{"id":73168,"date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/best-things-to-do-in-medellin\/"},"modified":"2024-03-30T19:28:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T19:28:40","slug":"best-things-to-do-in-medellin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/best-things-to-do-in-medellin\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Best Things to Do in Medellin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medellin is a cosmopolitan city with lots of parks, new buildings, restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs.<\/p>\n

It is the second-largest city of Columbia and also the capital of Antioquia province.<\/p>\n

The city has a Metro and cable car network.<\/p>\n

It is a prosperous city with a thriving business and commerce and a burgeoning tech scene.<\/p>\n

Lots of foreigners are also making it their home, especially retired people and digital nomads.<\/p>\n

However, alongside the new developments, the old Medellin settlements are still extant.<\/p>\n

The city represents an amalgamation of modernity and continuity of old culture and traditions.<\/p>\n

The city has a fair share of salsa and tango dance forms in its popular culture.<\/p>\n

You may come across a live performance of these dance forms in most pubs and nightclubs.<\/p>\n

Here is our list of 15 places to visit and things to do in Medellin:<\/p>\n

Salsa and Tango<\/h2>\n

When we talk about Colombia, the first thing that comes to our mind is Salsa.<\/p>\n

Close in popularity, the graceful tango is another Colombian contribution to the world of performing arts.<\/p>\n

The easiest way to sample these delightful art forms is to hit a pub where you can watch professional dancers performing live. <\/p>\n

Medellin has its share of clubs and bars themed on these two dance forms.<\/p>\n

You can visit Salsa clubs dotting the city to see budding and expert dancers busy in improving their arts.<\/p>\n

Salsa and Tango classes are also popular with visitors who are in the city on a long vacation.<\/p>\n

Besides, the Tango Museum or Casa Museo Gardeliana is worth a visit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s named after tango superstar Carlos Gardel.<\/p>\n

In June, the city also hosts an international tango festival, and most of its public spaces celebrate the occasion with tango music and dance performances.<\/p>\n

Plaza Botero and Parque Lleras<\/h2>\n

\"Plaza<\/p>\n

Diego Grandi \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Medellin is nicknamed the City of Eternal Spring because the weather here is temperate all year round.<\/p>\n

As a result, people spend more time outdoors.<\/p>\n

There are numerous parks and plazas in the city that are bustling with people and street vendors.<\/p>\n

Plaza Botero is one of the most visited places in the city.<\/p>\n

It is famous for its sculptures of oversized people by local artist Botero.<\/p>\n

\"Oversized<\/p>\n

Toniflap \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

The place is always crowded with local visitors and tourists.<\/p>\n

All in all, there are 23 Botero sculptures, and people hang around them.<\/p>\n

Often, there are street performances by local artists.<\/p>\n

There are a few museums, too, in close vicinity.<\/p>\n

Parque Lleras must be a one-of-its-kind park where people hang out round the clock.<\/p>\n

There are all sorts of people here \u2013 vendors, musicians, foreigners, and residents.<\/p>\n

You can also find here people boozing till the wee hours.<\/p>\n

If you are new to the city, you will have a wonderful time here watching the people.<\/p>\n

Festival of Flowers<\/h2>\n

\"Festival<\/p>\n

Orchid photho \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Medellin, the City of Eternal Spring, hosts a flower festival from 1-10 August every year.<\/p>\n

It is spring, and it\u2019s the time when flowers are in bloom.<\/p>\n

For these ten days, the city is in a completely festive mode.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of different cultural and musical events, exhibitions, fashion parades, and dog walks occur during this period.<\/p>\n

\"Parade<\/p>\n

Orchid photho \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Every nook and corner, every balcony, every billboard, and street is decorated with flowers.<\/p>\n

The flower festival celebrates the independence of Antioquia.<\/p>\n

Originally, the festival began in 1957 to commemorate the end of slavery.<\/p>\n

At least once, you should schedule your trip to the city to watch this fabulous event.<\/p>\n

Christmas Lighting<\/h2>\n

\"Medellin\u2019s<\/p>\n

Orchid photho \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Medellin\u2019s Christmas lighting or El Alumbrado is famous all over the world for its scale and ingenuity.<\/p>\n

Right from the beginning of December through the Holidays, the city is illuminated in thousands of creative ways.<\/p>\n

Earlier, the lighting would begin on December 7 to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.<\/p>\n

But because of a heavy spike in tourist arrivals to watch the Christmas lighting, the event has now been scheduled right at the beginning of December.<\/p>\n

Medellin\u2019s Christmas lighting has become so popular that the city now competes with other top holiday tourist destinations.<\/p>\n

Whether you want some scintillating pictures and videos for your Instagram post or sheer Christmas joy, Medellin will live up to your expectation.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

oscar garces \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Food Tours<\/h2>\n

