Colombia

Coming:

Fly- El Dorado International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Latin America and the world. If you’re arriving internationally this is most likely your cheapest entry point. From the airport take a cab to your hostel.

                Price (fixed from airport) – should be around $20K COP ($6.62 USD) 

Bus- Buses come here from everywhere in Colombia. There are two stations – north and south. Take care of your belongings and take a cab from the bus station. 

Price – Should be around $20-25K COP to La Candelaria 

Once here, around La Candelaria you should be able to go on foot during the day. At night take a cab if it’s more than a few minutes away. The cabs should not cost you more than a $3-5K COP (don’t let them rip you off if you’re a gringo) and it’s just so much safer. The TransMilenio is a bus system that acts as their metro system. If you’re only staying for a few days you probably won’t need to take it, but if you’ll be traversing the city it’s a great option. Ask your hostel for help or advice though. There are some bad neighborhoods you don’t want to be passing through. 

Sleeping: Stay in La Candelaria. This is where the majority of the hostels are located as well as most of the things you’re going to be doing. Bogota isn’t the safest to walk around alone it at night so being close to your accommodation makes things easier.

BoGo Hostel – Curtains on the bed which is always much appreciated in a hostel and a sandwich press at breakfast which was lovely. They’ve got a rooftop bar with a view and a friendly staff. Clean facilities and good location. Vibe was there if you looked for it but didn’t meet too many people.

Overall – 8/10                    Price – $29K COP ($9.55 USD)               Average/reasonable for Bogota (Can definitely find cheaper though) 

Eating: To be honest I didn’t really eat out here, but BoGo has a huge binder full of suggestions. 

Doing: Take some tours, climb Monserrat

Free Walking Tour– had a great experience with this. It lasted over 3 and a half hours because everyone was so interested and asked a ton of questions.  This was also one of the more interactive tours. Instead of just telling us about the famous drink- we got to try it. Instead of just telling us about a museum, we went inside for a little bit.

Price –Free + tips

Colombian food tour– Take a tour around the streets of Bogota trying different traditional Colombian foods.

Price- Free + tips

Graffiti tour– Here is what you have to decide. The Graffiti tour in Bogotá is free (plus tips) while the one in Medellín is not. And it’s not super cheap either. While the free tour in Bogotá is a good tour (or so I hear), the one in Medellín has a little more history and culture behind it. So, if you’re interested in only one Graffiti tour in Colombia, then you’ll want to take those things into account.

Heroes tour– I did not have time for this but would’ve liked to do it. It is a tour that talks about the political history of Colombia and how things are changing. Recently with all of the drug trafficking and currently with the peace talks between the government and guerilla groups, Colombia has been a country to keep an eye on. They are really starting to come into their own and I would’ve loved to hear a little more about it all.  

Price – Free + Tips

Craft Beer Tour– DO THIS. If you like craft beer then do it. It’s a ton of fun. Sign up ahead of time- it’s a smaller group because of the van size. You get to try a fair amount of beer and learn about it as well as how it’s an up and coming scene in Bogota. I am loving this craft beer explosion all over the world and how it varies from country to country. It lasts 4-5 hours and is a blast. Highly recommended for beer drinkers and lovers.

Price – $80K COP ($26.5 USD) but lots of beer and transport included 

Climb Monserrate- a towering mountain in the middle of Bogota, Monserrate stands at 3,152 m (10,341 ft) above sea level. Bring water and sunscreen and TAKE YOUR TIME! If you’re sensitive to the altitude then take it slow. Breath. Headaches are never fun. 

Price- Free to walk, cable car and funicular cost a little 

Staying: There is actually a lot more do to here than I had originally expected. I’d give it a few days, but if you stay longer there is a lot to do in this city!

Going: Because of its size and the fact that it’s the capital, Bogotá is a great launch point for traveling anywhere in Colombia! It all depends on the trajectory of your Colombia trip. Fly up north to the coast, bus or fly to Medellín (also north, but much closer), head east to Salento or west to San Gil or fly or if this is your last stop fly anywhere in the world!

Coming:

Flying- Both Armenia and Pereira have airports and are about the same distance from Salento. Upon arrival take a cab to bus terminal where buses run regularly to Salento.

Price- Cab to bus terminal $15K COP ($5 USD)                                  Bus  to Salento $7K COP ($2.33 USD) 

Bussing- Around 3 hours from Cali, 6-7 from Medellin and 7-8 from Bogota. You’ll still have to arrive in Armenia or Pereira, though, and switch buses to Salento. 

