Medellín sits in the Aburrá Valley in central Colombia, at around 1,500 meters above sea level, which gives it a mild, spring-like climate year-round. Once associated with cartel violence in the late 20th century, the city has undergone a dramatic transformation and is now often cited as a case study in urban regeneration. Public transport plays a central role in that shift, especially the metro and cable car system that connects hillside neighborhoods to the city center. Today, Medellín is one of Colombia’s main cultural and economic hubs, known for its innovation, nightlife, and a pace that feels distinctly different from Bogotá or Cartagena.
After a well-spent week in Guatapé, we visited during our 2.5-month trip through Colombia and spent a total of one week in the city, split into two periods—before and after our trip to the Colombian Amazon. I’m generally not a big fan of large cities, but Medellín got to me almost immediately. There’s a kind of momentum to it—constant movement, noise, activity—but what stands out is how alive everything feels: streets spilling over with small interactions, music and voices bleeding from one corner to the next, hillside neighborhoods stretching endlessly above you, and a city that never quite settles into the background but keeps pulling your attention back to it.
Having spent years traveling through more than 100 countries and seen a long list of major cities, I’d place Medellín comfortably in my top five. In this post, I’ll break down how we spent that week, what stood out, and which places are actually worth your time if you’re planning a similar stay.
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Bomboná: a Restless Neighborhood in the Heart of Medellín
Bomboná sits at the east edge of La Candelaria, in the thick of central Medellín, where the city feels raw and restless. This isn’t the version most visitors see first—no polished cafés or curated streetscapes—but something closer to how people actually live and move through the city. Streets stay active from early morning to late at night, with vendors, traffic, music, and a steady flow of people.
We chose to stay here for exactly that reason. Instead of isolating ourselves in more comfortable, detached areas, we wanted to be embedded in the city’s everyday life. We rented a room in a bare-bones coliving space that catered mostly to local long-term residents rather than short-term travelers. It was budget-friendly, social without being forced, and had a laid-back atmosphere that made it easy to settle in quickly. Location-wise, it worked perfectly. Most of the main sights in La Candelaria were within walking distance, and major transport hubs were close enough to make getting around straightforward.
I’d recommend both the space and the neighborhood if that’s the kind of experience you’re after. If you’re looking for something more comfortable, polished, or hotel-like, browse the widget below or check out my in-depth accommodation guide to Medellín.
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These are some great spots to check out near Bomboná:
Plazuela San Ignacio –📍map
Plazuela San Ignacio is a small square in central Medellín, next to the historic San Ignacio Church and the University of Antioquia’s older campus buildings. It’s not a landmark most visitors actively seek out, but it sits right along the natural walking routes through La Candelaria. During the day, it works as a casual meeting point—students, locals, and passersby moving through or stopping briefly on the benches and steps.
On our first morning in the city, we passed through it almost by accident and came across a long table lined with chessboards, with people already deep into games. Chess is one of my main obsessions, so I didn’t hesitate—I sat down and joined. That set the tone for the rest of our stay. We kept returning every day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes later, sometimes both.
As the day progressed, the scene grew. By the afternoon, there could easily be two dozen boards in use, with a dense circle of onlookers following the games move by move. It wasn’t just about playing—it felt like a small public arena, with regulars, spectators, and a constant rotation of opponents. Around the edges, sitting on the ledges, musicians would gather and play, adding another layer to the atmosphere.
We ended up meeting a lot of people there just through the games. Conversations started naturally, usually over a position on the board, and then drifted into everything else. One evening, when the people who set up the tables began packing them away, they invited us to continue playing at a cultural space just above the square. It functioned like an open terrace—tables, chairs, no service, and anyone could come up with their own drinks, sit, work, or just hang out. From up there, you get a clear view over the square and the surrounding buildings as the city lights come on.
Carrera 42 Bar Street –📍map
Carrera 42, a short pedestrian stretch in the Bomboná area, turns into one of the liveliest pockets of nightlife in central Medellín. It’s narrow, tightly packed, and lined with small, alternative bars playing everything from rock to Latin beats at full volume. The setup is simple—no big venues, mostly compact spaces that spill out onto the street—so the whole place feels like one continuous scene rather than separate stops. Bartenders from adjacent bars sit and drink at the same tables between rounds of serving.
