El Poblado is by far the most popular neighborhood in Medellín. For us, it was now the second time we had been there. And yet much was still unknown to us about this tourist area. We didn’t really know more than Lleras park, the Milla de Oro and Parque El Poblado. Honestly, we never thought about the origins of El Poblado. The (fairly new) free El Poblado tour, was therefore the perfect opportunity to learn more about Medellín’s most popular neighborhood.

We scheduled the tour on our first day in El Poblado. After registering ourselves through Beyond Colombia’s website and receiving a confirmation via email 1 day before the tour, we reported to Parque Poblado at 4 p.m. We were ready to go!

We were lucky because besides the two of us, there was only 1 other participant for the tour in English. The group for the Spanish-language tour was big, with a large group of tourists from Argentina. Together with our guide Natalia and Heather, we started the tour. Heather was an American, who traveled the world by motorcycle and was now staying in Medellín for a while to get her motorcycle repaired. Before leaving, we paused at the monument honoring Medellín’s first colonial settlement, founded in 1616 on the site where Parque El Poblado is today.

We liked not having to walk in a “herd” behind our guide, which also allowed us to stay a little longer at a particular stop. Like at the first stop, a micro beer brewery, just around the corner from Parque El Poblado. Here they brew beers with unusual flavors, such as coconut and Jack daniels. After Natalia delighted us with the explanation of the different beer flavors, she wanted to keep walking, but of course we stopped her -:). We were not leaving without tasting a beer! Because of  the elections the next day, no alcohol was allowed to be served from 6 p.m. onwards. So we were just in time!

With the beer in our hand, we walked on to the Calle 10 and stopped at a beautiful mural titled Medallo, “code name” among graffiti artists for Medellín.

After this, we walked on to a beautiful look-out point in El parque de la Bailarina, in the Astorga neighborhood.

The park is like an oasis in the city and is home to as many as 30 species of birds, including the Yellow-winged Macaw. Despite the park’s beauty, it has a tragic history. The park is dedicated to Isabel Cristina Restrepo Cárdenas, the best dancer in Medellín’s classical ballet, who was murdered in 2008.

Near the park, we stopped at Colombia’s only restaurant with a Michelin star; El Cielo. This was very special for us, because we wanted to eat here, but couldn’t get a table. Despite the high prices, restaurant el Cielo is fully booked months in advance!

We walked on to Lleras park and it was lovely to walk among all that greenery, with look-out points by streams and rivers.

There was even a coffee plant to be seen in all that greenery.

We made a break at a statue of Mary, where Natalia explained to us why statues of Mary were placed in Medellín, in places such as parks and subway stations. During the drug conflict, this was done to counter violence. How could a statue of the Virgin Mary do that? The reasoning behind this is that even the biggest criminal loves his mother. By placing images of the “mother of all mothers,” there would be less violence in these places!

At the vía Primavera, Natalia showed us some stores, with locally made clothes. She also made some recommendations for the best coffee (Cafe Pergamino) and the best ice cream in Medellín (Amor Acuyá). Such a tasty ice cream was very tempting, but due to the long line, we decided to pass.

At the actual (lleras) park that was being renovated, Natalia explained that -because of the renovation- the locals’ nightlife has largely moved to the vía Provenza.

However, we still found Lleras park very lively and cozy, with live music and lots of restaurants and cafes.

At the end of the free El Poblado tour, Natalia showed us some photos of the old El Poblado, before the construction of the high-rise buildings for rich Colombians in the 1970s and drug lord Escobar laundered his money there. What a difference!

After giving Natalia a (well-deserved) tip, everyone went their separate ways and we decided to have another drink at the Envy Rooftop Bar in the Charlee hotel. The view there was said to be amazing and yes it was indeed!

With a coconut lemonade (no piña colada because of the elections -:)) we toasted to el Poblado. We learned a lot about the (not always beautiful) history of El Poblado and got many tips for the nicest places to eat and drink. What a wonderful first day of our stay in Medellín!

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: June 2022

Mountain village Santa Elena is located on a 40-minute drive from Medellín, at an altitude of nearly 3,000 meters. Because of its location in the middle of nature, we saw Santa Elena as the perfect “escape to nature” from the busy city. Tiny house Cubo Nube, the Airbnb we had booked, is located in a private nature reserve, and with pictures of squirrels and beautiful birds, we were already getting excited.

For transportation, we had arranged a cab through the Airbnb. During the ride from our hotel in el Poblado to Santa Elena, we drove through several neighborhoods of Medellín, such as el Centro and the lively Buenos Aires neighborhood. Since Monday was an official day off after the elections, the area was bustling. Families were going out to eat together or meeting up for a friendly chat. The drive continued through the mountains at a good pace and frankly, we were glad when we arrived at the tiny house.

