Medellin is known for two things: drug cartels and beautiful women. Fortunately, the drug cartels left and the women stayed. Sound enticing enough for you to visit Medellin?
Despite being relatively safe and pleasant now, most people are still terrified of Colombia. When we decided to go there on a whim, I got so many (unfunny) jokes about kidnapping, coke binges, armored cars, getting robbed, etc.
An aside: Two years ago I traveled to Bosnia, Croatia, and other Balkan countries. Think Sarajevo. Think occupation. Think ethnic cleansing. Think Yugoslavia. Think Franz Ferdinand. When I tell people that I went there, their mind suddenly rewinds 25 years to these occurrences. The first thoughts aren’t cosmopolitan cities. Think Olympics. Think rebuilding. Think unity. Think life.
What I learned on my Balkans road trip was that places aren’t their past- that someday, I’ll be able to travel to places that are torn apart right now. In the same way that 20 years ago my parents would’ve been crazy to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, I’d be crazy to visit Afghanistan right now. But that in 20 years, it might be a wonderful place to visit.
Is it Safe to Visit Medellin?
Back to my point – Colombia is no different. Once riddled with violence for civilians and cartels alike, the city of Medellin, Colombia felt just as safe as any American city. I walked to restaurants at night and felt fine in the neighborhoods. I got the occasional catcalls on main roads – no different from home.
To the same folks who told me to be careful: if you went to Medellin and walked around, you might feel stupid pretty fast. It’s really nice there. The quality of life to cost of living ratio is one of the highest I’ve found anywhere.
What is the Culture of Medellin?
The culture in Medellin is warm and welcoming. It caught me a bit off-guard, but it’s not unusual for the locals to come over and chat you up during dinner, to buy you a beer and excitedly practice their English with you, or to even invite you to their homes for a barbecue on a random Sunday. And no, I never got mugged, drugged, or robbed accepting any of these invitations, nor has anyone that I know that’s been there.
My Experience With People:
My roommate Matt and I stayed in a hostel in el Poblado, the oldest area of Medellin. It is the most popular area for foreigners to stay in and hosts a huge expat population in long term rentals. The vibe of the neighborhood was similar to a Miami neighborhood – plenty of shops, people out playing football and chatting on park benches, and folks coming to and from work.
Places to Visit in Medellin & the Surrounding Area:
We got in at about 3 pm on Saturday. We took a taxi from the airport to the city for about $20. The driver even stopped at a vista to snap photos for us, and so he could show off his city. The city is surrounded by mountains, so the airport is about an hour out of town. We spent the afternoon exploring the neighborhood, talking to folks at the hostel, and planning our next couple of days. And, of course, eating.
The second day, we woke up early to take a bus to El Peñón de Guatapé, a HUGE rock that is known for having the best view in the world. I thought it might be just another tourist gig that dragged us out of the city, but it really was incredible. We earned the view by climbing just over 700 steps to the top. We were surrounded by a winding river reservoir, quaint vacation homes, and a brilliant mix of greens and blues. The 360-degree view was one of the best in the world – El Penon lives up to its reputation!
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city of Guatape. The city is one of the most colorful in the region. The fronts of homes are painted head to toe in zócalos – hip height designs that are unique to each family. No two are the same!
Sunday we woke up early and headed out for a day of exploring the city. We were out the door by 7 both days, and got full nights of sleep each night. Yes, even in one of the party capitals of the world, we managed to be in bed by midnight.
Don’t Judge Medellin By Its Cover
I always say you can judge a city by three things: it’s public service, it’s public art, and it’s public transit. Medellin had all three of these in abundance. As a total sucker for free movement, I was most impressed by the transit system.
In 2012, it was named one of the top transport systems in the world by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a global consortium of organizations founded in 1985 to promote sustainable transportation worldwide:
“The city [of Medillin] transformed violence and despair into hope and opportunity, using sustainable transport as one of the key levers to drive change,” said ITDP board member Holger Dalkmann.
The crown jewel of Medellin’s transportation system is the Metro de Medellín, a network of clean and efficient metro cars that serves over half a million (553,000) passengers every day. This project was financed by a public-private partnership led by the city; construction took ten years, with the last major expansion completed in 2006. The system saves 175,000 tons of C02 every year, the equivalent of planting 380,000 trees that would occupy 11% of the city’s landmass. Metro calculates that it saves the city $1.5 billion in respiratory health costs every year, and $4 billion in reduced traffic accidents and congestion.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the metro system is the world-renowned metro cablé system, a network of 9 cable car systems that take passengers up steep mountainsides that line the Valley of Medellin. The lines were completed in 2010 and left room for future expansion. The metro cable system has revolutionized mobility and accessibility for residents of Colombia’s second-largest city, particularly the poorest — and often most violent — communities that line the valley of Medellin’s mountainous region.
In other words, public transit in Medellin has reduced crime, increased mobility and safety, and decreased pollution in the valley, winning the city myriad awards for innovation and tourism.
What to Eat in Medellin:
Vegetarianism falls by the wayside when I travel. I’ll say ‘no’ to bacon 10 out of 10 times at home, but when I travel I feel that it’s culturally necessary to experience the food.
Hence, bandeja paisa. This is a platter filled with steak, pork cracklings, chorizo, and a fried egg on a bed of rice, beans, dried beef powder, and topped with a fried egg and plantain. There was an avocado in there, too. Just saying it out loud is a mouthful.
I’d never had such tasty chorizo, nor had I ever tasted powdered beef. I’m still standing, but barely. You could’ve rolled me home after that meal.
The second thing I ate that’s worth writing home about is arepas. It was my golden dragon. The first night I had the most amazing arepa with cheese. I tried 6 more places in the next two days we were there – none of them measured up.
My visit to Colombia was quick. It taught me that I get more enjoyment out of places when I feel connected with the place. I don’t feel like I met locals or experienced anything that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
Therefore, I’ve made it a goal that by the end of the year, I will travel somewhere with the intention of contributing. Whether it be volunteering or just spending time in a stranger’s home, I want to contribute positively to a place, rather than just visit it and contribute my time and money. I want to contribute a mutual understanding and reignite my why.