To do in Medellín: 5 amazing activities!
There is a lot to do in Medellín. The city is incredibly big, and also the area surrounding Medellín is interesting enough to plan some trips. The activities in Medellín are endless, so maybe you don’t even know where to start or what to do.
I usually book my tours with Civitatis. They have amazing tours all over the world: from free walking tours, to day trips, to helicopter rides and paragliding. All the tours I’ve been on were very well organised, with fun and enthusiastic guides who knew a lot of information. Check out their website for all the tours and information.
Planning on going to Medellín soon? Or dreaming of visiting this vibrant city some day? Then this blogpost is for you. Let’s get right into it.
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Medellín walking tour
My absolute favourite way to get to know a city, is by doing a walking tour of the city centre. The guides are often local, and can tell you all about the city you are currently staying in. Their recommendations for places to stay, eat, shop, or party can come in handy during the rest of your stay.
It is also great that in most (or even all?) cities, there are free walking tours! It doesn’t have to cost you any money to do a guided tour. Walking tours are often tips-based, which means that you can decide how much you want to give the guide.
Of course, you don’t have to give anything… but I do recommend tipping at least a little bit, if you can. The guides are doing their best, and are spending their time and energy on your tour. In my opinion, they deserve to be rewarded.
Comuna 13 guided tour
You might have heard of Comuna 13, because it is a must-see when you are in Medellín. You can go by yourself if you want to, but I like to do the guided tour of Comuna 13. This way, you learn much more about the rich history and background of this part of Medellín.
Definitely don’t skip this activity in Medellín. The tour is even free! – although there are also paid Comuna 13 tours in Medellín. Comuna 13 used to be a dangerous neighbourhood, but this all changed in the early 00s. Now, you can admire the street art in Comuna 13, which makes this part of the city very colourful and special.
Take a day trip to Guatapé
If you want to do a day trip from Medellín to another place, Guatapé is the place to visit. This little town is very colourful and happy. You will also visit El Peñón of Guatapé, a huge rock which you can climb for a stunning view. The rock and the town are about a two-three hour drive from Medellín.
You can do a tour with boat ride, but you can also do the tour to Guatapé without the boat. I did the tour with the boat ride, because the difference in price is not that big. Personally, I would not recommend the boat ride per se. The view you have is beautiful, but I didn’t think it was special enough to spend 45 minutes on the water.
The view from the rock is breathtaking though! Which is just as well, because you have to climb more than 600 steps to get there. The town of Guatapé is also very cute, with a lot of colours and cute streets. They also have amazing ice cream!
El Poblado tour in Medellín
One of the richest and most popular neighbourhoods for tourists, is El Poblado. Chances are that if you stay in a hostel or hotel, you are staying in El Poblado. Personally, I liked this neighbourhood more than the centre of Medellín.
Even if you don’t stay in El Poblado, but especially if you do, a guided tour of El Poblado is a very nice activity – and it’s free! El Poblado has a lot of cute cafes and restaurants, but it’s also the place to be if you want to party. A guide can tell you much more about where to go and where not to go than I can, so definitely do the tour!
Join a soccer match in the Medellín stadium
Last but not least, I have a crazy recommendation for you. Go to a soccer match in Medellín with a guided tour, if you want to have some fun. Wether you like soccer, you don’t like soccer, or you don’t even understand how soccer works: it will be fun either way.
Going to the game does not mean you will be watching the game. If you really want to watch the game, I recommend you go to a bar or watch it wherever you are staying. The supporters in the stadium are not there to watch: they are there to party.
From the start of the tour, all the supporters will sing Spanish soccer songs, drink alcohol and jump up and down in the stadium. All of this intensifies whenever Medellín scores a goal. Believe me, I’ve experienced it twice.