Most of the action happens outside. The pavement fills up quickly with people drinking, smoking, and moving between bars, while street food stalls at the end of the street keep things going late into the night. The crowd is mixed—locals of different ages, students, a few travelers—but it never felt dominated by any one group.
We ended up here several nights during our stay and didn’t feel the need to look elsewhere for nightlife. The atmosphere stayed relaxed and unpretentious. It’s the kind of place where you can just show up, stand around with a drink, and let the night unfold without much planning.
Parque del Periodista Weed Square –📍map
Our first night on Carrera 42A, pretty much everyone around us was smoking pot, so I figured I’d join—it’d been a while since I’d last smoked, and this was definitely the place. I asked a guy sitting on the pavement with a fat joint if he could sell me some. He said I could take a few puffs from his, but if I wanted to buy, I should head to Parque del Periodista. So I walked over a few blocks away.
The square was crammed. People everywhere, joints in hand, and the odor of weed dominating the smellscape like fish in a seafood market. I asked the first guy I saw where to get some. He told me he was waiting too, that the man would show up once the army moved on. At the same time, soldiers were literally walking through the crowd, stopping and checking people, while everyone else just kept smoking like nothing was happening.
A few minutes later, the soldiers shifted a bit further down the street—and right on cue, the man appeared. Quick, no fuss, handing stuff out to the small assembly waiting. I paid 20,000 COP and got two pre-rolled spliffs—thick as my pinky, twice as long, pure weed. It took us the whole week to finish them.
After that, we kept drifting between the square and Carrera 42 most nights. Same crowd, same energy, just slightly different setups depending on where you stood.
Wandering Through Central Medellín (La Candelaria)
La Candelaria is the historic and administrative core of Medellín, and easily one of the most intense parts of the city to walk through. It’s a large, dense area where government buildings, old churches, commercial streets, markets, and transport hubs all collide. The pace is fast, the sidewalks are packed, and every few blocks the atmosphere shifts—quiet plazas turn into chaotic intersections, then back into something slower again. It’s not designed for tourists, which is exactly what makes it interesting to explore.
We spent a big part of our week just walking through it, without much structure. Instead of chasing specific landmarks, we moved through different streets and let things unfold—stopping when something caught our attention, skipping what didn’t. Some places stood out more than others, either for their architecture, their atmosphere, or just what was happening there at the time. Below are the spots that felt most worth one’s time.
Plaza Botero – 📍map
Plaza Botero sits in the heart of La Candelaria, right in front of the Museo de Antioquia, and serves as one of the most recognizable public spaces in Medellín. The square is known for its 23 oversized bronze sculptures by Fernando Botero, Medellín’s most famous artist. His signature style—often called Boterismo—features exaggerated, inflated forms, applied to people, animals, and everyday scenes. The works were donated to the city in the early 2000s, turning what was once a typical urban square into an open-air exhibition accessible to anyone.
We visited late in the morning, when the place was already packed. The square was busy in every direction—street vendors moving through the crowd, people stopping to take photos with the sculptures, others just passing through on their way across the center. It’s not a quiet or reflective setting; the artwork sits right in the middle of a very active part of the city, which gives it a different feel compared to more controlled museum spaces.
The statues themselves are instantly recognizable and oddly compelling. Their exaggerated proportions make them look almost playful at first, but the detail holds up when you get closer. Some depict everyday life, others historical or mythical figures, all rendered with the same heavy, rounded forms.
We ended up sitting down for a coffee at a nice though overpriced café overlooking the square, which gave us a good vantage point to watch everything unfold. From above, you get a clearer sense of how the sculptures interact with the constant movement around them—people weaving between them, stopping, posing, moving on.
Parque de Bolívar & Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín –📍map
Parque de Bolívar is one of the main squares in central Medellín, laid out in the late 19th century and named after Simón Bolívar, whose statue stands at its center. The square is heavily shaded by large banyan fig trees, which give it a cooler, more enclosed feel compared to the surrounding streets. It’s a place where different layers of the city overlap—locals resting on benches, street vendors circulating, and a visible presence of people on the margins, including junkies and sex workers. The overall setting and vibe reminded me a lot of the Praça da Sé in São Paulo.
