Over the past few years, Colombia has seen a huge influx of tourism as its economy has improved, cities have cleaned up, and traveling domestically has become safer. While perhaps not as popular of a tourist destination as the colorful seaside city of Cartagena, Medellin is surely a city you don’t want to miss during your Latin American adventures. Between its infamous history, rich culture, temperate climate, and delicious coffee, there’s is plenty to keep you busy for days on end. It’s been my realization that many people still associate Medellin with “danger” because of its controversial Pablo Escobar era. And if it weren’t for this man, many people may never have even heard of the second largest city in Colombia. While we were warned to stay away from certain areas of the city or enter with caution, I can assure you that overall the city has seen huge urban development and continuous gentrification, making many areas extremely safe for foreigners. Similar to visiting any new city, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and not carry anything too valuable.
Situated in the middle of the country in the Antioquia region, Medellin sits in the Aburrá Valley surrounded by hundreds of kilometers of lush greenery. Take a Google Satellite look at Medellin and you’ll see nothing but majestic rolling hills around this highly built up city. And, when I say it’s situated in a valley, that it no understatement. One of the most magical parts of Medellin is the cascades of city lights up and down the hillsides that encircle you from every direction at night. Medellin is indeed a hilly city but it wouldn’t look as majestic without them.
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Nutibara Hill
To get the best view of the city and city lights from all angles, you should go to the terrace on top of the building at Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara). From there, you can get 360 degree views of the whole city, not to mention a sculpture garden and the Pueblito Paisa, an adorable and colorful reproduction of the traditional Colombian township. My recommendation is to get there about an hour or two before sunset so that you have time to walk around the Pueblito and view the artwork that’s scattered around the hillside trails. Make sure you wear good walking shoes as you might have to park at the bottom of the hill like we did and walk up the steep dirt trails to the top. The trails were dark and a bit sketchy, but rest assured there was security everywhere!
View from the top of Nutibara Hill
Pueblito Paisa
Alumbrado Navideno
Now you’re probably thinking “you said this was about Medellin in December, what’s your convincing argument?” Here’s a little FUN FACT for you: Medellin has 1 of the top 10 best Christmas light displays in the world. Let’s start with a few pictures to get you excited…
Image Source: Medellin Travel
Known as Alumbrado Navideno, the citywide light display covers 21 city parks, 4km of city streets, and nearly 37 million LED bulbs. The displays are located all around the city of Medellin so trying to see everything in one night would be nearly impossible. The best part is that ALL PARKS OFFER FREE ENTRY. One of the locations we checked out was actually at the Medellin Zoo, so as you look at and interact with (yes, some are user-censored) the colorful light displays, be on the look out for animals in their element.
Alumbrado Navideno is put on each year by EPM, an industrial and commercial company that provides energy, gas, water and telecommunications to a large sector of Colombia. Medellin is the only city in South America that is part of the LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International), which works towards common goals of public lighting to improve culture, sustainability and urbanism. By using a certain type of LED bulb and solar panels around the city, they are able to save energy and make good use from light waste.
Weather
Another main reason I say to visit Medellin in December is because of its temperate climate. Realistically, all year-round is pretty nice with an average of 72 degrees, which is why this town gets the nickname City of the Eternal Spring. But, why not escape the cold snowy winters of North America in December and travel somewhere where you can enjoy shorts and t-shirt weather? December, being the start of their summer months has some of the lowest reported rainfall annually; however, because it is a tropical climate, you should always plan to bring a rain jacket just in case (I learned that the hard way).
Active Lifestyle Seekers
Running Races – If you’re like me and hate to miss a workout just because you’re traveling, Medellin has tons of opportunities to get outdoors, especially with the great weather in December! We were also surprised by how active the people of Medellin are, and this is largely in part because of efforts by the city to improve quality of life and promote healthy lifestyles. During our visit, we kept encountering closed down streets for runners and bikers that seemed to traverse across the whole city. Patrolled by numerous security officials with aid stations along the way, racers came out in numbers to enjoy the perfect weather and miles of roads to travel.
Roading Cycling – Biking is also a HUGE sport in Medellin. Because of all the hills surrounding the valley and light rain in December, cyclists really push their limits by climbing and descending miles of newly paved roads heading to neighboring towns and grabbing lunch at small roadside cafes along the way. There are ultimately 5 main exits from the valley and all but 1 include hill climbs, so you’ll be feeling those legs real quickly. Check out Map My Ride to find routes that fellow cyclists have taken.
Image Source: Pez Cycling News
Hiking – One of the best outdoor activities to take advantage of while visiting Medellin in the summer month is hiking through Parque Arvi at the top of the Metrocable line L. Parque Arvi is both a nature reserve and archeological site with nearly 40,000 acres of forests, 54 miles of walkable trails, and tons of wildlife to be on the lookout for. If hiking is your thing, or you’re just looking for some amazing city views, you should definitely make this a stop on your trip.
Source: Arvi Park
Metrocables
The cable cars actually have a very interesting history. In an effort to allow for easier access to jobs, medical care and overall convenience for locals who lived up the steep hillsides of Medellin, the government introduced its first cable line in 2004 (Line K). With the huge instant success, Lines J and L were added shortly after. Line H is the newest line being completed in December 2016, with Lines M and P still in the works. All lines connect directly to the city metro, allowing for easier and more economical transit to the 30,000+ individuals who ride daily. Today, this is Medellin’s #1 tourist attraction as they provide an interesting perspective into life amongst the barrio populares and communas.
Image Source: The Gondola Project
Less Tourists
We were pleasantly surprised by how few American tourists we ran into in Medellin. Perhaps this is because Medellin still carries its historic reputation and tourists still question its safety. I believe this also may have been due to the time of year we visited. Off-season travel not only provides the best flight deals, but also more opportunities to immerse yourself with local cultures. Contrary to our travels in Costa Rica and Cuba where American accents could be heard every which way you turned, we had the opportunity to interact with a ton of residents and find out about some of the less-known local hot spots. Even in the heart of the “touristy” El Poblado area (where we stayed), we still ran into more locals than foreigners. Here you’ll find some of the trendiest and tastiest restaurants, bars, and coffee shops you’ll ever visit!
Shanelle's Top Picks:
Cheap Eats: Mercado Del Rio - this marketplace has a number of different trendy (but cheap) food stands and bars for all of your tastebuds
Authentic Cuisine: mondongos at Mondongos
Coffee Shop: join in on a free coffee tasting once a month at
Carinito Mio right before checking out the Modern Art Museum next
door
Where to Stay: El Poblado (Our AirBnB was charming, cheap, and right in the heart of El Poblado)
Our AirBnB
Carinito Mio Cafe
Coffee Tasting at Carinito Mio
Fantastic review of a city we wanted to visit, but had hesitations because of the bad press we had read about. December seems like a perfect time to go with the holiday celebrations, pleasant weather and lack of crowds. Thanks for your recommendation.
Steve
It is wonderful. I highly recommend you make the trip.
I am so impressed with your recommendations. I have heard so many negative reviews of the city because of its history of the drug cartels that were running the city that I was sceptical about visiting. I may have to put it on my list