We came for the nature, so the first thing we did was sitting on the terrace to enjoy the view. It seemed that the birds and squirrels had warned each other, because one by one the animals came out to see if there were some goodies in the feeders! The squirrels looked at us with their cute faces, hoping for some goodies -:)

When we put a banana on the picnic table, a squirrel came and nibbled from it, while not losing sight of us. After this we heard a big thud, indicating the “landing” of the Colombian Chachalaca, a large chicken-like bird with a beautiful blue head. The bird was not afraid and jumped from one feeder to another.

The weather was beautiful with a clear blue sky and we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the peace and quiet and the animals, before settling into the tiny house. The tiny house is built in a way that you have an awesome view of the forest and Medellín -in the distance- from the bedroom on the second floor. The fresh air made us sleepy and after watching some Netflix, we went to sleep, with only the sounds of the rainforest around us.

In the morning we woke up to the sound of twittering birds. Soon a large Chachalaca sat down in a tree in front of our window, as if to tell us he was ready for breakfast -:)

From the bedroom we saw more beautiful, colorful birds passing by. Because the bedroom is surrounded by trees, we felt like we were in a real tree house!

With the things we brought from Medellín, we made a simple breakfast. We cut some extra fruit for the squirrels and birds, and after breakfast we settled on the terrace, for the “feeding show.” One by one, the squirrels descended on the fruit and corn kernels, and then the birds followed.

Since the tiny house is very remote, there is no other supermarket or restaurant nearby. Therefore, in the afternoon we decided to take a cab to Cerro Verde Mirador, a viewpoint with a restaurant and the Torre de Antioquia. From this lookout tower, you can look out over the entire region and even see El Peñol in Guatape (when the sky is clear). We thought that was something nice to do!

Arriving at Cerro Verde, we enjoyed the view and decided to go to the observation tower after lunch….  Wrong decision! During lunch, it started to rain hard…Instead of climbing the observation tower, we stayed in the restaurant with a cup chocolate caliente.

Our visit ended shorter then we thought and on our way back to the tiny house, we asked the driver to stop at the supermarket, so we could do groceries for the rest of the day. The forecast was that the rest of the day would stay rainy. 

The next day the weather was much better and we decided to go out. But first we decided to pay a visit to the dentist. My travel partner had a toothache and we decided not to wait any longer and visit the local dentist. Arriving at the central plaza of Santa Elena, we asked for directions to the dentist clinic, which was hidden behind the plaza.

There was no one in the waiting room and we were able to walk right through. Arriving in the treatment room, we felt like we were going back in time 50 years! There was an old-fashioned chair and ditto equipment and we had to do our best not to laugh. The dentist and his assistant were warm-hearted and very professional, so we still had a good feeling about it. After an initial checkup, the dentist couldn’t find anything special and he decided to take a photo. The photo was taken and developed in the old-fashioned way… you can already guess: the photo was developed in a jar with liquid. After the diagnosis -a small infection- we had to pay 5 dollar for the photo and 2.50 dollar for the consultation! With the prescription for antibiotics we went to the farmacia in the village and after this we walked around for a while.

The toothache fortunately did not persist and after the walk in the village we caught a cab to restaurant Sublime where we had a delicious meal.

When the cab picked us up, he asked if we were interested in visiting a Finca de los silleteros and ofcourse we were interested.

Before our trip to Medellín, we had heard a lot about the annual flower parade during the Feria de las Flores, where the silleteros (flower bearers) from Santa Elena show off their beautiful flower arrangements to the public. The Londoño family is a yearly prize winner and it was nice to hear their stories.

What impressed us most was that the family traveled to New York after 9-11. Here they presented flower arrangements from the flower festival to families who lost their loved ones.

After a wonderful day, we settled in early at night and fell asleep rightaway. But not for long… We woke up to a huge bang and sat upright in bed. It looked like lightning had struck and after checking the bedroom, we noticed that the wifi router was no longer working. It was difficult to get back to sleep as it remained unsettled that night with thunder and rain. In the morning, the weather had cleared up and we packed for the trip back to Medellín. The data on our phone worked only sporadically, so the rest of the morning we were forced to look out the window and enjoy nature. What a punishment -:)

We were unable to reach the cab driver to reconfirm the return trip to Medellín, but she was at the gate at exactly the agreed time. The journey back to civilization could begin….

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: June 2022

During one of our trips to Medellín, my Colombian travel partner wanted to surprise me with dinner at a restaurant in Medellín with the best view of the city. Where? I had no idea; the location was kept secret, right down to ordering the taxi to bring us to our destination. So: we got in the taxi and the surprise could begin!

From our hotel in el Poblado, we drove through Envigado to the suburb of Sabaneta and I really had no idea where we were going. Most of the famous restaurants are not in the suburbs, so I found this so strange! As the taxi climbed further up and the streets became narrower, I became more and more curious. We were now totally “off the beaten track.”