Dominating the north side of the square is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín, one of the largest brick-built churches in the world. Construction began in the late 19th century and took several decades to complete. The architecture follows a Romanesque Revival style, with two solid towers and a façade built almost entirely from baked clay bricks—reportedly over a million of them. Inside, the space is vast and relatively austere, with high ceilings and a more subdued decorative approach compared to typical colonial churches in Latin America.
Parque Berrío & Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria – 📍map
Parque Berrío is one of the oldest and busiest squares in Medellín, built around a key transport node where metro lines, buses, and pedestrian flows all converge. It has long functioned as a commercial and social hub.
Right next to it stands the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria, the oldest church in Medellín, dating back to the 18th century. It’s a relatively simple structure compared to larger cathedrals, but historically important—it served as the main parish church when Medellín was still a small colonial settlement. The contrast is sharp: a quiet, modest church sitting right beside one of the most chaotic and crowded parts of the city.
The pedestrian street running alongside the church was one of the liveliest stretches we walked through. Stalls packed tightly together, vendors selling everything from clothes to electronics, and a steady flow of people pushing through.
San Antonio Station – 📍map
San Antonio Station is one of the main interchange points of the Medellín Metro, where the two metro lines meet right in the center of the city. The station is elevated, with wide concrete platforms and tracks running above street level, and a constant flow of commuters moving in and out. It’s less about architecture or sightseeing and more about function—this is one of the city’s busiest transport nodes.
What stood out more was the long stretch of street directly below the tracks. The elevated structure creates a continuous strip of shade, and that space is fully taken over by a dense street market. Stalls line both sides, selling clothes, electronics, accessories, and random everyday items, with vendors calling out and people squeezing through the narrow gaps.
Parque de San Antonio & San Antonio Church – 📍map
Parque de San Antonio is a large open square just south of San Antonio Station. Compared to the tighter, more crowded plazas in La Candelaria, this one feels more exposed—wide concrete space, fewer trees, and long sightlines in every direction. It’s often used for public gatherings, informal performances, and just as a place to pass through between different parts of the city.
The main point of interest here is a pair of sculptures by Fernando Botero. One of them, Bird of Peace, was partially destroyed in a bombing in 1995 that killed over 20 people. Instead of removing it, the damaged sculpture was left in place as a memorial, and Botero later donated a second, identical piece that now stands beside it. The contrast between the two—one intact, one torn open—makes the history hard to ignore.
At the south end of the square stands San Antonio Church, a large structure built in the early 20th century. Its scale feels almost excessive for the open space around it, with a wide façade and a heavy, somewhat austere presence. Inside, the design is simple and spacious, with high ceilings and minimal ornamentation.
Parque de Las Luces – 📍map
Parque de Las Luces—also known as Plaza Cisneros sits on the western edge of central Medellín, near old railway grounds that were redeveloped as part of the city’s early 2000s urban renewal projects. What used to be a chaotic transport area was cleared and turned into a large, open public space.
The defining feature is the grid of tall light towers—over 300 slender poles arranged in a precise layout. They’re meant to evoke a kind of abstract bamboo forest, and at night they light up, which is when the place makes the most sense visually. During the day, though, it feels quite exposed—wide concrete, minimal shade, and not much reason to linger unless you’re passing through.
Monumento a la Raza – 📍map
Monumento a la Raza is a large sculptural complex in central Medellín, located near Plaza Cisneros and surrounded by administrative and government buildings. It was created by Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt and inaugurated in the late 20th century as a tribute to the mixed cultural roots of Latin America—indigenous, Spanish, and African influences all represented in a dramatic, multi-figure composition. The structure is massive and vertical, with figures climbing and emerging from the surface, giving it a sense of movement and struggle.
The setting around it feels more formal than most of La Candelaria. Open space, institutional buildings, and a different kind of crowd—office workers, officials, people in business attire moving quickly between places. Compared to the street markets and informal scenes just a few blocks away, the contrast is noticeable.
