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A Day in Medellin, Colombia
Medellin, Colombia is an increasingly cosmopolitan city. The city's struggle to fight crime and stay clean has actually yielded certain benefits for those visiting the city. With an ongoing campaign to modernize the city while simultaneously keeping the attractions affordable, you won't have any problem carving out the perfect day in Medellin.
During a recent visit to the city, I versed myself, unintentionally of course, in How to Make The Most of A Day in Medellin. Check it out.
1. The Botanical Gardens. Start your day off with a stroll through these lush gardens. Boasting free entry and more than 5,000 individual plants, you won't find urban nature organized this well anywhere else in Medellin. Pack a breakfast and picnic beside the water. Tip: You can find some slightly overpriced but still not that expensive stuff worth buying in the gift shop. From attractive leather wallets to a tiny little rag doll key chain (now hanging on my niece's backpack), this gift shop isn't nearly as mundane as what I'm used to.
2. Once you're through with breakfasting and plant-admiring, why not soak in even more beauty? Take a trip to the Medellin Museum of Modern Art where you'll be impressed with the architecture, gift shop, and yes, you guessed it, even the modern design of the building itself. Tip: If the Botanical Gardens gift shop is cool, the museum's gift shop is ridiculously cool. From vinyl record coasters to earrings I would definitely wear, my only complaint about my experience with the museum's gift shop was that I didn't have enough time to buy everything I wanted to buy. And while you're there, check out the graffiti across the street from the museum.
Gallery: A Day in Medellin
3. For lunch, try out En Casa de Oliva. It's this so-cute-it's-kind-of-kitschy but still impressively authentic restaurant in Poblado. It's open-aired and as you dine, you can ease your eyes with the surrounding beauty that takes shape as a casual indoor garden. I tried a little bit of everything here and I recommend it all-especially the lemonade. Tip: The portions here are big. Consider sharing.
4. After lunch, take a walk. This section of town is optimal for shopping. You'll find boutiques, clubs, salons, coffee shops, and other specialty stores in this area. Make sure you stop by a grocery store while out shopping. You won't regret picking up some coffee or chocolate for the folks back home. Tip: The security at Medellin's airport can be surprisingly strict. Keep this in mind when you're buying goods to take home. A few bags of coffee is cool. A suitcase full of coffee might cost you some time.
5. Take yourself and any respective travel companions on a 70 cent cable car ride. You can pick up the cable car from the Medellin Metro and ride it to its peak. The cars ascend into the Andes and the ride up is breathtaking. The cars can fit 6-8 people, but you can snatch one just for yourself if you're sly and have good timing. Plan it so you're on this thing around sunset and you'll catch a picture-perfect view of Medellin glistening in the valley on your ride down. Tip: if you're thirsty, hungry, or curious at the top, there are usually vendors around up there. And by the way, 'up there' is currently a giant park still under construction.
6. Drop down to Parque Lleras in the Poblado area for dinner. Bijao has excellent food and a superb wine selection. My personal recommendation: the tuna.Tip: Definitely use the toilets here. They're luxurious in a way you'll only understand after you use them.
7. Have your nightcap at any one of the nearby bars or clubs. This district is a nightlife hotspot, so don't be shy. Tip: Keep your wits about you. Medellin is a big city and just like other big cities, you're going to have to be aware of your surroundings, and your belongings, if you want to stay safe.
Have other suggestions for a perfect day in Medellin? Share it with the rest of us via comment.
[photos by Ben Britz]
4. After lunch, take a walk. This section of town is optimal for shopping. You'll find boutiques, clubs, salons, coffee shops, and other specialty stores in this area. Make sure you stop by a grocery store while out shopping. You won't regret picking up some coffee or chocolate for the folks back home. Tip: The security at Medellin's airport can be surprisingly strict. Keep this in mind when you're buying goods to take home. A few bags of coffee is cool. A suitcase full of coffee might cost you some time.
5. Take yourself and any respective travel companions on a 70 cent cable car ride. You can pick up the cable car from the Medellin Metro and ride it to its peak. The cars ascend into the Andes and the ride up is breathtaking. The cars can fit 6-8 people, but you can snatch one just for yourself if you're sly and have good timing. Plan it so you're on this thing around sunset and you'll catch a picture-perfect view of Medellin glistening in the valley on your ride down. Tip: if you're thirsty, hungry, or curious at the top, there are usually vendors around up there. And by the way, 'up there' is currently a giant park still under construction.
6. Drop down to Parque Lleras in the Poblado area for dinner. Bijao has excellent food and a superb wine selection. My personal recommendation: the tuna.Tip: Definitely use the toilets here. They're luxurious in a way you'll only understand after you use them.
7. Have your nightcap at any one of the nearby bars or clubs. This district is a nightlife hotspot, so don't be shy. Tip: Keep your wits about you. Medellin is a big city and just like other big cities, you're going to have to be aware of your surroundings, and your belongings, if you want to stay safe.
Have other suggestions for a perfect day in Medellin? Share it with the rest of us via comment.
[photos by Ben Britz]
Filed under: South America, Colombia
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dorri Olds Jan 4th 2011 5:41PM
Great read. Thanks for posting!