Price- around $60-80K COP (around $20-26 USD)

Once here get around town on foot. 

Sleeping: El Viajero Hostel. Small bathrooms in the dorm but other than that no complaints. Kitchen had amenities, breakfast was adequate, good vibe. Met a lot of people here and they had activities in the evenings and nice places to hang out and relax.

Overall- 8.5/10                      Price- $10.23 for a mixed bed dorm                 Average for Salento

Eating: Brunch Diner- Amazing!!!! Delicious food and huge portions. Really nice staff and a great environment. The worst part is deciding what to get! 

Doing: Hike Cocora Valley, take a coffee tour, walk to the lookout point, shop, play tejo

Hike- Cocora Valley is famous for the 60 meter high palm trees. They do not disappoint. Catch a jeep from the main square (your hostel can give you times they leave) and hike the loop counterclockwise so you can end with the magnificent trees. The trail isn’t marked well so be careful! If you’ve hit the hummingbird sanctuary – head up to have a cup of hot chocolate with queso (super Colombian)

but when you head back down you do NOT continue on- this way leads up to a view point and is NOT part of the loop. Come back the way you came, cross the bridge made of tree trunks, and look for a sign with a red arrow. Note: The arrow is pointing in the direction that you just came from. From the sign- take the trails to the RIGHT to continue on the correct way.

Price- Jeep $3,800 COP ($1.20 USD)               Trail $2K COP ($.66 USD)           Hummingbirds $5K COP ($1.66 USD)

Take a coffee tour- There are a few options here, you can walk to three different plantations that have shorter tours (around an hour/hour and a half) or take a jeep to one farther out that is a much longer tour (3.5 hours). Ask your hostel for details on the differences. I walked to Ocaso and really enjoyed their tour.

Price- Tour $15K COP ($5 USD)                 Jeep back- $3,000 COP ($1 USD)

Walk to the lookout point- It’s a short walk in town and has a nice view. Note- this is different than the park. You’ll see colored steps at the end of the main shopping street that leads to a park. This viewpoint is mediocre. I believe you can walk to the lookout point from there if you hike a bit (go left) but you can also get there from the street.

Price- Free

Shop- In the square and along one of the streets you’ll find some excellent shopping!

Tejo- The national game of Colombia. Throw discs at a target that are full of gunpowder. They’ll explode when you hit the target. Play at Los Amigos or at Beta Town.

Staying: 2-3 days

Going: Most people bus to Bogota or Medellin if you’re coming from south. If you’re heading south then bus to Cali for some salsa on your way to Ecuador. 

Coming:

Flying- A cab from both the bus terminal and the airport is an easy 20 minute ride to the city center where you’ll be spending your time.

Price- Cab from airport to city center $15 COP ($5 USD)                

Bussing- An easy 5 hour bus ride from Santa Marta with a stop in Baranquilla but around 17 hours from Medellin. Check prices because many times flights are the same price as a bus and take much less time.  You can also get a collectivo that will pick you up directly from your hostel in Santa Marta and bring you to your hostel in Cartagena.  

Price- Bus from Santa Marta $24.5K COP ($8.10 USD)                 Door to door collectivo between Santa Marta $45 COP ($15 USD)                    Bus from Medellin ~$90 COP (~ $30 USD)                 Cab from bus terminal to city center $20 COP ($6.67 USD) 

Once here you can easily get around on foot. 

Sleeping:

El Genoves Hostal – The beds are comfortable, bathrooms and dorms are clean, the free breakfast is fine (cereal, toast and fruit), and an excellent location- but the vibe is extremely quiet.  The air con doesn’t go on until 10 pm which is really late compared to other hostels which made it hard to hang out there. 

Overall: 7.5/10                   Price: $27K COP  ($9 USD/night – cheap for Cartagena

Republica Hostel Cartagena – This place has an amazing vibe. They’ve found the perfect balance between social with a party scene. There is a nice pool and a helpful staff.  Only downside was the dorms are a bit cramped and even though the beds are pretty private due to being built in the wall, I found it really inconvenient for the top bunk. The wifi was also iffy. 

Overall: 8/10                   Price: $48K COP ($16 USD/night) – expensive for Cartagena

Media Luna is the big party hostel, but many just go there to party at night and leave at their leisure to their own hostel. 

El Viajero Cartagena is part of the El Viajero chain that I’ve stayed in before and enjoyed my experience. Didn’t stay here in Cartagena, though. 

