Medellín, Antioquia

lodging

Patio del Mundo

A little boutique hotel at the top of a tree-lined sloping street in El Poblado. It’s quiet, but only a 5 min walk away from all the action! It’s super cute, with seven bedrooms, each fashioned after a favorite place from the owner’s travels. Such a charming idea! The gardens are very pretty too, and there’s a secret hot tub to wind down your evenings in! We were welcomed with delicious fresh orange juice, and treated so well throughout our stay! Everyone was so friendly, and always willing to chat about Medellin and give recommendations.

Medellín, Antioquia

cafe

Cafe Velvet Medellin

Cafe Velvet is somewhat of an institution in Medellin, but it hopefully shouldn’t be too crowded at this time of the day.

Antioquia, Colombia

experience

Plaza Minorista José María Villa

This is the most fun tour I’ve ever been on! We walked through Minorista Market, spoon in one hand, camera in the other, tasting and learning about all the delicious fruits in Colombia. I hadn’t heard of 70% of the fruits and some of them didn’t even have English names. My favorite was the Guayaba (guava) because it’s sour, and I’ve only ever had sweet guavas before. A couple of very interesting ones were Granadilla and Borojo. Seeing the absolutely gigantic avocados was pretty cool too!

Medellín, Antioquia

experience

Real City Tours

I highly recommend taking the Exotic Fruit Tour with Real City Tours in Medellin! The best part is that tour sizes are small (ours was just three people!). After the tour, which comes with fresh arepas, all the amazing fruits, and a delicious fresh fruit juice, I don’t think you’ll be particularly hungry for lunch. So save your appetite for snacks later and head to the next stop.

Medellín, Antioquia

experience

Botero Plaza

From Minorista, hop in a taxi or an uber to head straight to Plaza Botero. Maps will show you that it’s a relatively quick walk – but DO NOT walk! The area around the market and the plaza is not the nicest, and I would liken it to walking through the Tenderloin in San Francisco. Just not something you want to do. However, you’ll see plenty of tourists (mostly Colombians) once you get to the square! You will also see Botero’s interesting sculptures, and one of the most beautiful buildings in Medellin. Fernando Botero, a sculptor and artist who loved depicting exaggerated figures of people and animals, is actually from Medellin!

Medellín, Antioquia

experience

Comuna 13 Graffitour

Every day at 2 pm, Zippy Tours offers free walking tours of Communa 13. Note, please always TIP your guide on a free walking tour. We learned about Zippy Tours from our Exotic Fruits Tour guide, who taught the Zippy tour guides English! So this tour is offered by guides who actually grew up in Communa 13 and learned English just a few years ago! Our guide was Laura, and I would highly recommend her. Communa 13 now is not perfect, but it’s working toward it. There are escalators that take residents up and down the hills, the most amazing local art covers the walls and uplifts the people. Some of Communa 13 is almost a playground for tourists, with giant slides and spontaneous hip hop dance performances.

Medellín, Antioquia

cafe

Pergamino Cafe

The best coffee I had in Medellin. It’s also a good place to buy some coffee beans to take home with you!

Medellín, Antioquia

restaurants

Restaurante El Cielo

Let me start off by saying that this is the best dinner I’ve had in my life (except for my mom’s chicken biryani, obviously). El Cielo is no mere dinner, it’s an all out dining experience. Starting off with hot towels and a delicious welcome shot with cotton candy(!), to washing our hands with chocolate and exfoliating them with coffee grounds (I licked everything off my fingers after!), to the nine most interesting and amazing ‘moments’ with four wine pairings – it is easily the best way to spend your money in Medellin. Each of the ‘moments’ is a delightful take on traditional Colombian cuisine – the chef truly takes you on a journey through Colombia. I highly recommend making reservations a month in advance. Unfortunately, reservations require a phone call, but the long-distance charges will be worth it.