Plaza de La Libertad 📍map
Plaza de La Libertad is part of the Centro Cívico de Antioquia, a modern civic complex just west of Monumento a La Raza. The project was designed as a statement of contemporary urban identity, drawing on the region’s tropical climate and cultural diversity. Instead of sealed glass towers, the architecture incorporates open terraces, internal patios, bridges, and shaded transitions—features long present in traditional local buildings, reworked here into a large-scale office complex.
The main tower stands out immediately. Its façade is wrapped in a dense grid of vertical elements that act as sun filters, reducing heat while giving the building a textured, almost woven appearance. From a distance, it looks rigid and geometric, but up close it breaks into layers of depth and shadow. The red volume at the base adds contrast, and the whole complex feels deliberately designed to respond to light and climate rather than just aesthetics.
Parque de los Pies Descalzos & Puerta Urbana – 📍map
Parque de los Pies Descalzos is one of the more unusual public spaces in central Medellín, built as part of the city’s redevelopment push with a clear concept behind it: engage the senses, starting from the ground up. The design draws loosely from Zen philosophy, focusing on three core elements—water, air, and earth—and turning them into a series of interactive zones rather than a conventional park. It’s meant less for passive sitting and more for walking, touching, and slowing down in a deliberate way.
The space is divided into different stations. You’ll find shallow pools where people sit with their feet in the water, textured stone paths that double as a kind of foot massage, sandy areas, and a bamboo grove forming a small maze that filters noise and light. There are also playful sections with water jets shooting from the ground, and balancing logs set at different heights. It’s clearly designed with both adults and kids in mind, but without feeling like a playground.
Right at the entrance stands Puerta Urbana, a set of large tilted pillars with water cascading down them, marking the transition into the park. The constant rush of water softens the noise from the surrounding streets and creates a clear shift—from traffic and concrete into something quieter, even if you’re still in the middle of downtown.
San Lorenzo Cemetery – 📍map
San Lorenzo Cemetery, tucked into the Niquitao area of central Medellín, dates back to 1828 and is one of the oldest burial grounds in the city. For much of its history, it was known as the “cemetery of the poor,” where generations of working-class residents were buried in long rows of vaulted niches and ossuaries. The layout is structured and repetitive—three main blocks, dozens of galleries, and thousands of burial spaces—giving it a heavy, almost architectural presence rather than the more landscaped feel of modern cemeteries.
In the early 2000s, the site underwent a major shift. Between 2003 and 2006, the remains were exhumed and transferred to Cementerio Universal, leaving the space physically intact but emptied of its original function. What followed was a period of neglect, with the area falling into disuse and becoming associated with insecurity. More recently, local authorities and community groups have been working to reclaim it as a cultural and memorial space, with plans to turn it into a “parque cementerio”—a hybrid between heritage site and public space.
Walking through it now, the atmosphere is unusual. The old structures are still there—rows of niches, long corridors, columns framing the space—but without the typical activity of an active cemetery. It feels suspended between past and future, not fully restored, but no longer abandoned either. It’s not a conventional stop, but if you’re exploring central Medellín beyond the obvious, it adds a different layer to the city’s history.
Memory House Museum – 📍map
The Memory House Museum (Museo Casa de la Memoria) is one of the most important cultural spaces in Medellín for understanding the city’s recent past. It was created in 2006 as part of a broader initiative by the local government to document and address the impact of decades of armed conflict and urban violence. Located near the edge of La Candelaria, the museum brings together testimonies, archives, photographs, audiovisual material, and personal stories from victims and communities affected across Medellín, Antioquia, and Colombia as a whole.
Rather than focusing on a linear historical narrative, the museum is built around memory itself—how it is recorded, preserved, and interpreted. Exhibits include oral histories, letters, legal documents, and artistic works that reflect different experiences of violence, displacement, and loss. The approach is deliberately human-centered, avoiding abstraction and instead grounding the conflict in individual voices and lived realities.
The broader aim is not just documentation, but reflection and transformation. The museum positions itself as a space to confront what happened without glorifying or simplifying it, captured in its guiding idea: to remember in order not to repeat. It also ties directly into Medellín’s wider effort to reshape its identity, offering context for how the city moved from extreme levels of violence in the late 20th century to its current phase.