Eating:

Stepping Stone– Eat here for brunch and lunch every day. I literally wanted everything on the menu. It’s reasonably priced, great vibe, amazing food, and it’s for a good cause! They provide work internships to the poorer populations of Cartagena and teach them skills to get and maintain jobs in the future. 

Maharaja Indian Restaurant- Awesome Indian food for a decent price. Open everyday from 9:30 am – 10:00 pm and the owner is super friendly.

Giras Les is a vegetarian restaurant open for lunch that has a delicious and cheap menu del dia. For 10K you get soup plus whatever they’re serving up that day and a juice.

Di Silvio Trattoria has great Italian food for a reasonable price. The pizza is thin crust and not exactly authentic, but all around great tasting food.

Maria Bonita Taqueria Cantina has AMAZING Mexican food. It was a little pricey for how much food you get, but it’s really, really good. 

Doing: Free walking tour, chocolate museum, hang out in Plaza Trinidad. watch sunset on the wall

The free walking tour is really nice. There is a 10 am and a 4 pm option. 

Price- Free + tips 

Chocolate museum- If you like chocolate, you definitely need to try this out! There are two, but the smaller one is a better tour.  They let you taste candy, chocolate, and liquor! Stop by both- because you can.

Price- Free 

Plaza Trinidad- An amazing plaza that always has something going on. There is a place on the corner that sells beer for $2,500 COP and you can sit, drink beer and people watch. There is both street food and many restaurants nearby, including Di Silvio, Maharaja and Maria Bonita Taqueria. 

Sunset on the wall- You’ll learn about the wall on the walking tour. Head over around sunset and take it all in. It’s really lovely. 

If you happen to be in Cartagena for their independence day (November 11), enjoy the parade and festivities the city offers

Beaches- The beaches nearby aren’t very nice and a bit dirty, I didn’t find it worth it. The islands are supposed to be nice just a trek to get to. 

Mud volcano- Didn’t do this. I’ve heard from people who’ve done it that it’s fun, but also a giant tourist trap. I didn’t feel like paying to drive an hour to sit in mud.  Check out what this blog has to say about it. 

Shopping- There is plenty of shopping to be done, but the prices aren’t necessarily on a backpacker’s budget.

Staying: 2-3 days – it’s hot.  

Going: Take the bus to Santa Marta or if you’ve come that way then many people head south to Medellin. You can also take a boat over to Panama!

Coming:

Flying- Santa Marta has an airport not too far outside of town.  Upon arrival take the public bus into the center. The bus driver should be able to help tell you when to get off. 

Price- Bus from airport $2K COP (.66 USD)

Bussing- If you’re coming from Cartagena take a bus or a collectivo that will give you door to door service.

Price- Bus from Cartagena: $24,500 COP  ($8.10 USD)                   Collectivo: $45K COP  ($15 USD) 

Once here you can get most places in Santa Marta by walking. Anything outside of Santa Marta is easily reached by taxi or collectivo. 

Sleeping: Fatima Beach Hostel has functioning AC which is honestly all I care about. In addition, it’s a good location for the bars and restaurants as well as for the bus station to Minca and Tayrona, has a decent enough free breakfast (toast and fruit), clean room and an excellent staff. There were times I had a little trouble with the wifi but other than that the events offered at night were fun and you get a free Cuba Libre upon arrival.

Overall: 9/10                      Price: $27K COP ($9.13 USD) for mixed dorm        Average price for SM

Eating: Ouzo has excellent Mediterranean food with prices range from $20-40K. You’ll leave happy and full.  El Bistro restaurant has a lot of great options, too. Their homemade fettucine is freaking delicious and their happy hour lasts from 3-9/10 (depending on the day) and is 2 for 1 cocktails.  

Caribbean Team is another reasonably priced joint that’s right on the water. It has a chilled out BBQ vibe with good bar food such as burgers, mac and cheese, and giant salads.

Doing: Make Santa Marta your home base. Take trips from here to Minca and Tayrona National Park, the Lost City Trek, visit Playa Cristal and have a night out. 

Minca and Tayrona (See more info below)

Lost City Trek- This is a 4-6 day hike (depending on how far you want to walk per day) that will take you through  beautiful scenery to find a pre-Colombian city dating back to the 14th century.  I do not do well in the heat, I’m very whiny, and know that a trek in this heat would just be miserable for me so I chose not to do this. I’m saving my expensive trek for Machu Picchu. 

