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Medellin, once the most dangerous city in the world, has transformed itself into an innovative, beautiful, and modern city with amazing weather (it’s not called “City of the Eternal Spring” for nothing!) The locals (called paisas – no, not like Mexican paisas) are friendly and welcoming. Here are 10 fun things to do in Medellin.
1. Free Walking Tour (tip-based)
Easily one of the most popular things to do in Medellin (it gets booked up fast), this is a fabulous half-day tour which takes you all around the center of Medellin, through historic plazas, parks, squares, and streets. You’ll see Plaza Botero (which features many of Fernando Botero’s sculptures), have the chance to try local empanadas, and much more. Reserve your spot at the Real City Tours website. Don’t forget to tip, it’s well worth it!
2. Free Graffiti Tour (tip-based)
Don’t pay full price for a graffiti tour, take this one with Zippy Tours! Your guide will walk you through Comuna 13, providing insight into the art, as well as an informative history of the city and this comuna in particular, on this 4-hour tour.
3. Take the Metrocable up to Santo Domingo for gorgeous views of Medellin
Locals are very proud of their metro system. Medellin is the ONLY city in Colombia with a rail-based metro system and was the first city in South America to incorporate gondolas as part of it. This provided more access to the less affluent communities perched up on the steep hillside. Commute times were drastically cut, and crime dropped as well.
To get there on the metro, take the A line toward Niquía, then transfer at Acevedo to the Metrocable Line K toward Santo Domingo.
4. Go to Parque Arvi for some fresh air and green spaces
From Santo Domingo, you can take a separate Metrocable, Line L, all the way up to Parque Arvi. The ride alone is worth the trip, offering awesome views of the city. We got there later in the day so we didn’t attempt any of the hiking trails (and have read mixed reviews), but there is a cool little farmers market on the weekends.
5. Take a day trip to Guatape and climb Piedra del Peñol
This colorful village is a great place to take a stroll and have a cup of coffee. You can do this on your own, or as part of a tour. I chose to take the Mansion and the Rock tour through BeColombia for $125000 COP (about $41 USD). It included transportation to Guatape (about an hour each way), a tour of one of Pablo Escobar’s mansions, lunch, a fun boat ride and swimming, a walk around the center of Guatape, and finally, the Piedra del Peñol.
6. Eat Bandeja Paisa (but share it with a friend)
Bandeja Paisa, the regional dish of Antioquia, is a plate of beans, plantains, avocado, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), chicharron (fried pork skin), and an arepa (a type of bread made from cornmeal, which you will definitely become familiar with if you’re in Colombia for any length of time).
Available at many restaurants, I happened to have it at Hacienda. Hacienda is somewhat of a local chain with 4 locations (but it was literally 50 feet from my hostel). There are probably better places to get it but Hacienda was decent.
It’s a HUGE plate and definitely needs to be shared. Even so, you’ll probably also want to walk it off afterward…
7. Walk up to Pueblito Paisa
Pueblito Paisa is a replica of a turn of the century village in Antioquia. At the top of Cerro Nutibara, It’s become a very popular tourist attraction over the years. It’s pretty, but if you have already seen other Antioquia towns (like Guatape) it’s underwhelming and has overpriced restaurants and souvenir shops everywhere. On the plus side, it has AMAZING views of Medellin and some nice walking trails. To get here, you can take a taxi or Uber, or take the A line towards Niquía and get off at Industriales. It’s about a 25-minute walk from Industriales, or less if you take the stairs for a bit of a workout!
8. Try aguardiente
The national drink of Colombia, aguardiente, is an anise-flavoured liqueur. The most popular brand in the region is Antioqueño which has an alcohol content of 29%, and is typically drunk straight. Definitely a must-try while in Medellin or anywhere in Colombia for that matter! Fun fact: the name aguardiente is a compound of the Spanish words agua (meaning water) and ardiente (meaning firey).
9. Go salsa dancing or take salsa lessons
There are a ton of salsa clubs in Medellin. While I didn’t go to any personally (I went to a salsa lesson in Cartagena called Crazy Salsa) DANCEFREE is supposed to be a good one!
10. Go to a language exchange or Spanish school
Toucan Spanish School has language exchanges 3 days per week in the evenings, open to anyone. This is a great way to practice your español. They also seem to be the de facto Spanish school in Medellin. Several people from my hostel were attending the school.
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