Andrew Campion Jan 4th 2011 5:41PM
Here is a short list of places you should also try while you're in Medellin.
Lunch:
1) Ajiaco y Mondogos: This is a famous little restaurant that only serves 3 dishes but each one is perfect Colombian cuisine and the atmosphere is 100% Colombiano.
2) Parque Lleras: There are literally dozens of places to choose from in this area with Basilica and Triada having the widest choices of international cuisine on the menu.
3) El Situ is located in the centre of the Botanical Gardens and is by far my favorite restaurant in Medellin.
4) El Cafe de Todo Fresa is one of the best chains of cafes in the city with great salads, pasta and pastries.
5) Probably the best known tradicional resturant for Colombian fusion coooking is Queareparaenamorarte which is 45 minutes outside the city, so a fun half-day trip.
Dinner:
1) Probably one of the best restaurants in Medellin right now is Bijao, in Parque Lleras with international / Colombian fusion cooking.
2) Another restaurant that gets plenty of attention is Herbario although I haven't gotten there myself yet.
3) For something a little different the Jungle themed 'Woka' has a good selection of food and cocktails.
4) Tabun is arguably one of Medellin's best Arabic restaurants with belly dancing shows of Friday and Saturday.
5) For a very simple restaurant specializing in Agrentinia beef, try CHE
6) Carmen is a relatively new resturant with a great modern design and designer meals.
7) The #1 rated resturant in Medellin es El Cielo (Heaven) with a 7 course menu to try.
Thanks for the great write up and some positive feedback on a great city!
Andrew Campion
General Manager • The Apartment Medellin
Website: www.theapartmentmedellin.com
Office: (+57 4) 312-5827 • Mobile: (+57) 314 728 9411
Elizabeth Jan 4th 2011 5:45PM
Thanks for reading, Dorri! And Andrew, thank you very much for this incredibly thorough list of what else to do in Medellin. Glad to see my favorite restaurant for dinner made it to the top of your list, as well.
Hansen Jan 4th 2011 9:00PM
Thanks for the post. Perfect timing as I will be visiting Medellin briefly over the next two days and needed a good one day guide.
jamie Jan 5th 2011 10:20AM
I would add Museo de Antioquia (http://www.themedellinmap.com/museo_de_antioquia.html) as a must see attraction in Medellin.
It takes about an hour to take in over 100 original paintings from Fernando Botero.
Elizabeth Seward Jan 5th 2011 10:23AM
Thanks for the suggestion, Jamie. I wish I had gone there!
Elizabeth Seward Jan 5th 2011 10:24AM
Hansen, please come back to us after your trip and let us know your favorite parts of Medellin.
chepe Jan 5th 2011 3:27PM
dont forguet visit the penol roke, near to the city, is excelent travel, with the big lake around the penol litle country, its in the west of the Medellin city, 1 hour to the city by car. you can include guatpe little town in the tour, its unforguet.
DISCOVERCOLOMBIA.COM Jan 8th 2011 2:40PM
Thanks so much for the link. We have compiled 48 tourist attractions thus far for Medellin, Colombia. We will be adding a few more soon! Medellin is a great place to live and visit. However, do not forget other parts of Colombia outside of the big cities such as Parque Tayrona, Cabo de La Vela, Capurgana, Isla Gorgona and Sierra Nevada de Cocuy just to name a few.
Other favorites of mine here in Medellin include;
1. The Metrocable ride to Santo Domingo. Here you can check out the award winning design of the Biblioteca Espana as well as continue on to Parque Arvi - Medellin's newest nature reserve and park.
2. Parque Sabaneta is a quaint pueblo just south of Medellin and is a great place to take a break from the big city. The park is lined with many restaurants and pubs. The recently built Aves Maria mall has a spectacular view of the valley from their food court. This area is a great place to visit at night on the weekends as well. There are lots of people that gather to socialize and party in this area.
luis fernando velasquez Jan 16th 2011 5:03PM
thanks a lot to all of you who have cared to write so nicely about the best intermediate city in the whole world. i just turned my first 70 years two weeks ago and have seen much of europe and the u.s. and you can be sure that you won't find a city nesting in a valley at 1500 meters with the temp. never exceeding 31 degrees C. or going below l5 C. when the coldest. it is ALWAYS SPRING. And the people even nicer than spring. Lots of things to see and enjoy, e.g. el pueblito paisa, envigado city just five minutes from the southernmost tip of the city, a ride in the only metro in Colombia and then the metro cable to the loftiest mountain surrounding medellin, la plaza botero in the heart of town, el parque explora, el de los pies descalzos, el parque lleras, etc, etc. after you make a complete tour of the city during the day or if you prefer aboard una chiva at night, that is an old rural passenger truck fitted for carrying tourists amid a band of musicians playing and singing colombian music, well, after seeing the beauty of medellin, its avenues and boulevards, shopping malls as good as any anywhere, el poblado district,you are in for staying in medellin the rest of your life. To Miss Seward muchas gracias and contact me thru my e-mail the next time you are coming to town. i will be glad and very much so to meet and accompany you. adios.