Price- ~$830K COP (~$280 USD) and same price for 4, 5 and 6 day trek 

Beaches- Playa Cristal is part of Tayrona National Park but cannot be reached from within the park. I chose not to do this because the most common way to get here is by taking a tour. You’ll have to pay for the boat transport there and back as well as entrance to the park again.  I hear it’s extremely beautiful though, if you do go!! The other nearby beaches are not worth it. They’re not very nice, very dirty, and the water isn’t very refreshing. It’s better to just head to the pool.  

Carerra 3- A nice area with restaurants and bars. Treat yourself to a nice dinner after having hiked all day in Tayrona!  

Staying: You’ll be going in and out with the different trips so you’ll probably spend some chill days here. On its own I wouldn’t spend much time here, though.

Going: Many people come from Cartagena, but if you haven’t done that, then head west to Cartagena, east out to Palomino, south to Medellin, northeast to the desert or fly anywhere from their airport. 

Coming:

Flying- Santa Marta has an airport not too far outside of town.  Upon arrival take the public bus into the center. The bus driver should be able to help tell you when to get off. 

Price- Bus from airport $2K COP (.66 USD)

Bussing- If you’re coming from Cartagena take a bus or a collectivo that will give you door to door service.

Price- Bus from Cartagena: $24,500 COP  ($8.10 USD)                   Collectivo: $45K COP  ($15 USD) 

Once here you can get most places in Santa Marta by walking. Anything outside of Santa Marta is easily reached by taxi or collectivo. 

Sleeping: Fatima Beach Hostel has functioning AC which is honestly all I care about. In addition, it’s a good location for the bars and restaurants as well as for the bus station to Minca and Tayrona, has a decent enough free breakfast (toast and fruit), clean room and an excellent staff. There were times I had a little trouble with the wifi but other than that the events offered at night were fun and you get a free Cuba Libre upon arrival.

Overall: 9/10                      Price: $27K COP ($9.13 USD) for mixed dorm        Average price for SM

Eating: Ouzo has excellent Mediterranean food with prices range from $20-40K. You’ll leave happy and full.  El Bistro restaurant has a lot of great options, too. Their homemade fettucine is freaking delicious and their happy hour lasts from 3-9/10 (depending on the day) and is 2 for 1 cocktails.  

Caribbean Team is another reasonably priced joint that’s right on the water. It has a chilled out BBQ vibe with good bar food such as burgers, mac and cheese, and giant salads.

Doing: Make Santa Marta your home base. Take trips from here to Minca and Tayrona National Park, the Lost City Trek, visit Playa Cristal and have a night out. 

Minca and Tayrona (See more info below)

Lost City Trek- This is a 4-6 day hike (depending on how far you want to walk per day) that will take you through  beautiful scenery to find a pre-Colombian city dating back to the 14th century.  I do not do well in the heat, I’m very whiny, and know that a trek in this heat would just be miserable for me so I chose not to do this. I’m saving my expensive trek for Machu Picchu. 

Price- ~$830K COP (~$280 USD) and same price for 4, 5 and 6 day trek 

Beaches- Playa Cristal is part of Tayrona National Park but cannot be reached from within the park. I chose not to do this because the most common way to get here is by taking a tour. You’ll have to pay for the boat transport there and back as well as entrance to the park again.  I hear it’s extremely beautiful though, if you do go!! The other nearby beaches are not worth it. They’re not very nice, very dirty, and the water isn’t very refreshing. It’s better to just head to the pool.  

Carerra 3- A nice area with restaurants and bars. Treat yourself to a nice dinner after having hiked all day in Tayrona!  

Staying: You’ll be going in and out with the different trips so you’ll probably spend some chill days here. On its own I wouldn’t spend much time here, though.

Going: Many people come from Cartagena, but if you haven’t done that, then head west to Cartagena, east out to Palomino, south to Medellin, northeast to the desert or fly anywhere from their airport. 

Coming:

Flying- Santa Marta has an airport not too far outside of town.  Upon arrival take the public bus into the center. The bus driver should be able to help tell you when to get off. 

Price- Bus from airport $2K COP (.66 USD)

Bussing- If you’re coming from Cartagena take a bus or a collectivo that will give you door to door service.

Price- Bus from Cartagena: $24,500 COP  ($8.10 USD)                   Collectivo: $45K COP  ($15 USD) 

Once here you can get most places in Santa Marta by walking. Anything outside of Santa Marta is easily reached by taxi or collectivo. 

