A Fresh Perspective on Travel Every Day
The second city of Colombia, Medellín has undergone a transformation like few other cities globally. While its violent and tumultuous past is widely recognized, the present-day city is characterized by modernity, innovation, and charm.
“Don’t go there,” “Be careful,” “Avoid” – these are words I never expected to hear before attending a sporting event. However, when planning a trip to Colombia, it’s challenging for people to shake the country’s violent past.
Known as the “City of the Eternal Spring,” there is a reliable warmth to Medellín. This pleasantness extends beyond its year-round temperatures – that seldom go above the low-80s (26°C) during the day or below the low-60s (15°C) at night – and embodies the amiable spirit of its people, too. With these constants, there are some optimal times during the year to plan your Medellín adventure. This could include one of the city’s hallmark festivals that attract Colombia-wide and global audiences as well as months with higher likelihoods of rain.
International visitors are finally catching on to Colombia.
Medellín is a city living a new chapter. Take one step in the Colombian city, share one conversation with apaisa(Medellín citizen) and stroll down a street within its transformed and contemporary barrios to appreciate all that the “City of the Eternal Spring” has to offer.
As the Ralph Waldo Emerson adage goes, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” In the case of vibrant Medellín, getting to wherever you need to go is half – if not more – of the fun.
Medellín is everything you want it to be. On one end, the city’s upscale neighborhoods are loaded with international culinary offerings, world-class shopping options, and trendy hotels. However, the city is generally a budget traveler’s dream come true. Throughout the “City of the Eternal Spring,” your dollar can go a very long way – from affordable lodging to cheap street eats and inexpensive Aguila beers at local watering holes.
Home to 2.5 million residents, the capital of the state of Antioquia is no small country town. Medellín’s climate may be famously pleasant, but it comes with a multisensory chorus of honking cars, heavy foot traffic, and noisy vendors pushing vintage shopping carts through its neighborhoods loaded with carafes oftinto(coffee).
Splashed with brick towers, soaring green trees, and the Andes Mountains ever-looming along its outer edges, Medellín’s skyline is a visual spectacle. The “City of the Eternal Spring” offers constants like the scent ofbuñuelos(fried dough fritters) wafting from hole-in-the-wall restaurants and street stands, livelyreggaetonmusic blasting from cars zooming by, and the warmth of thepaisapeople.
Medellín is a big ball of friendly energy, and the best places to experience the vibe of the city are its lively parks. The park landscape in Medellín is as diverse as the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, ranging from secluded nature preserves to outdoor sports hubs and the concrete-clad heart of the city with its iconic Fernando Botero statues.
Dotted with towering brick buildings and a mountainous green backdrop, Medellín’s El Poblado neighborhood is a picture-perfect postcard from any spot in the city.
Medellín breaks every stereotype imaginable and carries a comeback story that few cities have. As more folks venture to the City of the Eternal Spring, the Laureles-Estadio neighborhood has cemented itself among the best places to experience all that Medellín offers.
Word is officially out: Medellín has wholly transcended its unfavorable reputation and undergone a veritable renaissance. Nevertheless, it still fails to land on many travel bucket lists.
Here are my picks for LGBTQ-friendly things to do and see in Medellín.
Salsa is one of the most popular dances in South America and originated in Central America before growing in popularity around the world. It is an energetic and vigorous dance, making it an excellent form of exercise. Moreover, in the salsa clubs of South America, particularly in Medellin, it serves as a fantastic way to engage with the local culture and have fun.
Medellín is Colombia’s second-largest city, nestled in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes Mountains. Founded in 1616, it remained an under-the-radar locale until the Colombian coffee boom. The city evolved into a center of textile industry and is now a modern, vibrant hub. Additionally, it serves as a principal manufacturing and industrial area, known for its commercial flower-growing, particularly orchids. Therefore, Medellín is often referred to as the Capital of The Flowers and The Land of Eternal Spring.