Even when the driver dropped us off at our end destination, -restaurant La Octava Maravilla- and we were greeted by two funny characters, I still had no idea. When we receive a bag of popcorn, I felt like we had entered a circus! With the bag of popcorn in our hands, we were guided toward a restaurant and there I got the real surprise, a fantastic, expansive view of Medellín! This was truly a surprise!

Now the meaning of the restaurant’s name also became clear to me; la Octava Maravilla=the eighth wonder of the world -:) The view was spectacular despite the clouds and I couldn’t get enough of taking pictures, from all angles.

After all the photographing, it was time for a drink. It became a piña colada, which was beautifully served in a pineapple.

We were not the only enthusiasts, as it was a coming and going of families and many couples, holding each other intimately,  making it a romantic evening.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was kept up by the entertaining staff. There was so much to see, that we almost forgot that we still had to eat! We ordered the churrasco and kept enjoying the ambiente. Although we ordered the steak tres cuatro (medium well), it was far too well done, but the delicious side dishes made up for a lot; nice potatoes and a salad with a delicious salsa of tomate de arbol.

After dinner we went for a final photo session. A photo with the the funniest staff member was not to be missed ofcourse!

While waiting for the taxi, we enjoyed one last view of Medellín as the line for the restaurant only grew longer.

The surprise was an enormous success!

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: June 2022

There are lots of things to do in Medellín, but for us the choice of the Urban coffee tour in Barrio La Sierra (Comuna 8) was quickly made. The combination of coffee and a community tour, completely “off the beaten track,” was the perfect combination for us.

We were very much looking forward to the tour and were also a bit anxious, since Barrio La Sierra was once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of Medellín. With guide Arturo, we would be able to see the Barrio’s transformation with our own eyes. To see the tour in this perspective, Arturo had advised us to watch the La Sierra documentary on Youtube (2004) about life in the neighborhood during the armed conflict between paramilitaries, left wing guerrillas and local street gangs.

We met Arturo at the entrance to the San Antonio metro station in the heart of Medellín. The three of us were the only participants, so the tour was private! After riding the tranvía (streetcar) through the Barrio Buenos Aires, we arrived at the metrocable station, where we caught the cable car to la Sierra, the last stop. The view was amazing and the ride was an experience in itself.

In the cable car, Arturo talked to a Colombian-American abuelita and her daughter, who made the ride to La Sierra purely for the trip, but didn’t dare to get out. They knew stories about La Sierra’s violent past and shared them with us. After watching the Youtube video the previous evening, we could vividly imagine this.

After getting off the cable car, we walked to the staircase with 577 steps.

Along the way we saw men building their own houses. They were very friendly and proud when we asked questions about the construction. Meanwhile, all I could think was: omg, up those long stairs with all those bricks!!!

In addition, we talked with two friendly ladies who were chatting on the balcony in front of their house and spoke to a schoolgirl who has known Arturo since she was a baby. She assured us that it was not going to rain (which we feared) and she was right. Not a drop!

As we climbed further up, we saw men and women working with sugar cane and we passed the local (new) school.

When the school children saw us, I felt like like i immediately stood out as a “gringa” next to my Colombian friends.

“How are you” and “I love you” were the kids favourite sentences hahaha. As was “dame un dollar” -:) but Arturo explained that no money is given, so as not to create a pattern.

After climbing all the steps of the stairs, we thought we had almost reached the coffee plantation for our first coffee “shot,” but nooo…we were not there yet.

So we continued with our beautiful hike with while enjoying the views.

Arriving at Finca “increíble,” we were warmly welcomed by Rosa. We were given a cup of coffee with a cookie, while Rosa began to tell us about the history of the finca. Her father Mauro was the “star of the show” with his wonderful stories and dry sense of humor.

He was also the one who showed us the young coffee plants and explained how to pick the coffee beans so we could earn our second cup of coffee -:)

After picking the beans, our “harvest” was checked, and we were shown the production process.

The taste of the second cup of coffee was surprising: a sweet, aromatic coffee brewed with panela (sugar water).

While sipping this cup of coffee, I asked myself at what time the tour would be finished, because we still had to start the walk back to the La Sierra metro station! Ouch…But……there was a car waiting to take us to the metro station. What a surprise! We quickly bought a few more packs of coffee to bring home and got in the small car. This was a very nice way to end the tour, with lots of ambiente due to the Colombian music!

Arriving back in Medellín, we had much to catch up on. All three of us found it impressive to hear the stories about the history of the barrio and the finca “increíble.” And as often in Colombia, the people and their stories were the real highlight of the day; their perseverance to make something out of their former hopeless lives, the optimism and always…the sense of humor. Still full of impressions and feeling grateful that we had supported the local community with this tour, we headed back home.

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: June 2022