10 Amazing Places to Visit in Medellín, Colombia
There are plenty of reasons to visit Medellín, Colombia. Formerly famous for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world, the rehabilitated second largest city of Colombia has a lot to offer.
Modern architecture, colonial charm, Colombian gastronomy, and recreational parks are just a few of the city’s unique tourist attractions.
This list of 10 amazing places to visit in Medellín, Colombia make you fall in love with this unforgettable city.
¡Venga, parce!
Let’s do this my friend.
1. Ecotourism at Parque Arví
It’s the perfect place for adventure seekers and outdoors lovers. Get there by subway or metro cable, the cable car with the best views of Medellín, Colombia.
Arví Park is not only a natural reserve but also an archaeological site. It boasts 54 miles of trails on 40,000 acres.
The park is located in Santa Elena in Piedras Blancas in the Aburrá Valley. This is northeast of Medellín and an hour from downtown.
What to Do There
The variety of the activities at Arví Park is almost unparalleled—gardening, night hiking, biking, birdwatching, tree planting, and much more.
Be a local farmer for a day and interact with chickens and cows at the orchards.
If you are more into cultural experiences and botanical beauty, you can learn traditions and customs from local silleteras, get a chance to see their farms and even have a workshop with them.
Silleteros and silleteras are the stars of Medellin’s Flower Festival. These hard working people come down from the mountains with colorful flowers attached to wooden frames they carry on their backs. Once used to transport products, noble people or kids, today 500+ silleteros only carry flowers to the Festival.
Discover ancestral pieces of the archaeological trail. Go forest bathing, which consists of spending time in the woods for physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits.
2. Fine Arts at the Antioquía Museum
The artist Fernando Botero’s life and work resides within the walls of Museo de Antioquia. If you are interested in the Colombian and international art scene, this has to be your first stop.
Built in 1932, renovated in 1997, and turned into a museum in 2000, this almost 5,000 square meter house is full of paintings, drawings, sculptures, pottery art, furniture, bibliography, and serigraphy.
It’s a huge building situated in the heart of Medellín, Colombia.
What To Do There
Enjoy free guided tours to explore more than 100 of Botero’s pieces, as well as private collections and 17 permanent expositions of contemporary, republican, and prehispanic art. The tours are tailored to visitors’ interests and requests.
3. A Little Charm in Pueblito Paisa
This is a replica of an classic Antioquian town from the 1900s and one of the most emblematic tourist sites in Medellín, Colombia. Visitors look forward to having a time-travel experience and to see a town from a century ago.
This quaint cobblestone town square surrounded by picturesque buildings is one of the top attractions in Medellín, Colombia. The 360-degree view is one of its most attractive features.
What To Do There
Sip some local coffee or have a bandeja paisa and other typical foods while being delighted by the beautiful view of Medellín City. You can buy artisanal pieces at local stores, too.
4. Have Fun with your Kids at Parque Explora
Parque Explora is an interactive museum dedicated to science. Its mission is to become the educational and technological future axis of Medellín, Colombia.
The boxed-shaped Parque Explora houses the largest aquarium of South America, a 3D auditorium, TV studio, vivarium and planetarium. It also has nationally and internationally awarded rooms you can’t miss.
It is located in the northern section of the city between North Park and the Botanical Park, and you can get there by metro.
What To Do There
Experience more than 300 attractions and not-so-conventional encounters with science and innovation. Don’t miss the 3-D projection room, the open physics room, the native gardens, or the fog forest. This renowned science center won’t let you down.
5. Urban Immersion at Plaza Botero
Are you ready to feel small? Experience the outdoors in the city of Medellín, Colombia and visit the Plaza Botero and the Parque de las Esculturas. This museum in a public square exhalts Fernando Botero’s unique work.
Admire the 23 artist-donated gigantic bronze sculptures located around the Museo de Antoquia and the Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe in the Parque de Berrío. These Botero pieces were formerly in Paris, Madrid, and New York galleries, but they ended up in the maestro’s hometown.
What To Do There
You can walk by the sculptures to see them or you can sit while eating an ice cream to fully appreciate them. There is almost no shadows to be seated under, so my recommendation is to go around 9 am or after 5pm.
