about an hour away from the city, you can take a taxi or uber (~60-80 Colombian Pesos), or you can take a bus from the San Diego Mall (~10 Colombian Pesos). Be sure to give yourself enough time to get to the airport, you can get caught in a storm or traffic which would slow down your progress.
What To Do
I was only in Medellin for 3 days, I didn’t get to see everything on my list, but came pretty close. I’d recommend about 3-4 full days here. Some things to do include:
Free Walking Tour
I didn’t have the time to do one of the city, but I heard really get things about Real City Tours, especially with Juliana. The tour was already full when I tried to register the day before, so I’d recommend booking this in advance.
Free Walking Tour of Comuna 13
I took this tour with Leandro from Medellin Travel, I would definitely recommend it. Comuna 13 was once of the most dangerous places in the world with the highest murder rate. It’s not transformed into an attraction with its famous escalators and graffiti. These impressive escalators are helping make life easier for the residents by not requiring them to hike the stairs every day.
Visit Plaza Botero
These funky sculptures are unique and created & donated by native Colombian artist, Fernando Botero.
Go out in El Poblado
Delicious (and cheap) street food, fun & unique bars, and lively music – this is definitely the place to be on Friday & Saturday nights!
Day trip to Guatape & El Penol
Guatape is a beautiful, colorful town about two hours away from Medellin. About 15 minutes away from Guatape is El Penol, a mysterious rock that you can climb to the top of. It’s ~650 steps to the top, and it takes about 20 minutes. You’re rewarded with incredible of rural Colombia from the top!
Want to know more about Colombia? Check out our quick guide to Cartagena!