Featured City: Medellin, Colombia
WHY WE RECOMMEND VISITING MEDELLIN IN COLOMBIA
Because you can… Now that the dark ages of the 80s and 90s have passed, the capital city of the Department of Antioquia offers enough attractions for you to add Medellin to your bucket list.
Medellin is known as the City of Eternal Spring with a weather that borderlines perfection. With year-round temperatures between 22°C and 30°C, it is never too cold and never too hot. The surrounding landscape boasts with all hues of green and beautiful trails. A very innovative urban space, having been named “Innovative City of the Year” by Wall Street Journal back in 2013.
Along with a plethora of things to fill your days with, is the local charm of the Paisas –as the locals form Medellin and Antioquia are called, well-known for being the one most welcoming and friendly folks.
The hillside metropolis brings twice the attractions its size could allude, therefore traveling with kids or not, there’s plenty of culture, cuisine, and comfort to keep you entertained. It’s a modern city and there’s truly a little something for everyone!
WHAT ARE THE BEST ATTRACTIONS IN MEDELLIN
It can be very easy to pick a good spot in Medellin. You may also have a hard time choosing a favorite one. Get the adrenaline going with activities such as paragliding, driving ATVs, going to a soccer match; or let curiosity flow by doing a Pablo Escobar tour.
Some mandatory places to visit are Plaza Botero, featuring 23 of Fernando Botero’s larger-than-life sculptures and the Museum of Antioquia and Parque Berrio, which is just across the street. The Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens) is the ideal relaxing corner, while Pueblito Paisa, atop Cerro Nutibarra, features a 360-degree view of the city. You can bargain with the local vendors there for eye-catching souvenirs. For a French-like experience visit El Castillo Museo & Jardines.
For the night entertainment, where Cali offers Salsa, Medellin balances the feel of a small pueblo in the mountains with the liveliness of a major Latin American city. There are tons of places to go out at night, but the epicenter of nightlife in Medellín is Parque Lleras, a dense collection of restaurants, bars, and dance clubs situated around a little tree-filled park in the upscale neighborhood of El Poblado.
RECOMMENDED FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES
If gorgeous sceneries and welcoming Paisas are not sufficient words to get the attention of the youngest ones in the family, then perhaps El Salado Ecotourism Park may do the trick. River activities, zip lines, trails and a lookout merge in a singular experience that highlights the beauty of the destination in the eyes of the children.
The Museum of Modern Art in Ciudad del Rio, the Parque de los Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Park) and the Museo del Agua (Water Museum) bring forth enough activities to burn off steam.
The ultimate kid-friendly Colombian travel activity, Parque Explora in Medellin is a learning center, featuring an aquarium, miniature zoo, playground, and much more for a family outing. With a 3D cinema, exhibitions, interactive games, and much more, Parque Explora will delight the little ones. It’s also adjacent to Medellin’s Botanical Gardens, the perfect spot to eat lunch in the sunshine and watch wild iguanas roaming alongside a lake.
Also, don’t forget to ride cable car for one-of-a-kind tour of the city. Medellin has two cable cars; one heads to Parque Arvi and the other goes to Santo Domingo.
AND FOR THE FOODIE
There are excellent restaurants and cafes to enjoy in Medellin, and some delicious local dishes a foodie should not skip. The top choice has to be the bandeja paisa, the regional dish that combines tropical ingredients such as meat, avocados, beans, rice and plantains into a unique flavor that only Colombians can elaborate. The local beverage is “aguardiente” an anise-flavored liquor traditionally consumed as a shot, but don’t be surprised if you see locals drinking straight from the bottle too.
Visit the neighborhoods of El Poblado and Laureles to experience brilliant restaurants serving a variety of international and regional variety, while cafes like Pergamino and Revolucion serve the best Colombian coffee available, brought straight from the Colombian goring axis “El Eje Cafetero”.
TOURS TO CONSIDER WHEN IN MEDELLIN
Colombia is divided in Departments and Antioquia is one of the most beautiful in Colombia. Home to amazing nature, picturesque towns, coffee farms and even part of the Caribbean Coast. Not everything is nearby Medellin. Within an hour from the city you can visit some truly lovely little towns. You can get a wonderful sense of how diverse Colombia really is. Some of the popular town are as Guatape, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Jardin and Tamesis. You can visit them on day trips or long-weekends from Medellin. Making the city an excellent base to explore this corner of Colombia.
WHERE CAN I FIND ONLINE INFORMATION
We found ourselves addicted to http://www.colombia.travel/ where plenty of information on all the must-dos when in Medellin.
