One of my favourite cities. I usually don’t like visiting cities particularly when they don’t have a beach but Medellin is awesome. If you stay in the right place you can experience the dance and food culture so prominent in the city. El Poblado – the wealthier part of the city is absolutely stunning and even has rivers and plants throughout the area making it even more beautiful.
Accommodation: Happy Buddha Boutique Hostel
You’ll pay a bit extra to stay here but it is a very nice and clean hostel with a bar that holds events most nights of the week. A really great vibe and I would 100% recommend for solo travelers as there is a huge social scene. Beds were comfortable and kept clean daily. My biggest criticism is that there are not enough bathrooms at all! Especially on a Friday night when everyone is drinking and you have to wait 10 mins for the toilet. There is hot water however and after a month of only cold showers, this was very nice. The hostel is located in a really good area with amazing restaurants and bars near by.
Things to do:
Eat out: the thing I loved about Medellin was that you didn’t feel guilty having a hungover day watching Netflix because you can just go out for tea and eat something delicious and that’s apart of the experience. There are some amazing places around and most are decorated with fairy lights and look so cute. The people in Medellin are so lovely and will help you in anyway they can. A lot of restaurant staff speak English which is really helpful.
Party: the club/bar scene in Medellin is amazing and so much fun. We had 2 VERY large nights and one club I loved so much I just didn’t want to leave but I had to because my flight was the next day haha.
Paragliding: I’ve never done anything like this before so I was a bit nervous but I wouldn’t even say it is thrill seeking… It’s just beautiful and tranquil. It can be organised at the hostel and isn’t expensive considering what you’re actually doing. You can also bring your phone etc up to take photos but I’d recommend an arm strap or something because it would be easy to drop. Must do in Medellín.
Cable Car/Metro Cable: this is so cheap because it’s not just for tourists but locals use it to get to and from work. The views are amazing and there is a national park on the other side which is cool to check out! We went on the K line which is the local line and then the L line which is more for tourists and has all the great views. I really enjoyed doing this.
Pablo Escobar Tour/Guatape: unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to do this mostly due to having too big of a night one night haha but everyone says visiting Guatape is amazing and the photos I’ve seen are incredible. In terms of Pablo Escobar Tour, it seems pretty average. You just go to his house and that’s sort of it. If I had more time I probably would have done it though.
Journey Quest