Medellín is one of Colombia’s most impressive cities, being one of its industrial and commercial hubs, and one of the country’s most populated cities. However, what makes Medellín stand out the most is its history of resilience, resistance and community-building, which has allowed the city to bloom and become the best example of how peace and reconciliation can be achieved. It is situated in a narrow valley, surrounded by amazing nature and graced with delightful weather. This is precisely why Medellín is known as the City of Eternal Spring, so you can guess that colorful flowers and lush landscapes will always accompany you during your trip.
Today, we want to explore what Medellín has to offer and how you can get lost in its culture, art, gastronomy and history. We’ll dive into some of the activities that you must do while visiting the city, and we’ll understand how Medellín became the innovative, modern and joyfull city that it is nowadays. Are you ready for this adventure?
Welcome to Medellín, the City of Eternal Spring.
Art, History and Culture:
We’re going to begin with the Museo de Antioquia (Medellín is the capital of this department), because it presents the history of Medellín, Antioquia and Colombia through numerous art collections and exhibits. The building is the Palacio Municipal, a grand art deco construction that houses the country's second-oldest museum, just behind Bogotá’s Museo Nacional. The Museo de Antioquia has permanent collections that goes from the 19th century to contemporary Colombian art, as well as having a special place for Pre-Columbian pieces. Nonetheless, the most important area of the museum is the 3rd floor, dedicated to the work of Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most important artist. Aside from the many sculptures and paintings by Botero, there’s a carefully curated selection of other artists’ work that were part of Botero’s own personal collection. This part of the museum will give you a very interesting sight of the history of Colombia from the own eyes of Fernando Botero; from the violence suffered throughout the country to the particular and unique culture, traditions and beliefs that make Colombia such a magical place. If you’re left craving more about Botero, don’t worry, right outside the Museo de Antioquia you’ll find the Plazoleta de las Esculturas, a public square where 23 of his sculptures, some of them pretty iconic, watch as passerby go on with their lives.
As we’ve mentioned before, a crucial part of getting to know Medellín is understanding its history. Precisely, that’s why the Museo Casa de la Memoria and the Comuna 13 are two places that you cannot miss while you’re in the city. The former delves into the urban conflict that the city lived through, explaining its origins and giving a voice to the survivors to tell their stories on their own terms. The latter is a district that has stood out for its transformation from one of Medellín’s most dangerous areas, to the city’s beacon of creativity, community and peace. It has now become a tourist hotspot (in part thanks to its outdoor sets of escalators that have reconnected the district with the city) and you can explore its narrow streets and graffitied-walls while learning about the story of the Comuna. Locals will guide you through the different neighborhoods and tell you all about the Comuna 13 and its incredible evolution. Murals, street art, breakdance and improv raps will accompany you throughout your journey, and we can assure you that you’ll leave the district being a different person.
Once, the Comuna 13 was one of the most dangerous and violent parts of Medellín. Nowadays, it is the city’s cultural hub.
Reconnect with nature:
If we’re talking about the city of Eternal Spring, it would be scandalous to cast aside the natural beauties of Medellín. There are plenty we could mention, but today we’ll focus on two of them: the Parque Arví and the Botanical Garden. The Parque Arví is located in Santa Elena, near the city, and it is a huge natural reserve with lush landscapes. It is the perfect opportunity for a bit of fresh air and outdoor adventures, since the park also has hiking trails and canopy lines. These are perfect to get to know Arví in a fun way, cruising through its pine and eucalyptus forests and stopping to appreciate its lakes and lookout points, which will give you a completely different perspective of Medellín and the valley. Additionally, Parque Arví has a wonderful mariposario, which is a butterfly enclosure, where you’ll be able to learn more about this crucial species for the ecosystem. The Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden) is another unmissable natural spot in Medellín. In over 14 hectares, there are around 4,500 flowers and 139 bird species to marvel at. We are sure that most of what you see here will be new for you, because the Jardín Botánico perfectly showcases why Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.
The Parque Arví is a small window into the natural treasures that Medellín and Colombia as a whole hold, and a great opportunity for outdoor adventures!
What the locals eat:
Colombia has an exquisite gastronomy, and Medellín is a place that fortunately for its visitors, has created a vast and rich gastronomic scene, where you can enjoy delicious dishes from all over Colombia, of course emphasizing in its own “paisa” cuisine. You’ll find everything from up-scale restaurants to street food stalls and small family restaurants, each one of them with their own secrets, ingredients and preparations. Definitely, while you’re in Medellín you must stop at a street food stall and try the city’s famous empanadas! These small fried pastries filled with meat and potatoes are one of Colombia’s most beloved typical salty pastries. People add a bit of hot sauce to enhance the flavors, and it is the perfect snack to hold on until it is time to get lunch. Now that we’re talking about lunch, you have to brace yourself for what comes next: the bandeja paisa. This is one of the most typical dishes of Medellín and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. This plate is made up by white rice, ground beef (the idea is that the beef is as thin as possible), beans, a slice of chicharrón (fried pork), fried plantains, avocado, the typical arepa paisa and a fried egg atop. If you cannot grasp how such a plate came to be, bear in mind that the bandeja paisa was born as a worker’s lunch on Antioquia’s coffee plantations, so obviously they needed all the extra calories they could get.
Did you really think we were going to finish off without mentioning coffee? There’s no way! Coffee runs through Colombian’s veins, and one of the best places to get a taste of the country’s best selection of coffees is precisely Medellín. We could say that the district of El Poblado is a hub of the city’s coffee culture, so it is the perfect spot to roam around searching for the best café among the numerous trendy, vibrant, classical or modern options. Even though they all will offer you a different experience, the essence is the same: try some of the most delicious coffees of your life. Now, don’t worry, all across the city you’ll find infinite cafés of all kinds, so you can always have a place to get a small tinto (black coffee) at any time of the day.
The bandeja paisa is one of Colombia’s most representative dishes.
Oh, it’s such a shame to say goodbye to Medellín so fast… It is a city that simply engulfs you in its endless charms and always keeps you wanting more. We’re about to hop on a plane and get there! Well, we hope that you enjoyed this short journey through Medellín and that the sneak peek of what it has to offer has been enough to make you fall in love with it and start planning your next trip there.
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