Mujer (woman), gato (cat), caballo (horse), hombre vestido (dressed man), and pensamiento (thought) are some of the simple names given to these comically fat figures you can’t miss.
6. Sensorial experience: Parque de los Pies Descalzos
In this playful experience, everyone is encouraged to be barefoot inside the park. The Zen-inspired Parque de los Pies Descalzos was made with the purpose of interacting with nature and keeping contact with its elements. It intends to sensitize people from the feet to the spirit.
The Barefoot Park has bamboo gardens, sand areas, water fountains, and a science museum.
It’s in the administrative district of Medellín, Colombia near the Convention Center.
What To Do There
This urban oasis is perfect for a Sunday picnic and to make friends. Social impact events are held in this natural sanctuary as well as city dynamics. Inside you can find the Water Museum as well.
The park features a space for children and adults who want to play with water. Get some hydro massage for your feet and activate your other senses while solving a maze with your eyes closed.
7. Best Instagram Spot: Parque de las Luces and Biblioteca EPM
Also known as Plaza Cisneros, this is an artificial forest with light poles up to 79 feet tall. Once the main market of Medellín, Colombia, it’s now one of the symbols of city renovations. This urban project was called Medellín es luz (Medellin is light).
What To Do There
The Lights Park is the perfect Instagram spot and one of the urban icons of the city.
Visit during the day to see the structures and geometry of the plaza. At night, the square comes to life with beaming lights that seem to touch the sky.
8. Architecture Wonder: Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe
This former government Palace and the current Culture and Patrimony Institute headquarters was declared a national monument in 1982.
This gothic revival public building houses culturals project of Antioquia and was designed by Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts.
What To Do There
The Culture Palace is open to tourists interested in its photography and history archive. Inside you’ll find the Culture Institute and Antoquia’s Heritage, as well as a library, cafe, art gallery, and a projection room with an auditorium located in the dome of the building.
9. More Amazing Architecture: El Palacio Nacional
Also designed by Agustín Goovaerts almost 100 years ago, this downtown building used to house public offices.
Defining Features
Find this architecture jewel of the Romantic movement built in 1925, in Downtown Medellín, Colombia. This Historic and Artistic National Patrimony is also a six-floor shopping center.
What To Do There
Its pedestrian avenue is also a city top attraction not to be missed. Blend in with locals while shopping and having a bite at a cafe.
10. The Hippest Colombian nightlife: El Poblado and Calle Milla de Oro
El Poblado is a hip neighborhood in Medellín, Colombia with contemporary architecture.
The cosmopolitan section of Medellín, Colombia contains the Strada (gastronomy mall), La Francia Forum, Hard Rock Cafe, the Oviedo Mall, and many spas. It’s situated along the Río de Medellín in the hip neighborhood of Milla de Oro (Golden Mile) located on El Poblado Avenue.
What To Do There
You can enjoy this commercial and touristic district and the vibrant nightlife that hotels, casinos, bars, restaurants, and clubs offer. Come to the Golden Mile for a rumba chévere (Colombian slang for cool party).
Bonus!
If you are also looking for nearby excursions, don’t miss Piedra del Peñol in Guatapé. It is commonly known as La Piedra or El Peñol only. This 200-meter granite rock features a seating area, a tower, and a convenience store. The rock’s ownership is controversial since both El Peñol and Guatapé claim the Piedra.
Pro-Tip!
July and August are the perfect months to visit Medellín, Colombia. Not only for the warm weather but for its annual tradition. The Feria de las Flores (Flower Fair) is a unique experience where you can see the Desfile de Silleteros (Silleteros Parade). Let the flower variety delight you and the silleteros’ ability to carry such structures astonish you.
What Do You Think?
This city embraces all the cultural elements of Latin American countries: Spanish and colonial heritage as well as a modern unique identity born from the mix with prehispanic traditions. It also shows a new and global face of Colombia through art, science, technology, and the recently renewed, vibrant busy streets.
Have you been to Medellín, Colombia? Do you think these are the 10 top places you can’t miss or should we add a couple more? If you haven’t been, what are your top 3 attractions from this list? Are you planning an upcoming trip? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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