Medellin is the second largest city in Colombia. It was once one of the most dangerous cities in the world before the 1990s, but it has now transformed into a tourist destination for Europeans and Americans [thumbs up]
🏠 Stay:
Whether booking a hotel or BnB, try to stay in Laureles, El Poblado, Los Balsos as they are safer areas.
📱 SIM Card:
It’s not recommended to buy an eSIM online in advance, but physical SIM cards sold locally in Medellin are much cheaper! The cheapest ones can be found in the city area, but if you must buy at the airport, do not buy in the arrival hall! After exiting, take the escalator up to the second floor of the departure hall and look for the grocery store shown in Figure 8. A 7-day SIM card only costs $5-$6 USD.
💰 Currency Exchange: Inter Dolar (El Poblado), remember to bring your passport to exchange.
🚕 Taxis:
Uber or Cabify, it’s said that regular taxis (D) can also be used. Long-distance Uber rides are cheaper, while short trips with Cabify are more economical. A 10-minute ride with Cabify only costs $2 USD!
🚶 Comuna 13 Slum – Walking Tour:
Highly recommend Zippy Tour, although it’s free, you still need to tip them at the end, about $25 USD per person. The tour is very professional, detailed, and fun, making it a must-visit in Medellin! The meeting point for the tour is at the entrance of San Javier metro station, and you should not be more than 10 minutes late.
🚠 Cable Car Overlooking Medellin Slums:
Want to see the slums but don’t dare to walk through them? Take the cable car and view from above! It’s safe and cheap. ⚠️ Note that you need to buy a metro card first to use the cable car.💁🏽♀️ “Buy a one-way ticket, and you get one free transfer,” for example, taking the metro to San Javier + transferring to the cable car, or taking the cable car first + transferring to the metro to leave.
The cable car departs from San Javier, just buy a “one-way ticket”, board the J line, and it will take you uphill to the final stop Aurora CII.64, but don’t get off, just stay on the cable car, and it will return to San Javier.
During peak hours (commuting times), there will be two queues, one for seated tickets and one for standing.
Make sure to choose the standing queue (Figure 15), otherwise, if you sit down, your view will be blocked by people standing, and you won’t see anything [facepalm] But don’t worry about getting too tired, after a few stops, people will start getting off, and you’ll have a seat [side eye]
📅 Recommended Days to Visit: If you’re only visiting the Medellin city area, 2-3 days is enough. If you want to go to Guatape to see the rock formations, add 1 more day.
