Medellin is a vibrant city a quaint mixture of colorful pueblos, steel skyscrapers, and lush green mountains, a city nestled in an inland valley, worth a journey for a relaxed backpacker and filled with things to do in Medellin.
You know what’s the best thing about this city? It has tropical weather for twelve months. it is called La Primavera Eterna also The Eternal Spring!
Some of the best things to do in Medellin include the city’s expansive nightlife and style vibes, and it is filled with beautiful gardens.
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12 Things to Do in Medellin
you might have the question of what to do in Medellin. Well, let us answer this, my friends, in this chic travel guide and share with you some of the fun and best things to do in Medellin
1. Visit El Pablo
The town is split into two sides dividing the family-friendly neighbourhood from the nightlife monsters. It is situated on a small hillside, it is a twenty-minute walk from the Utes. It gives you ample time to drench yourself and explore this colorful neighborhood filled with art, colorful roads, and some of the best restaurants you will find in Medellin.
El Pablo is an upscale neighborhood in the city, it’s food trendy with nightlife, bars, and restaurants. A great Colombian sample with local cuisine and the city’s vibrant social scene.
2. Explore Comuna 13
Communa 13 was once a notorious neighbourhood which is now transformed into a hub for the city’s art and culture. You can take a graffiti tour to help yourself learn more about the city’s history and find yourself enjoying the colorful murals on the walls. Definitely consider the few things to do in Medellin.
The area is infamous for being the most violent of the city with violent crimes on the brink such as murder and drugs, we suggest you don’t visit at night but it is safe in the day even if for the street art decorating it’s many walls, Comuna 13 sees a lot of tourist influx, in turn, giving way to flourishing commerce and business.
3. Visit Parks and Plazas
The city is famous for its numerous parks and plazas, Its eternal spring enables people to spend most of their time outside and have tons of things to do in Medellin, with many vendors peddling food and drinks. Two of the must-visit parks you will find are:
- Parque Lleras – it is situated in the middle of Pobaldo, making it full of day and night. There are musicians, street vendors, food sellers, people drinking into the night, and an overall marvelous place to just sit and watch people go about and have fun.
- Plaza Botero – This one is popular because Botero is a famous artist from Medellin best known for his statues and drawings that are highly oversized of people. This plaza has 23 of Botero’s creations and is often packed with photos, street performers, and artists.
4. Look at Parque Explora
This is not quite a park but another fun thing to do in Medellin. Parque Explora is an interactive Science museum that is super fun and awesome for exploration, it is for all ages and people. it is loosely inspired by San Francisco’s Exploratorium.
Parque Explora has South America’s largest freshwater aquarium with more than three hundred interactive attractions and 3D auditoriums. The place opened in 2008. It has around four thousand organisms from all the water bodies found in Columbia, it is quite a catch for anyone who is an ocean enthusiast.
5. Ride the Metrocable to Parque Arvi
This is Medellin’s public transport and you will get yourself a chance to live and explore the city as a local, with stunning views from all around the. If you are one of those people who sit on a train and do not like it when the train stops then you will most definitely enjoy the endless exploration of the city and the surrounding mountains through the Metrocable.
The Line J cable car takes you to the Parque Arvi which is a beautiful natural reserve and you will enjoy the endless rows of mountains and trees. it covers over forty acres of land located on top of a hill
6. A Dat trip to Parque Guatape
It is a short distance from the city of Medellin. The town of Guatape is very beautiful and picturesque. There is a climb through the famous rock of El Penol which gives you an astounding paranomic view of the nearby islands and lakes. The streets are colorful and you can also visit the waterfront.
Trust me the view is truly magnificent, you feel like you are in space in the Avatar movie. The rock is a ten-million-ton granite stoner that spans over 200 meters above the Earth and is visible from the Colombian countryside.
7. Stroll in the Botanical Gardens of Medellin
Medellin’s Botanical Gardens are a definition of a peaceful oasis within the city, if you are fond of plants then you must visit the Botanical Garden. A most fun thing to do in Medellin, the Botanical garden boasts four thousand and five hundred flowers and a hundred and a theory nine species of birds.
The Botanical Garden of Medellin is serene, peaceful, and quiet where you lose yourself in the fauna of beautiful trees, plants, and flowers for hours on end. You must visit it once and check out the magic of this place.