Sleeping: Fatima Beach Hostel has functioning AC which is honestly all I care about. In addition, it’s a good location for the bars and restaurants as well as for the bus station to Minca and Tayrona, has a decent enough free breakfast (toast and fruit), clean room and an excellent staff. There were times I had a little trouble with the wifi but other than that the events offered at night were fun and you get a free Cuba Libre upon arrival.

Overall: 9/10                      Price: $27K COP ($9.13 USD) for mixed dorm        Average price for SM

Eating: Ouzo has excellent Mediterranean food with prices range from $20-40K. You’ll leave happy and full.  El Bistro restaurant has a lot of great options, too. Their homemade fettucine is freaking delicious and their happy hour lasts from 3-9/10 (depending on the day) and is 2 for 1 cocktails.  

Caribbean Team is another reasonably priced joint that’s right on the water. It has a chilled out BBQ vibe with good bar food such as burgers, mac and cheese, and giant salads.

Doing: Make Santa Marta your home base. Take trips from here to Minca and Tayrona National Park, the Lost City Trek, visit Playa Cristal and have a night out. 

Minca and Tayrona (See more info below)

Lost City Trek- This is a 4-6 day hike (depending on how far you want to walk per day) that will take you through  beautiful scenery to find a pre-Colombian city dating back to the 14th century.  I do not do well in the heat, I’m very whiny, and know that a trek in this heat would just be miserable for me so I chose not to do this. I’m saving my expensive trek for Machu Picchu. 

Price- ~$830K COP (~$280 USD) and same price for 4, 5 and 6 day trek 

Beaches- Playa Cristal is part of Tayrona National Park but cannot be reached from within the park. I chose not to do this because the most common way to get here is by taking a tour. You’ll have to pay for the boat transport there and back as well as entrance to the park again.  I hear it’s extremely beautiful though, if you do go!! The other nearby beaches are not worth it. They’re not very nice, very dirty, and the water isn’t very refreshing. It’s better to just head to the pool.  

Carerra 3- A nice area with restaurants and bars. Treat yourself to a nice dinner after having hiked all day in Tayrona!  

Staying: You’ll be going in and out with the different trips so you’ll probably spend some chill days here. On its own I wouldn’t spend much time here, though.

Going: Many people come from Cartagena, but if you haven’t done that, then head west to Cartagena, east out to Palomino, south to Medellin, northeast to the desert or fly anywhere from their airport. 

Coming:

Fly- There are two airports here, José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) is the main one and is around 45 minutes outside the city. Upon arrival take the bus into Santa Fe. This should take about an hour. From there, if you’re staying in Poblado, take a cab to your accommodation. If you’re elsewhere (such as Laureles) and close to the metro then get off at the Industriales metro stop.  

Price- Bus $10K COP ($3.33 USD)               Cab from airport $80K COP ($26.50 USD)

Bus- Most commonly people bus from Cartagena, Bogotá or Salento depending on where you started. Check prices for both the bus and flights as sometimes they can be around the same price. Buses take a long time because of all of the mountains- a 17 hour bus ride from the coast is just a 1 and a half hour flight.

Once here, take the metro! It’s the only city with a metro in Colombia and they’re very proud of it. This system also connects to the metrocable system that connects the poorer mountain neighborhoods with the city.  Don’t eat or drink while riding, they like to keep it very clean. During rush hour you’ll be packed in like sardines. There is a lot of shoving but everyone is pretty chill about being pushed around. If claustrophobia isn’t your thing, you can cab it during these times and getting around on foot is easy and safe.  

Sleeping:

InMedellin Hostel: Located in Poblado (neighborhood) near all the gringo things and right down the street from a good Spanish school.  This is one of the cheaper hostels in Medellín. A very nice hostel with big beds and clean facilities but it’s not very social and it’s a far walk from the metro. That being said, almost everything in Poblado is far from the metro. Poblado is very hilly so you might get a bit sweaty walking around. But there’s a lot of English speakers and restaurants geared towards travelers. It’s also a great area to go out at night. Wouldn’t recommend for a solo traveler due to the vibe.

Overall: 6/10                      Price: $19,500 COP ($6.5 USD)                  Cheap for Medellín

International House: Located in Belen, a neighborhood that’s not really near anything you’re going to want to do- it was a little inconvenient. Standard rooms, awesome kitchen and rooftop area with good Wi-Fi. Vibe was meh while I was there but reviews seem to say that normally this isn’t the case.  Location was my biggest issue with it.  

