Frequently Asked Questions Medellín

Medellín can be visited year-round, but extra fun if you make your trip around one of the many events, which draw people from Colombia itself and abroad.

June:
Festival Internacional de Tango
The largest Tango festival outside Argentina, with tango performances and tango lessons throughout the city in the streets and parks.

August:
Feria de las Flores
Medellín’s most spectacular festival. The festival lasts a week and highlight is the Desfile de silleteros. Honderden campesinos from around Medellín come to town, to show off their flowers during the giant flower parade.

September:
Festival International de Jazz
There are free concerts featuring local and international bands

December and 1st week of January:
El Alumbrado
Medellín is known as a true Christmas city, with the most spectacular Christmas lights in Colombia. The Christmas season begins on Dec. 7, but the lights are lit a week earlier and can be admired through the first week of January.

2-3 DAYS:

In 2 days you can see the most famous sights and grab a museum.

Do you on the day 1 a city tour, then you will immediately have a handy introduction to the city. If you stay in the center, there are several museums you can visit such as the Musea de Antioquia, with the work of Botero. On day 2, you can then go to the botanical garden, Parque Explora or take the cable car to Parque Arví, for example.

With a day or more added, you could goparagliding on Day 3 , for example, do a day of shopping, or do a day tour to Guatapé.

1 WEEK OR LONGER:

If you have longer, you can take a multi-day trip to one of the villages in the area, such as Jardin, Jericho or San Rafael. Check out here for inspiration for a trip to one of these quaint villages.

-Updated February 2024-

We have been to Medellín several times and have never felt unsafe. In the tourist locations, you will see a lot of police, which also makes you feel safe.

There are some things we do recommend if you go to Medellín:

• Book a hotel or hostel in El Poblado or Laureles/Estadio, the safest neighborhoods in Medellín
• Be careful in the city center (Candelaria) at night, including at Plaza Botero, Parque San Antonio and Parque de Bolivar. Better use cabs if you have to be here at night
• Don’t use dating apps to meet people. Gangs are active in Medellín that use dating apps to lure men and then rob them, in some cases fatally. There have been several victims in recent months (time of writing: February 2024). Some of the murders took place in the El Poblado neighborhood, which is precisely known as very safe. In many nightlife robberies, Scopolamine, an intoxicant that is virtually odorless and odorless and can easily be added to drinks, is used.
• Do not accept drinks from strangers
• Don’t go into the suburbs
• Pin your first pesos safely at the airport or inside a large supermarket, drugstore or mall
• Leave gold jewelry at home
• Carry your bag in front of you
• Don’t show your phone at all times, even when you are in the cab in a busy area such as el Centro.
• Traveling by subway is safe in Medellín, but during rush hour (5-7 p.m.) it is very crowded and hectic, making it easy for pickpockets to get in and out. Tip from a local if you take the subway during rush hour: when entering the subway, stand resolutely against the wall on the left immediately, so you won’t give pickpockets a chance.

For general information on safe travel in Colombia, visit this link.

Compared to less touristy cities in Colombia, such as Cali and Barranquilla, Medellín is more expensive. If you compare it to Europe or the Dutch islands in the Caribbean, most things in Medellín are cheap.

Prices of accommodations range from just under €10 for a dorm bed in a hostel to over €100 for a luxury hotel. For about €50 you can have a very comfortable and spacious hotel or apartment in a good location in Medellín.

You can get a short cab ride via a cab app for as little as €2.50, and a ride on the subway costs €0.75.

Eating out can be as expensive as you want and also depends on the location. In the Laureles/Estadio district, we found the food a lot cheaper than in El Poblado. Then again, a good (generous portion) steak in a prime location in el Poblado cost 15€. This fresh salmon trout in Santa Elena cost 7€. You can have a comida coriente (lunch day menu) for about €5.

Even when shopping at the supermarket, you can make it as expensive as you want. Supermarket Carulla is one of the more expensive supermarkets with a nice assortment, with many imported products.

Bueno y Justo is a convenience store where you can get cheaper groceries, but you’ll find them mostly in the more local neighborhoods. In the tourist locations you will find Exito and Jumbo which are cheaper than Carulla.