Paisas (locals) roll their eyes every time the ‘P’ word comes up in conversation with travellers or newcomers to the Valley – they’ve heard it all before.
“Ayyy nooo, es que hay muchísimos barrios más que conocer. Tómate un tinto y te cuento mis sitios favoritos, mi rey/ mi reina.“
Translation: Noo… There are so many other neighbourhoods you can visit. Have a coffee and I’ll tell you my fave spots, my king/queen (yes you get called this a lot in Colombia, bit of an ego boost!)
They’re not wrong. Poblado may be sky high and fancy, have the buzz of Parque Lleras and party hostels but there’s more to Medallo than its poster boy barrio down south.
Here’s some alternatives that’ll make you glad you plucked up the courage to leave Calle 10 for a taste of the other side…
Hágale pues, mijo /mija!
(Go on then, my son / daughter – you’ll here this a lot too!)
LAURELES/ESTADIO
What to do?
Grab a coffee at Café Revolucion then get stuck into a book in leafy Primer Parque. Locals head to Avenida Jardin’s tiendas for a stroll before before live music at Café Cliché or Naturalia Café . Others get rowdy at a football game at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot before drinking their way down la 70 – sweaty Tiburi and Son Havana are top salsa spots.
Who hangs here?
UPB (Universidad Pontifica Boliviariana) students, gringos (foreigners) here ‘for good’, Nacional football fans, foodies
In one song
CIUDAD DEL RIO
What to do
Picnic in the park or cheat and eat from the food trucks. This place is packed with jugglers, slacklines and overexcitable baby bulldogs. Afternoons merge into dusky evenings and families are swapped for a younger crowd. Try an indie movie at MAMM’s cinema (sometimes outdoor) before a night at Cerveceria Libre or rooftop bar 1984.
Who hangs here?
Young families, skaters, sunbathers, students from EAFIT, dog owners, people who want to be dog owners…
In one song
BOSTON
What to do?
Casa de la Memoria is Medellin’s first museum to talk about its tough past – an interactive homage to those who lost their lives in the drug war and a reminder of how far the city has come. After the museo head over to Parque De Boston for a Pilsen (Sanalejo artesan market takes place here every 1st and 3rd Saturday). Teatro Pablo Tobón Uribe and bar Taberna Diagones are just round the corner on La Playa.
Who hangs here?
Jazz musicians, artists, fruit vendors, English teachers (both my old co-teachers and principal live here!)
In one song
Extraño tu Amor – Guayacan Orquesta
CARLOS E. RESTREPO
What to do?
People watch in the park with an arepa sold by a busker. Or head to El Aula courtyard for a candlelit dinner. Café La Piloto’s got a line- up of cultural talks and movie nights or chill at the Centro Cultural Facultad de Artes Universidad de Antioquia. ExLibris is the place to unwind with a good book and if you’re in to German pizza… Bigotes has people queuing out the door.
Who hangs here?
Artists, poets, Universidad de Antioquia arts students, bookworms (Feria Popular ‘Dias del Libro’ takes over the barrio with book stands, gigs and talks in May), families
In one song
Anything ‘folklore fusion’ or ‘electro-acustica’. Bueno…
ENVIGADO (not technically Medellin but needs a shout out!)
What to do
Ask for the Menu del Dia (super cheap lunch meal with soup, main and all the trimmings) and a jugo de lulo (juice) at Plaza de Mercado in Envigado. If that didn’t fill you up, the empanadas with salsa de mora at La Catedral will hit the spot. And if you’re craving fresh air, the hike up to Arenales and the waterfall is a bus ride away or El Salado eco park. Nights start up in the mountain at Mahalo restaurant-bar & skatepark and end with a bottle of guaro (aguardiente) at one of the bars on the Parque de Envigado main square…
Who hangs here?
Old paisas (locals) playing boardgames, chilled 30 somethings who´ve moved out the city, not very many tourists!
In one song
Decimo Grado – Ana y Jaime (big deal back in the day – see them on the screen at 60s and 70s video bars on the square)
I lived in Medellin back in 2017 and Envigado for a bit in 2021 – Colombia is like a second home for me!
If you’ve got a trip to Colombia coming up and want to learn or improve your Spanish, check out my 12 week Beginners, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate courses which will get you confident speaking on the spot. Next intake is open for booking!
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