If sampling local delicacies are your way to know a place and its culture, you should take a food tour of the city.<\/p>\n

Some companies offer you a tour of fruit markets, food markets, restaurants, and street food hubs.<\/p>\n

These companies have insider knowledge of the city\u2019s best culinary destinations.<\/p>\n

On your own, you may not be able to discover all that the city has to offer in terms of food.<\/p>\n

But if you take a food tour, you can reach the best street food hubs or gourmet restaurants straightaway.<\/p>\n

Toucan Caf\u00e9 and Medell\u00edn City Tours are some of the food tour organizers.<\/p>\n

Microbrewery Tours<\/h2>\n

After all the trips and meals, you can sample some local craft beer if you feel parched.<\/p>\n

The city seems to have a burgeoning number of microbreweries where you can find authentic and freshly brewed craft beer.<\/p>\n

But on your own, you might not know how to find these microbreweries.<\/p>\n

To help you, some tourism companies organize microbrewery tours much like the food tours that we have discussed above.<\/p>\n

3 Cordilleras and Cerveza Premium Apostol are among the prominent microbrewery tour operators.<\/p>\n

20 Mission Cerveza is very famous for serving great local beer.<\/p>\n

Brew House and Medell\u00edn Beer Factory brew their own beer and have full pub menus.<\/p>\n

Parque Arvi<\/h2>\n

\"Arvi<\/p>\n

Brander Comunicaciones \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Parque Arvi is an ecological nature reserve located in the mountains close to the city.<\/p>\n

It will help if you take a metro-cable ride to reach this top-rated tourist attraction.<\/p>\n

This ecological wilderness is spread over 16,000 hectares, of which over 1600 hectares is natural forest.<\/p>\n

There are about 89-km of hiking trails which you can enjoy as a guided tour.<\/p>\n

\"Natural<\/p>\n

vinjusoul \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

You can also take bird-watching tours and see an amazing array of wildflowers and butterflies apart from the birds.<\/p>\n

There is a small market at the entrance of the park where a food court is situated.<\/p>\n

There are some hotels as well.<\/p>\n

Parque Avi is also a prominent pre-Hispanic archaeological site, and you can find antique constructions such as buildings, roads, gardens of that period.<\/p>\n

\"Parque<\/p>\n

Juan Camilo Jaramillo \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Guatap\u00e9<\/h2>\n

\"Guatap\u00e9\"<\/p>\n

Fotos593 \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Guatape looks like a vast expanse of tiny green islands.<\/p>\n

This geographical marvel was created in 1970 when the entire area was submerged in flood.<\/p>\n

Water from the gorges in this mountainous terrain did not go away.<\/p>\n

The good part of this development was that the area evolved into a tourist attraction.<\/p>\n

The El Penol rock with an elevation of 2,135 meters has been the biggest crowd puller.<\/p>\n

Located a short bus ride from Medellin, it\u2019s a popular destination for its colorful houses, water sports, and some nice time away from a big city.<\/p>\n

\"Colorful<\/p>\n

mehdi33300 \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a popular day-trip destination.<\/p>\n

Climbing 740 stairs to reach the top of the El Penol is the most compelling and tiring thing to do.<\/p>\n

You can enjoy speed boat rides and party boats where you can party with your folks through the night.<\/p>\n

\"Boat<\/p>\n

Mikadun \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Jard\u00edn Bot\u00e1nico<\/h2>\n

The botanical garden in Medellin is an excellent place that offers some quiet moments in the big city.<\/p>\n

Spread over 14 hectares, the park has 4,500 types of flowers and 140 bird species.<\/p>\n

There are lots of plants, animals, insects, and a separate section for butterflies.<\/p>\n

\"Iguna<\/p>\n

Alexandre Laprise \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an interesting place with plenty of attractions to keep you hooked to the park.<\/p>\n

You may go there for an hour and end up spending several spots.<\/p>\n

You also can find fish, birds, turtles here.<\/p>\n

Trees and flowers are gorgeous.<\/p>\n

\"Jard\u00edn<\/p>\n

Mariano Luis Fraga \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Meandering through the quaint paths, you will come across a restaurant In Situ.<\/p>\n

Having lunch and relaxing at this popular restaurant can be a great experience.<\/p>\n

Entry to the park is free, and it\u2019s closed on Mondays.<\/p>\n

Comuna 13<\/h2>\n

\"Comuna<\/p>\n

BGStock72 \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

A visit to Comuna 13, a neighborhood of poor working-class people, is top-rated among tourists.<\/p>\n

It has been notorious as a hub of trafficking, criminal gangs, and violence in the 1980s and 1990s.<\/p>\n

