Medellin

Medellín is a city in Colombia. It has 3.5 million people and is the capital of the state of Antioquia. It's set in a valley running south to north just one hour by plane from Bogota.

Understand

Medellin was once considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world for its size, and had a highly disproportional homicide rate. It was the home of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, who virtually took over the city in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Since his demise, the city has recovered a good deal of its stability and prosperity. For example, the number of homicides 1991 was around 4000. As of June 2005, there were only 386 homicides, making Medellin one of the most secure cities in Latin America.

The wealthier classes live in the well-protected suburbs of Laureles and El Poblado. This is far removed from the action and commotion which are found in the city's center. There are the busy markets and a thriving street life that make up much of the city's charm. The city is flooded with refugees from the ongoing civil war and the ingenuity applied to make a living is impressive. People sell anything from crayons to guinea pigs to garden earth in the bars in order make a living.

For travellers, Medellín is famous for its beautiful women, which is why it is frequented by young male travellers; in fact Medellín is the number one exporter of female models from Colombia, including Natalia Paris, Ana Sofia Henao and Tatiana de Los Rios.

Get in

Medellin is served by Jose Maria Cordoba International Airport, located in the city of Rio Negro. Flights arrive here from Madrid, Bogota, Miami, and New York City (among other places.) There are usually taxis that can take you down to the city. As of January 1, 2006, a taxi from Rio Negro to the city is 40.000 Colombian Pesos. Medellin is also served by a bus terminal.

Get around

Travelling trough the city is easy and quick, with the Metro System, you can go to anywhere in the city with The Metroplús (Bus extension to the Metro). The Metro is a sky train that has revolutionised transport in the city. All taxis have meters, make sure they use them. There is also the TuriBus, a modern bus, that goes around the city showing it's parks, beautiful sectors and historical parts; it only cost 10.000$ (5 US$) If you want to go around downtown or neighborhoods near the downtown area without using Taxis, try using the Circular Coonatra (there are various routes);

See

Pueblito Paisa is a reconstruction of a typical Antioquia village. It settled on the top of Cerro de Nutibara and has a breathtaking view over the city. It's on walking distance from metrostation Industriales
Museo de Antioquia =>, Cra 52 #52-43, displays a collection of contemporary art including work of Botero. Open: Mo till Fr 9:30am-5pm and Su and Hollidays 10am-4pm. Entrance COP$8 000 and students COP$4 000.
Prado neigbourhood, formerly it was the wealthy neigbourhood of the city so many huge houses were built there, it still has some of this beautiful old houses, though it should be visited with caution as it's near the centre of the city.
The Boston Park is an attractive area that leads down to the main promenade La Playa and here people can be found gathering at night to see street acts.
The "Parque de los Sueños" (Dream Park) near the Antioquia's University, has an Indian context, beautifully enmarqued with the planetarium, and science experiements.
The "parque de las luces" Is in the heart of the city, it limits with beautiful 20's years buildings, the EPM bibliothec and a sector, that years before was full of drug and poorness, now is a place to visit and have a great time.

Do

Take the metro to Acevedo station and from there take the Metrocable up to Santo Domingo for a nice view over the city. The cablecar is included in your metroticket. Go during the day and walk around to see what working class people live like. The area at the top sees tourists so there are little stands set up and people selling empanadas and other things. You can stop at a little bar and have a beer. Don't stray too far or off the beaten path in this neighborhood, though. For those so inclined, there were young people that give tours waiting at the top wearing t-shirts that said "guia" (guide).

Buy

Coffee: Medellin is known for it's proximity to the zone where coffee is cultivated; you can find everything from Coffee Ice Cream to Arequipe de Cafe -- anything you can imagine with a coffee flavor. Aguardiente Antioqueño: Schnaps with a special flavor, much like black licorice.

Eat

Colombia is well known for its coffee, and Medellin is no exception. As with any large city, there are the usual chain restaurants, however the American "fast-food culture" has not made a huge splash in the country.