Overall- 6.5/10                   Price- $  18K COP ($6 USD)                    Cheap for Medellín

Wandering Paisa: Located in Laureles which is the local version of Poblado. It’s an extremely safe neighborhood and much more of the real Medellín. The hostel has a great vibe with a lot of activities. It’s near the metro so easy to get to any part of the city and right next to the stadium so easy to go to some games (which is a must in Medellín).

Overall- 9/10                                Price- $23,500 COP ($7.80 USD and up)                           Average for Medellín

Eating: Bandeja Paisa – steak, Chicharrónes (pork rind), chorizo, rice, red beans, avocado, fried egg, an arepa, and plantain chips.

Arepas- Classic Colombia. Classic Paisa. It’s think and round (not a ball, more like a pancake) and made with maize dough. Get it with cheese or stuffed- as they’re a bit bland on their own.

Doing: Take the free walking tour, go to a soccer game, take some day trips, take the metrocable, volunteer, visit 3 Cordilleras brewing company

Free walking tour– The guides are amazing, 100% Paisa and everyone is extremely excited and proud to share their city with you. You’ll learn a ton about the history of the Paisa people as well as their transformation into the safe and beautiful city it is today after the recent violence. There are two tours per day M-F and a morning tour on Saturday. The tour is very popular so it is highly recommended to book a day and a half in advance (the earliest you’re allowed to book).

Price- Free + tip

Go to a soccer game- Whether it’s Atlético Nacional or Deportivo Independiente Medellín (DIM) the atmosphere is unbeatable! Ask your hostel for the nearest shop selling tickets or head directly to the stadium. Make sure to get a ticket in the North section if you’re going to a Nacional game and the south section if you’re going to a DIM game (double check this when you’re buying your ticket though). But for the most part nobody checks seats so just head over to where the crazy fans are and just start cheering.

Price- $15-25K COP ($5-8.33 USD)

Volunteering- Want to give back? Head up to the mountains and volunteer in one of poorest barrios in the city. Angeles de Medellín is run by an American from Rochester, NY who has been living here for 12 years. The organization has English, sewing and computer courses for women along with job placement assistance upon completion. If you’re around for Halloween or Christmas they throw a huge Halloween and Christmas bash for the kids. It’s a huge treat for the kids and while you’ll leave utterly exhausted, it’s totally worth it. The organization is open Monday- Thursday and you’ll meet a ton of people while volunteering. Get in touch via facebook for more information.

Guatapé- Easy day or overnight trip. From Caribe metro stop is the North Terminal bus station. You’ll see ticket counters that advertise Guatapé – go there. Buy a ticket to La Piedra del Peño to climb the famous rock before heading into town. The bus drops you off and you’ll have to walk up to get to the actual rock. Once at the rock, the climb is 740 steps and on a sunny day it’s hot, so bring water. The views at the top are breathtaking!

Once you make your way back down, take a moto taxi to the actual town of Guatapé and walk around. You can take a boat tour, have lunch and enjoy the quaint little town.

I found it was enough for me just for the day and made my way back to Medellín in the afternoon. It you choose to spend the night there are is also some hiking to be done nearby with some nice waterfalls.

Price- Bus Medellín-La Piedra $12.500 COP ($4.16 USD)       Taxi La Piedra-Guatapé  $8K COP ($2.66 USD)                              Entrance $18K COP ($6 USD) 

Jardin- I didn’t get a chance to make it here but I hear it’s definitely worth an overnight trip!

Metrocable- Built to help the neighborhoods in the mountains to have an easier way to get better jobs in the city center, the Metrocable is just part of the metro line and won’t cost you any extra.

3 Cordilleras is a brewery in Medellín. On Thursdays and Fridays they offer tours (only in Spanish) and have live music. The tour is meh but the atmosphere is really nice!

Price- $30K COP ($10 USD)  for the tour and 5 beers

Museums- There are some good museums here that I know nothing about because I generally avoid museums. The walking tour will have a lot more information on some great museums in the city, though.

Staying: At least a week, if not longer. This is such a great city to just hang out in.

Going: Like Bogotá, you can head anywhere from here! This is in the middle so it’s easy to make this any part of your trip. Since I spent so much time here it was my first stop. The coast (Santa Marta and Cartagena) are north, Bogotá is to the Southwest and Salento is to the Southeast.