72 Hours in Medellín: Where to Eat, Drink, Dance and Explore in Colombia’s Coolest City

When it comes to transformation, no other city in the world has reinvented itself quite like Medellín. Just 25 years ago, Colombia’s second city was seen as the most dangerous place in the world, with tourism non-existent and local people’s lives riven by armed conflict and the violent legacy of the world’s most infamous drug lord, Pablo Escobar. 

Today some of those associations linger, amplified by sensationalist TV shows such as Narcos, Griselda and the scores of documentaries that focus only on Colombia’s part in the global cocaine trade, but in reality Medellín is unrecognisable from those dark days. A progressive city bursting with culture, clubs, reggaeton basslines and the warmth of the Paisa people, it’s ringed by forest-covered mountains you can escape to whenever the bustle gets too much.  

After the death of Escobar and a complex peace process to reduce the armed conflict across Colombia, millions of pesos once spent on policing were poured into Medellín’s regeneration. The dream was to connect once-forgotten neighbourhoods with a new metro and cable cars, pepper the city with greenery and create free leisure and educational spaces to keep young people safe. It worked, allowing a whole generation to grow up without fear, and people from all over the world to start falling in love with the City of Eternal Spring – so-called because there are no changing seasons, just year-round balmy temperatures. 

Whether you’re into people-watching in coffee shops, seeking out art or partying into the early hours, Medellín is the perfect place to spend time on your travels around South America – or, like me, to linger for a little while longer as a remote worker. Here’s everything you must do when you visit... 

DAY 1

Check Into... The Somos Bold, a chic hotel with mid-century modern rooms a few streets away from Poblado, the city’s compact hub of the buzziest restaurants, bars and clubs. Its rooftop restaurant, Palma Pitón, is a favourite of Medellín creatives for sipping mezcal-spiked sundowners surrounded by tropical plants. 

If you’re a solo traveller or looking for a livelier, more communal vibe, Los Patios hostel in the heart of Poblado has you covered. The private rooms (or dorms if you’re on a budget) are beautifully kept and something is always going on, be it Spanish lessons, salsa practice or yoga by the pool.

Get Around By... Buying a Civica card, which you can purchase and top up at any station on the metro and cable car network (one journey costs around 70p/90c). Running on raised tracks above the streets, it’s a scenic way to get your bearings and it’s absolutely pristine. Paisas are so proud of their metro – it’s the only one in Colombia – that you won’t spot a graffiti tag or rogue crisp packet anywhere.

Kick Off Your Trip With... A Real City walking tour. I’m not usually one to seek out organised tours, but I can’t recommend this enough as an introduction to a city with a complex past. If you can, ask for Dio – a man who lost loved ones during Medellín’s most violent years and is powerfully honest about how far it’s come. But all Real City’s tours are led by excellent local guides who will meet you at San Antonio central station and walk you through the key sights of El Centro, explaining the pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern history that shaped them.  

Get Your Free Culture Fix In... Plaza Botero. Smack bang in the middle of La Candelaria, Medellín’s energetic centre, this square is an oasis of trees and the home of 23 huge sculptures donated by the city’s most famous artist, Fernando Botero. Known for his depiction of rotund figures, it’s well worth visiting the Museo de Antioquia at the back of the square to see more of his work (and grab a very good coffee at the Urbania café tucked inside). 

Taste The Best Of Colombia At... El Cielo, a fine dining restaurant in Provenza run by Juan Manuel Barrientos, the youngest chef to appear on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list three times in a row. His 19-course tasting menu is a mind-blowing ode to the traditional flavours of Colombia, from a fresh take on arepas to an exploding chocolate truffle. It’s not cheap by Medellín standards, but it’s the most special meal I’ve ever had for just over £100.  

Have A Nightcap At... Konbini, a 1970s-themed speakeasy hidden behind the facade of a Japanese convenience store on Calle 10. Ask the shopkeeper for ‘spicy ramen’ and you’ll be shown behind the curtain to a low-lit, velvet-draped room where the martinis pack a punch and the DJ spins disco floor fillers on vinyl. What heaven looks like, surely?

