Practical information about Medellín
Need a doctor or dentist?
If you need a doctor or dentist, there are many choices in Medellín. Health care is known as good, and Medellín has some of the best hospitals in Colombia and Latin America. Compared to Europe, medical care is inexpensive.
Here are a few tips for when you need medical attention:
Consultation with English-speaking doctor
Doctor Luz Naranjo. Make an appointment via WhatsApp. V ear more information: English speaking doctor Medellin
Consult through a Medical App
Through MedicApp, you can request a doctor’s consultation “at home” 24 hours a day. Look here for more information and to download MedicApp
Hospital
Among others. Clinica Las Vegas
Consultation with English-speaking dentist
Click here for more information:Dental Center – English
Need medication?
There are many drugstores (farmacias) in Medellín, some of which are open 24 hours a day. among others, Drojas la Rebaja (24h), Farmatodo and Farmacias Pasteur. Furthermore, you will find farmacias including in shopping malls, larger supermarkets and department stores such as Exito. Many medicines can be obtained without a prescription, such as antibiotics. Convenient is the delivery service of drugstores, if you are unable to pick up the medication yourself.
Check out here for more info on medical care and medicine in Colombia.
NL and Belgian consulate
Dutch honorary consulate in Medellín
Consul
Quincy Lissaur
Mall Palms Avenue, Oficina 416
Calle 18 # 35 – 69
Medellín
+57 316 223 3024
consulmedellin@lissaur.com
Consular section/call center can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (571) 638 4200.
Opening hours
Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All appointments for consular services must be requested by e-mail.
Belgian Honorary Consulate in Medellín, Diagonal 75B no 2a – 120 – Oficina 309
Edificio Promotora Medica de las Americas – Apartado 49225
(+57) (4) 341.60.60
gjube@yahoo.com.co
diplomatie.belgium.be/colombia
Consul: Gabriel Jaime Uribe Bernal – Honorary Consul
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 08.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
Opening hours may change. Always contact the consulate before visiting. In most cases, you can make an appointment using the consulate website or by phone (+57) (4) 341.60.60 or email gjube@yahoo.com.co
Packing List
- Set of neat clothing for a night out or upscale restaurant, so you “”blend in with the locals. The “Paisas” love to dress in style.
- Gym shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking in Medellín!
- Jacket or coat for the colder days
- Umbrella or rain jacket
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Thermos for water
- Medicine if you want a particular brand
- Readings: The Farm, written by Héctor Abad. The story is set in the mountains outside Medellín, where the residents of the farm la Oculta, faced the violence of paramilitaries and the guerrilla. An interesting book if you want to immerse yourself in the history of Medellín.
Pins
At the airport you can already withdraw the first pesos. Furthermore, you will find ATMs in shopping malls and in larger drug stores where you can safely withdraw money. Make sure the transaction is complete before leaving the ATM.
Tip: We experienced one time that it did not work to withdraw money. When we changed the language from English to Spanish it worked!
Supermarkets and drugstores
Supermarkets
Carulla is a nice supermarket with a lot of imported products, which also makes it one of the more expensive supermarkets. Exito is a well-known department store, where they sell not only food but also clothes, electronics, home stuff, etc. just like Jumbo. Falabella is a well-known store for clothing, jewelry, perfumes and stuff for the home. There are also smaller convenience stores of supermarket chain Justo y Bueno, where you can get cheaper groceries, but in the tourist neighborhoods you will find mainly Carulla, Exito and Jumbo.
Drugstores (farmacias).
Among others, Drojas la Rebaja (24h), Farmatodo and Farmacias Pasteur.
You will find many farmacias in Medellín, including in malls, larger supermarkets and department stores such as Exito. This gives you easy access to medicines, many of which can be obtained without a prescription. Convenient is the delivery service of drugstores, if you are unable to pick up the medication yourself.
Wifi/digital nomads
Medellín generally has good and reliable Internet. Partly because of this, the city is popular with digital nomads. There are coffee shops and shopping malls with good wifi and charging stations. Modern co-working spaces, such as those WeWork, are popular with digital nomads. You can find these shared workspaces mostly in El Poblado. If you want to become a digital nomad in Medellín, you can join this facebook group to get in touch with other digital nomads.
