We had arrived fairly late in the day so after a little relaxing we headed out for dinner and had heard there were a number of good quality steak houses in the area. We decided to go to ‘La Lomas’ which we found on Carrera 43B still in El Poblado, which is an Argentinean style restaurant specialising in steak. The restaurant has a large terrace and given Medellin’s climate, it is more than warm enough to sit out most evenings. The steak itself is excellent and on a par with many excellent Argentinean steak restaurants and whilst there are cheaper places to eat in Medellin, the cost was very reasonable given the quality of the food. Given it was midweek we didn’t expect there to be too much going on in terms of nightlife so we asked the waiter to recommend somewhere that might be relatively lively. We ended up in at a group of bars and club called Las Palmitas which is a short taxi ride up Cra. 38. Both the bars were relatively quiet but the location gave us a stunning view of the city and is certainly worth a visit if you want to go for a relaxing drink while enjoying the spectacular view. There are actually several bars and clubs on this road, although like most places in the city it is best to try go on a weekend.
If you are looking to relax during the day the city does have a couple of outdoor swimming complexes. Our favourite was the one at Parque Juan Pablo II, which is located right next to the small central airport, so you have to put up with the noise of the occasional aeroplane. The water park though is clean and has a few different pools including a wave pool and some slides. Entrance to the park is only a couple of dollars for the day, and at weekends the park can get very busy.
If you are looking to do a day trip out of the city one day the nearby town of Santa Fe de Antioquia is a very nice colonial town away from the more hectic Medellin. If you are planning on being in the area a long time it is certainly worth a day trip.
If you are looking to do a day trip out of the city one day the nearby town of Santa Fe de Antioquia is a very nice colonial town away from the more hectic Medellin. If you are planning on being in the area a long time it is certainly worth a day trip.
Other popular night spots include Palmahia and Mangos which are both lively clubs in the Itagui district of the city, generally best at weekends.
There are several bars, clubs and restaurants round Parque Lleras which is a popular spot in la Zona Rosa. As with any big city there are always new night spots and local favourites, and we always found that asking the locals was worthwhile.
There are relatively few tourists in the city and therefore places are much busier at weekends.
There are several bars, clubs and restaurants round Parque Lleras which is a popular spot in la Zona Rosa. As with any big city there are always new night spots and local favourites, and we always found that asking the locals was worthwhile.
There are relatively few tourists in the city and therefore places are much busier at weekends.
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In terms of safety we actually found the areas of the city we were in to be fine and it has certainly come a long way since being the murder capital of the world. However as with any large there are always areas that should be avoided and it is best to research this as much as possible. El Poblado is the area that most people mention and is considered to be a relatively safe and pleasant region of the city. All in all though the city is certainly worth visiting and if it fits with your itinerary it would be worth being there at a weekend to enjoy Medellin’s lively nightlife.
Freddie Shaw - June 29th 2009
In terms of safety we actually found the areas of the city we were in to be fine and it has certainly come a long way since being the murder capital of the world. However as with any large there are always areas that should be avoided and it is best to research this as much as possible. El Poblado is the area that most people mention and is considered to be a relatively safe and pleasant region of the city. All in all though the city is certainly worth visiting and if it fits with your itinerary it would be worth being there at a weekend to enjoy Medellin’s lively nightlife.
Freddie Shaw - June 29th 2009
Having got this far in an article about Medellin without mentioning drug cartels and the cities most famous past resident, it is now unavoidable as one option on the sightseeing is to visit the grave of Pablo Escobar. In his day he was one of the world’s wealthiest men and exported cocaine out of Colombia at a rate of around 15 tonnes per day (according to books written about him). Whilst Pablo Escobar did put a lot of money into many communities of Medellin, he is most famous being the head of a violent and powerful drug cartel and being behind the execution of 3 Colombian presidents. The taxi driver that took us their seemed relatively indifferent to our request to visit Escobar’s grave, but then is had been over 15 years since his death.
Arriving from Bogota the contrast between Medellin and the capital was dramatic. The first thing we noticed when walked out of Medellin airport was the warm and sunny weather which is typically of the region most of the year. The itself had a lot more vegetation and was generally a much more pleasant city that Bogota. The city is set in a valley that gives it a fantastic mountain backdrop in all directions.
The flight from Bogota is less than an hour and you can also get there by bus from major cities but the mountain roads can be slow so the journey is typically a long one.
We headed straight for the hotel in the ‘El Poblado’ region of the city, which is popular with visitors and has plenty of bars and restaurants as well as hotels.
The flight from Bogota is less than an hour and you can also get there by bus from major cities but the mountain roads can be slow so the journey is typically a long one.
We headed straight for the hotel in the ‘El Poblado’ region of the city, which is popular with visitors and has plenty of bars and restaurants as well as hotels.
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The Grave of Pablo Escobar