DAY 2

Start Your Day At... Pergamino. Though the rest of the world knows Colombia for its coffee, most Colombians have been used to drinking low-quality beans while the world-class stuff was exported. It’s only in the last decade that young baristas have brought premium coffee culture to the fore, and Pergamino was the pioneer. There are eight sites across the city (including a lovely open-air one in Ciudad del Rio) so whenever you see the sign stop by for a silky cortado and some outfit inspiration from the city’s best dressed.

See The New Medellín In... Comuna 13, a once marginalised and notorious barrio that’s now a symbol of the city’s rebirth. It’s worth seeking out a local guide at Casa Kolacho near the San Javier metro station early in the day before the crowds. They’ll show you around the weave of graffitied streets and outdoor escalators (like many of the neighbourhoods that sprawl up into the mountains, this place is steep) and give you an insider’s view of its transformation. 

Pick Up A Snack At... Las Empanadas de Nico. You can’t walk 100 metres without the sweet smell of a panaderia or arepa con queso cart wafting under your nose, but for a hit of deep-fried goodness you have to try the empanadas served out of this unassuming hatch on Calle 9 in El Poblado. Choose from meat, veg or potato-filled options, add a squeeze of lime and spoonful of tangy ají, and thank me later.

Make A Pitstop In... Barrio Colombia, the old warehouse district that now has a street art mural and posing influencer on every corner. There are some unique shops here, including the HQ of Mattelsa, a Medellín sportswear brand you’re bound to have spotted on the streets by now. If you’re flagging, just around the corner is another top-tier coffee stop: Distrito Cafetero. 

Learn To Salsa At... Son Havana, a beloved spot for regulars and visitors in the leafy neighbourhood of Laureles, where every evening kicks off with two-for-one cuba libres and a free group salsa lesson. Once you’ve grasped the basics, seek out a partner and hit the dancefloor as the live band plays – everyone’s welcome, even those of us with two left feet.

End The Night At... El Tíbiri, a tiny bar just around the corner from Son Havana where locals go to dance hard and condensation drips from the ceiling. Good luck leaving before the sun comes up, though – it really is that much fun.

DAY 3

Grab Breakfast At... Café Dragon, a travellers’ hangout a stone’s throw from Parque El Poblado with an R&B soundtrack and 1950s furniture you’ll wish you could take home. It’s littered with comfy corners perfect for co-working, but just lingering over a pile of French toast and a matcha frío is time well spent.

Escape To Nature In... Parque Arví, a forest full of ancestral trails northeast of the city, where you can walk for miles and see nothing but giant orchids and babbling streams. The cable car journey up past Santo Domingo is worth the trip alone, offering a spectacular 360-degree view of Medellín, and when you pass over the valley’s summit you feel like you’re in a different world: the air is fresher and there’s green as far as the eye can see.  

Take Your Tote To... Plaza Minorista. On your way back downtown, walk through Medellín’s central market on Calle 55 for a taste of daily life. It’s said you could try a new fruit every day of the year in Colombia, and they’re all on tempting display here: friendly sellers will offer you a taste of their sugar mangoes, pink dragonfruit and spiky lychees – you only need to ask. 

Try The National Dish At... Local institution Hato Viejo, a sprawling restaurant on Avenue Las Palmas. If sampling fruit has given you an appetite, it’s time to tackle a Bandeja Paisa, a traditional platter of beef, pork, chorizo, red beans, plantain, egg and rice with avocado and arepa on the side. Yep, you’d better arrive hungry – Hato Viejo is widely agreed to serve the best.

Dance The Night Away In... Parque Lleras, the mildly chaotic square lined with clubs where aguardiente flows and there’s a party every night of the week. Whatever your vibe, you’ll find it here: Mad Radio’s house DJs attract a diverse crowd; neon-lit La House has four floors of reggaeton and Envy is a lo-fi rooftop with spectacular views. Wherever you end up, just make sure you don’t have an early flight booked...