8. Para Gliding in San Felix
Paragliding over the beautiful mountains and the surrounding wildlife is truly an exquisite experience in itself. This sort is for adventurers facing their fears and reveling in the thrill You will be soaring over the stunning landscape of the Medellin.
You will of course be accompanied by the certified oilsotots. for this, you can take a taxi or go through the metro or by bus to San Felix. from there, it is a fifteen taxi or bus ride. You take over the scenic mountain ranges.
9. See Soccer Match with locals
Soccer is most definitely a fun thing to do in Medellin, Soccer is not just a simple sport for the city but their religion. Medellin is divided into two local teams. One of them is Atletico Nacional and another is Independiente Medellin.
Supporters find themselves sitting in opposite bleachers in the stadium since things get rowdy and violent. Most definitely you want to check out the match. The tickets are for 48,000 COP.
10. Take a Free Walking Tour
Well yeah, when you play a game the best thing is to explore the new world have walked into, this is the best way to explore the unconventional things in the city take detours to the authentic life mingle with the locals, and get the best hideouts and sneak out places. After all, it is the locals who know their city the best.
There is nothing better than exploring a new city on your own to see what the real city feels like. There are quite a few free walking tour options available to you where you can learn about the history and culture of Medellin with a local, get to explore the historic districts and let it all come to life through storytelling.
11. Visit Museo de Antioquia
Museums and Libraries are the heart of a city, you can never miss a museum and art exhibition. The Museum of Medellin looks quite rustic and historic in its own right, it was established in the year 1881. The Museo de Antioquia boasts a massive collection of Medellin Native Fernando Botero and Pedro Nel Gomez. It is situated right in the centre of the Botero Plaza and the Berrio Park Metro Station.
The museum holds 23 large curvaceous bronze sculptures and is the most popular museum in Medellin, in addition, you will also find drawings, paintings, and many more cultures and objects of historical value and native to the city of Medellin as well as National and International work by artists.
12. Castle Musem
Another Museum and one of the most unique things to do in Medellin, the Castel Museum is Gothic in Style and can be reminiscent of castles found in the Czech Republic or France but it is worlds away from Colombian city life. It was built in the 1930s and is now open to the Public where you can observe the classic furniture, glassware, and traditional paintings on the walls alongside many of the beautiful artifacts. This is a perfect place for a Colombian gothic picnic. A tour that is guided can cost you 18,000 COP.
Nightlife in Medellin
No travel guide is complete without giving you knowledge on exploring the city’s nightlife. Especially when it comes to Medellin because Medellin offers one of the best nightlife in the whole of Colombia. from colorful homes to bars, rooftops, and of course not rooftops, all with a buzzing atmosphere. Here are some of the nice cafes and bars.
One of the alternatives that are available to part animals are the traditional Chivas aka party Buses, it is very Colombian, they have loud music and flashlights and people carry them through the streets and make stops along the bars for refills. Quite a fun way of having a whole party on the wheels, Hot Wheels. Anyway here is the list of bars
- Parque Lleras – yes the very same one we talked about, it is surrounded by a healthy amount of bars and nightclubs, such as Woka Lounge, and Envy Rooftop
- Rooftops– With the best views of all of the city we present you Los Patios Hostel.
- Bars– Berlin Bar, La Octava Bar ( Gotta Ballpit! ), Vintrash
- Cafes– Hija Mia Nomada, Zorba Pizza, Kai Restaurant, Helecho vegan Suchi, Pergamino, Betty Bowls, Bread factory, Apilados de Autor, Helecho Vegan Sushi
Safety Tips
Here are some of the safety tips you might wanna follow while visiting the city and the surrounding areas, we do wish you a safe and happy travels, let us discuss some things you should do ad you should never do as it can get tricky when you visit an entirely different culture from yours it is essential to follow guidelines.
Stay on your toes in a crowded place, learn some Spanish beforehand, always travel with a group, keep your emergency contacts ready, have travel insurance, keep digital backups and photocopies of important documents, respect local customs and laws and follow your tour guide instructions.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed our article about the 12 best things to do in Medellin and we have tried our best to supply you with the latest information. From walking tours to paragliding, there is nothing we leave untouched, if you are a fan of travel and love travel guides, consider following us.