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Summary
We stayed in Laureles Estadio near the university. Most travelers will stay in El Poblado which is the only neighborhood in Medellin where most of the homes are ranked as a 6 on the Estrato scale.
Laureles is more of a chill / local Brooklyn vibe whereas Poblado is party central and full of expats and travelers.
Full itinerary can be found here: Google Docs
General Notes
- The public transit is really good. Everything comes frequently, we never had to wait for a train for more than a minute.
- Uber is very cheap and the best way to get around even though it is technically illegal. Everyone sits in the front seat, don’t slam the car door (I guess they don’t have padding.)
- If you’re outside the main areas (Laureles/Poblado) it can be a bit difficult to get a ride, Didi is apparently more reliable but I couldn’t get the card payment to work (it would force me to use cash.)
- If you’re buying
actual stuff that’s taxable, you can get a refund by keeping itemized receipts and filling out a form when you leave. I’m a lazy af human being but it can amount to a lot of $$ since the VAT rate is around 20%.
Food
El Poblado
Coffee course at El Cielo
The bar at Carmen
Steak at Don Diablo
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⭐ Fancy Restaurants
The fanciest restaurants will be in El Poblado. This includes…
- **Carmen** — Our favorite restaurant that we tried! Cozy ambiance with a creative 7-course tasting menu using all-local ingredients. Enjoyed dinner here at the bar with our server. They have sister restaurants Mushi and X.O next door (X.O. needs to be reserved in advance, it’s the newest.)
- **Don Diablo** — STEAK. This is also a sister restaurant + next door to Carmen.
- **El Cielo** — 3 hour, 18-course meal in a fancy hotel/restaurant. A bit more “art” than “meal” but definitely a fun experience to have with someone else. The only Colombian restaurant that has a Michelin star (awarded to the one in D.C.)
- Idilico — Nice bridge between “normal” and “upscale”, food can be good and fun if you order the right things like the Corn Tentacles.
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✍️ Didn’t Try
A couple recommendations while we were here from locals:
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💃 Other Notes
- There are local streets in Poblado and “gringo” streets in Poblado. Sex work is an issue especially on the main street (Calle 10). Provenza is where you can party with locals, we went to Teatro Victoria around 10:30pm on a Friday night and had a good time clubbing to reggaeton.
- Hija Mia has really good coffee, fresh acai bowls, + other breakfast/brunch. The original is small and cozy, the Nomada one is a giant coworking space.
- There’s lots of good food if you look around; some we tried and some we didn’t. Mexican (La Cruda), Peruvian (Uros), etc.
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Laureles