Medellin
Medellin, “city of the eternal spring” or “capital of the mountain”, is everyday attracting more tourists and new inhabitants because of its ideal climate, not too hot and not too cold, its greenness, its industrial fabric, its pubs and restaurants, its party atmosphere, its modern transports, its sulphurous past, and the kindness of its people.
The tour we organize in Medellin usually starts in the Comuna 13, previously most dangerous neighbourhood where you could not set a foot still back in 2010, as it was controlled by block 47 of the FARC, followed by paramilitary units, and then neighbourhood delinquency… This neighbourhood is a typical example of what happened in Medellin: the city built escalators in the streets (inaugurated in 2011) and by doing so, created huge cement walls on which local artists started to express themselves. It is today one of the most visited site in Medellin, as the murals depict the history of the neighbourhood. You can also come across rap or reggaeton bands, or urban dance bands…while being totally safe. Sometimes we take the Metro cable of San Javier, an urban cable car allowing the poorest neighbourhoods of Medellin to be connected to the main metro network. There are several lines of cable car in Medellin. Then we head towards Cerro Nutibara, aka “pueblito paisa” where we enjoy a 360 degrees view of the city and the whole Aburra valley, and where we can eat in a replica of a small typical village of Antioquia. After lunch, we head to the historical centre of Medellin (do not expect a magnificent colonial centre, it is a modern city. The colonial and historical parts is Santa Fe of Antioquia, former capital of its department, it is situated 60kms away). We start with Plazza Botero, filled with artwork from the famous sculptor. Next stop is Parque Berrio, the metro central station; also the location of the oldest church in Medellin. Afterwards, we go to the metropolitan cathedral, biggest church in Latin America made with bricks, and its park. To end the tour, we go to the botanic gardens, green patch in the city. In season you can see a beautiful collection of orchids, but also numerous species of plants and trees. We will also walk by, but not visit, Parque Explora (sort of science expo with a nice aquarium too), to end up at house of music, a free space where you can see musicians and diverse music bands rehearsing and jamming in public.
Depending on the group and its wishes, we can spend a second day in Medellin, more dedicated to museums. Especially the house of memory (free, explains the sulphurous past of the city, Antioquia museum ($, modern art museum), Parque Explora ($,sort of science expo with a nice aquarium too), the flower square, Pablo Tobon theatre, the “rich” neighbourhoods of Poblado and Laureles with their parks filled with occidental pubs and restaurants, Arvi park (green patch accessible by cable car from Medellin, at 2300m altitude, where you can walk or ride a bike, observe the birds, butterflies, flowers…) and accessorily there is a pre-Colombian archaeology site.
In Medellin, right in Comuna 13, you can visit a “finca’ of coffee and cacao (coffee La Loma). Jaime, a true local, emblematic owner of the place, will happily show you around.
In Medellin, 2 periods of the year are important. The first is the flowers fest, generally during the 1st week of August, when the “silleteros” come down from the mountains with ‘silletas” on their back, sort of shield with flowers ornaments. The second one is the entire month of December because of its party atmosphere and the city illuminations, known all over the country and beyond. In December, children are on school holidays, we can see religious Christmas crèches in all the neighbourhoods, at night people gather to sing the “novena”, on weekend rhum and aguardiente are skulled down over the sound of Christmas cumbia.
Medellin is the Colombian capital of tango, adoptive city of the famous Uruguayan-Argentinean tango singer Carlos Gardel. Tangovia happens every last Friday of the month in the neighbourhood, and we can watch amazing tango ballets.