One treat that will leave anyone stuffed is the "Tipico Antioqueño"; arepa con queso (small flatbreads with cheese on top), beans, chicken, rice, eggs, chicharron (salted meat), and patacon (deep-fried plantain pancakes). Topping that off with a Colombian beer and a cup of "chocolate" (pronounced the Spanish way - it's milky, sweet hot chocolate) makes for an excellent meal.

Medellin also has a few ethnic restaurants - around town, you can find Greek and Thai restaurants (there is a Thai restaurant in Parque Lleras). East Asian restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) aren't in high demand, so there aren't that many around the city. Sushi may be found at larger supermarkets that are more "international."

You have to go to los Verdes de la 80, they have the best burgers, salchipapas, hot dogs, etc... if you ask any taxi driver they will know exactly where to take you, believe me you won't regreat!!! Delicious...

Drink

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the main days to party in Medellín, the rest of the week the nightlive isn't really exciting. Most bars and clubs close at 3am.

El Blue popular place with a mix of rock and local music.
Republica opposite of El Blue offers electronic music and local music.
Mangos has a reputation of being visited by rich Colombians.

The area around Parque Lleras, la Zona Rosa as some call it, has a concentration of restaurants and bars and great people watching. It is active on most nights and a must visit for those looking for Colombian night life. The italian restaurant on the corner, Rojo Vivo I think it was called, is great for drinks and people watching, but the food was sub-par. The tomato sauce was sweet and ketchupi, and the food came cold to the table. However, it has live music some nights and you can sit and have drinks.

I was there in early December and, maybe it was the time of the year, but I have to disagree that the nightlife is not exciting other thhan the weekend. Parque Lleras had action every night, though admitedly Fri and Sat was more pronounced. I even went out on a Tuesday to Palmas, not in Lleras, and there were people out then too. It seemed to me that people in Medellin like to go out as much as any other city I've been to, including NYC.

Sleep

Although there is no Hilton in Medellin, you can find hotels such as the Intercontinental, Sheraton and the Dann.

There are several hostels in Medellín. The folliwing two are located in El Poblado, the safe upscale residential area, close to the nightlive.

Blacksheep hostel =>, Transversal 50 #45-133 (Patio Bonito), Tel 4 311 1586, Cel 311 341 30 48. New hostel with a "staying by friends" atmosfere. The hostel offers kitchen use, two TV/DVD rooms, 3 BBQ per week, laundry facilities and internet facilities. Price for dormbed COP$15 000

Casa Kiwi, Cra 36 #7-10, Tel: 4 268 2668, Cel: 300 740 7244. For more info see http://www.motoadventures.org/

For a place in the center try:

Palm Tree Hostel =>, Cra 67 #48D-63, Tel: 4 260 2805.

Stay safe

Staying safe in Medellin comes down to common sense.

Women shouldn't travel alone after dark; if you must, travel with a few friends. As Colombia is still a country with a "macho man" mindset, women might be the subject of lewd comments, cat-calling, or whistling. Women shouldn't take this personally - although women have many of the same rights as women in the US and elsewhere, it's just the culture. Showing a fake wedding ring and a picture of a fake husband while shrugging the shoulders can stop offending men in their tracks. If comments do not stop, walk away. If things ever get physical (rare, but it can happen), yell for help from a policeman.

Do not, under any circumstances, make any jokes about the use of cocaine or bombs. The Colombian police take jokes as threats, and you may find yourself in a police station explaining yourself to unsympathetic police officers. Under normal circumstances, police officers are usually kind and helpful towards tourists.

The age of majority in Colombia is 18. Minors are not allowed to be in possession of alcohol at any time, and they may not enter night clubs of any kind. If a minor is found to be in a night club, the entire club will shut down for violating a national law.

Always change your money at a bank (Conavi or BanColombia are the two national banks) - "street changers" offer tempting rates for your dollar, but be on guard. "Street Changers" palm several of the biggest bills for themselves. Do not flaunt large amounts of money around.

Get out

To Guatape to see La Piedra del Peñol (a.k.a. Peñon de Guatape) is a 200m high rock dominating the landscape. A climb to the top will cost you a few thousand pesos, but the view is breathtaking. There are busses going about every hour from the Medellín bus terminal.