Today, it\u2019s a completely transformed locality and is famous for its street art and graffiti.<\/p>\n

The turnaround took about two decades, but it\u2019s a great example of urban transformation.<\/p>\n

Now, tourists to Medellin often come to visit this place to see the colorful street paintings.<\/p>\n

\"Comuna<\/p>\n

Alexandre Laprise \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Comuna 13 is now connected to the Metro network and has six escalators for easy accessibility to different streets in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

These facilities have made the life of people easier.<\/p>\n

The era of crime, violence, and police raids seems solidly behind it.<\/p>\n

Many small firms organize tourist walks to this area.<\/p>\n

There are also some free walking tours available.<\/p>\n

Walking through the city is the best way to see Medellin up and close.<\/p>\n

Rooftop Pub Crawl<\/h2>\n

Medellin has an exciting nightlife with an array of pubs, bars, and nightclubs dotting the city.<\/p>\n

And there are tourism companies who can help you with pub-hopping throughout the night.<\/p>\n

These companies promise to take you up to 5 bars and nightclubs on a single night.<\/p>\n

You can expect welcome drinks, discounts on food and beverages, and live music at these venues.<\/p>\n

You can choose from endless themes from the rooftop bar, Billiard pool bar, Jacuzzi bar, Salsa bar, and Tango bar.<\/p>\n

The bar crawl companies get you discounts and offer you important tips.<\/p>\n

They also make sure you return safe and sound.<\/p>\n

Museo de Antioquia<\/h2>\n

\"Museo<\/p>\n

Marek Poplawski \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

With 17 permanent collection rooms, this is perhaps the most immersive museum you may have come across.<\/p>\n

Right in front of Plaza Botero, where 23 Botero bronze sculptures are placed, Museo de Antioquia houses many pre-Colombian and modern antiques and artworks.<\/p>\n

Many of the displayed artworks are crafted by the celebrated painter and sculptor Botero, who donated 200 of his works to the city. <\/p>\n

There is a caf\u00e9 and gift shop at the museum, and just outside, you have Plaza Botero and a market.<\/p>\n

\"Plaza<\/p>\n

Toniflap \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

There is a belief that if you rub the bronze sculptures, it will bring good luck to you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder that people keep rubbing and taking photos with these sculptures.<\/p>\n

The museum was set up in 1881, and there is an entrance fee of $6.<\/p>\n

Cementerio Museo de San Pedro<\/h2>\n

\"Cementerio<\/p>\n

Alexander Canas Arango \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

This is a small cemetery and museum, with a long history and graves and monuments of many famous Colombians.<\/p>\n

The spot is part of city walks and hosts many cultural events and anthropological tours.<\/p>\n

During the full moon, there is a special tour and cultural presentation.<\/p>\n

Made of Carrara marble from Italy, there are many beautiful monuments related to the dead, and you can\u2019t help marveling at the craftsmanship of the previous centuries.<\/p>\n

This cemetery and museum are located close to the \u2018Hospital\u2019 metro station and the botanical gardens.<\/p>\n

It is easy to reach and offers more for your time.<\/p>\n

Museo de Arte Moderno<\/h2>\n

Medellin is the birthplace of sculptors Botero and Fernando.<\/p>\n

If you are one of those who love modern art, visiting the Museum of Modern Arts or Museo de Arte Moderno can be worth it.<\/p>\n

The art gallery and museum itself is a piece of art as it has been housed in a reclaimed industrial unit.<\/p>\n

There is a permanent collection as well as a gallery where exhibitions keep changing.<\/p>\n

At the moment, the collection is modest and still evolving.<\/p>\n

There is a theatre where independent films are screened.<\/p>\n

It is open from Tuesday to Friday, and an admission fee of $4 per person is charged.<\/p>\n

Casa de la Memoria<\/h2>\n

\"Casa<\/p>\n

Luis Echeverri Urrea \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

Here, you find a collection of photos, videos, audio, and arts that shed light on crime, violence, and armed conflict in the last 30 years in Colombia.<\/p>\n

The clashes between drug cartels and paramilitary forces claimed many lives.<\/p>\n

The museum presents information and statistics about the violence and how it affected common people.<\/p>\n

Opened in 2012, the Museum of Memories examines the armed conflict and how the country overcame it.<\/p>\n

It is open from Tuesday to Friday, and the entry is free.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medellin is a cosmopolitan city with lots of parks, new buildings, restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. It is the second-largest city of Columbia and also the capital of Antioquia province. The city has a Metro and cable car network. It is a prosperous city with a thriving business and commerce and a burgeoning tech scene. Lots […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":73190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1301,1267,2359,1217,1199],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73168"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73189,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73168\/revisions\/73189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}