Beyond the Center
There’s a lot more to Medellín than La Candelaria and the central districts, with different neighborhoods and viewpoints spread across the valley and up the surrounding hills. With just a week in the city, we had limited time to explore beyond the center. These were the three outings we managed, each offering a different angle on the city.
Pueblito Paisa – 📍map
Pueblito Paisa sits on top of Cerro Nutibara, a hill rising right in the middle of Medellín, and is designed as a replica of a traditional Antioquian village. The layout follows the typical colonial pattern—central square, colorful buildings, a small church, and narrow streets—intended to showcase regional architecture and culture in a simplified, accessible way. It’s not historical in itself, but more of a constructed snapshot of rural life from the region.
The main reason to come up here is the view. Though somewhat obstructed by trees, from the top we got a glimpse of Medellín spread across the Aburrá Valley, with the dense urban grid climbing the surrounding hills. It’s one of the few easily accessible viewpoints right within the city, and you don’t need much time to take it in.
Read more 👉 Pueblito Paisa: Medellín’s Replica Village on Cerro Nutibara Hilltop
Parque Arví – 📍map
Parque Arví is a large protected natural area in the mountains above Medellín, located in the Santa Elena district at over 2,300 meters above sea level. It’s known for its cloud forest ecosystem, with a mix of native vegetation, pine plantations, and a cooler, more humid climate compared to the city below. Beyond the nature, the area also has archaeological significance, with traces of pre-Hispanic routes and settlements identified within the park.
Most people reach it via the Metrocable, but we opted to visit on a day trip by bus. The ride itself is part of the experience—winding up from the city into greener, quieter terrain, with a gradual shift in temperature and atmosphere. Once up there, the contrast with Medellín is immediate.
We spent a few hours walking through forested trails and open areas, without following anything too structured. The park is large enough that you can easily avoid crowds if you move a bit away from the main access points. It’s not remote wilderness, but it feels far enough removed from the city to work as a proper break.
Read more 👉 Arví Park: a Cloud Forest Escape in the Aburrá Valley of Medellín
Comuna 13 – 📍map
Comuna 13, on the western hills of Medellín, is one of the city’s most well-known examples of urban transformation. For years, it was among the most dangerous areas in the country, heavily affected by guerrilla presence, paramilitary groups, and military operations—most notably Operation Orion in 2002. Today, it’s widely visited for a different reason: its dense concentration of street art, music, and community-led tourism that grew out of that history.
The area is built on steep slopes, and one of the key changes was the installation of outdoor escalators that connect different levels of the neighborhood. These made daily life easier for residents and, unintentionally, turned the area into an accessible route for visitors. Along these paths, walls are covered in murals—some political, some abstract, many telling fragments of the neighborhood’s past and present.
We spent a few hours walking through the area, moving along the main route and branching off occasionally. It’s busy—guides, performers, vendors, tourists—but still feels grounded in something real. Music was constant, with dancers and street shows popping up along the way, while locals sold drinks, snacks, and small artworks.
Read more 👉 Comuna 13: From Conflict to Color in Medellín’s Most Famous Barrio
Medellín Tours
That was pretty much how we spent one week in Medellín, keeping things flexible and letting the city unfold without much planning, before heading to Salento for the following ten days. That worked well for us, but if you prefer something more structured—or just want to make the most of your time without figuring everything out yourself—here are some solid options for organized tours.
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Photos
View (and feel free to use) all my photographs from Medellín.
More from Medellín
- Where to Stay in Medellín: Best Areas & Lodges
- Comuna 13: From Conflict to Color in Medellín’s Most Famous Barrio
- Pueblito Paisa: Medellín’s Replica Village on Cerro Nutibara Hilltop
- Arví Park: a Cloud Forest Escape in the Aburrá Valley of Medellín
- From Medellín to Salento by Bus
- From Bucaramanga to Medellín & Guatapé by Bus
- How to Get from Medellín to José María Córdova International Airport
- Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia (2026) – Photos
- Comuna 13, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia (2026) – Photos
- Parque Arví, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia (2026) – Photos
