Where to stay in Medellín?
El Poblado or Laureles/Estadio?
Where to stay in Medellín? Find the best neighborhoods + tips here. El Poblado and Laureles-Estadio….beide neighborhoods are attractive to travelers for their safety, central location and easy accessibility. There are hotels, hostels and apartments for every budget: for €10 you have a dorm bed in a hostel and a comfortable mid-range hotel for €30-€60. There is also a wide choice of luxury class hotels, especially in El Poblado. Which neighborhood is the nicest and most convenient to stay in? That depends entirely on what you want to do in Medellín and where! We have stayed in both neighborhoods during our trips to Medellín and find that both neighborhoods have their charms. Hopefully our tips will help you get started in making a choice!
El Poblado
El Poblado is a green, hilly neighborhood, 6 km south of the city center. It is an upscale neighborhood, with some of Medellín’s fanciest restaurants, but there are restaurants for every budget.
El Poblado is a large area made up of smaller neighborhoods. You can therefore spend a lot of time walking to and from your accommodation and the metro station. Therefore, choose your hotel or hostel smartly and depending on what you want to do.
If you plan to do a lot of shopping, then an accommodation near Avenida de El Poblado (Milla de Oro / golden mile) is convenient. Here you will find shopping centers such as Santa Fe and Oviedo, large supermarkets and many restaurants.
This section is also the business center of El Poblado. The hotels are mostly high-rise.
If you prefer to stay in the heart of the nightlife, grab accommodation near the cozy Lleras Park, the Zona Rosa of El Poblado.
The locals’ nightlife has lately moved more to Vía Provenza, around the corner from Lleras park.
In the Provenza and foodie district of Manila, you will find a number of boutique hotels, such as Manila hotel boutique
and Patio del Mundo in Provenza, where you imagine yourself in the jungle -:)
Conveniently, if you are staying in El Poblado, you can then join organized tours leaving from El Parque del Poblado, such as various (bus) tours to Guatapé, Comuna 13 and the free El Poblado walking tour.
There are 4 metro stations: Poblado, Industriales, Aguacatala and Ayurá. There is a bus station in El Poblado, the Terminal del Sur, for buses to nearby villages such as Jardín. Furthermore, the national Olaya Herrera Airport is located in El Poblado.
Laureles-Estadio
Laureles-Estadio is centrally located, west of the city center (El Centro). This makes it a great base to visit El Centro, grab a museum there or do a city walk. Laureles-Estadio is close to Estadio metro station (line B).
Like El Poblado, Laureles-Estadio is a popular neighborhood with travelers, but without the tourist “hype.” Here you will find a more local vibe than in El Poblado. You already feel the different vibe when you get off at Estadio metro station; it’s messy, there are more street vendors, in short, it’s more Colombian.
Laureles-Estadio is a pedestrian-friendly, flat neighborhood. There are nice restaurants and coffee shops, and prices are lower than in El Poblado.
We stayed on a quiet side street of La Setenta, the Zona Rosa (entertainment district) of Medellín. La Setenta is a long street with many restaurants, bars and clubs.
The famous Son Havana salsa club is also located in Laureles-Estadio.
When there are soccer games at Soccer Stadium Atanasio Girardot, you will find many soccer fans on the streets, coming for drinks after the game. Soccer fans who do not go to the stadium come to watch the game in one of the many bars.
You can store at the large shopping center Centro Comercial Unicentro.
Furthermore, in Laureles/Estadio you will find the parks el primer and segundo Parque de Laureles, where there are also some nice hotels.
If you are staying in Laureles-Estadio, then you are not far from Caribe Metro station, where you can catch the bus to Guatapé.
Other neighborhoods
In El Centro (la Candelaria), you will find some of the city’s main attractions and museums. Still, we don’t recommend this neighborhood to stay overnight, as it is less safe at night. Besides, you can easily reach El Centro by metro, for a day of “sightseeing.” (Metro stations Parque Berrío, San Antonio (line A)
Envigado and Sabaneta are actually 2 separate cities, but because there are no visible boundaries, they are considered part of Medellín. These traditional neighborhoods are south of El Poblado. If you are in Medellín for an extended period of time, these are great neighborhoods to stay in. Both Sabaneta and Envigado are easily accessible by metro (line A). If you are coming to visit the tourist attractions, it is more convenient to book accommodation in El Poblado or Laureles to save yourself a lot of travel time.
Tips for booking your hotel or hostel
1) Check the distance to the nearest metro station
Especially in El Poblado, as this is a large, hilly area. Even a short walk can be fairly intense
2) Check if the hotel is right on a busy street or 1 or 2 streets behind it.
This can make a world of difference to your sleep! If the hotel is on a busy street, check if it has “soundproofing” rooms or ask for a room not facing the street.
Our pick:
Our favorite hotel in El Poblado for location and comfort is Leblón Suites (around €60). The hotel has very spacious suites with kitchens and is on a quiet street behind Avenida de El Poblado (Golden mile). Because of this, we were not bothered by the traffic. The hotel is within walking distance of Parque Poblado (starting point of several tours), supermarket Carrulla and shopping centers Oviedo and Santa Fe. Around the corner from the hotel you will find a drugstore, restaurant Parmessano and coffee shop Tostao.
Bonus tip:
Do you like a little luxury during your city break? Then check out these hotels with jacuzzi in Medellin.
Check out more hotels and hostels in the different price ranges below.
€ price range up to €30
€€ price range €30 – €60
€€€ price range above €60
Laureles/Estadio
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