{"id":97181531,"date":"2016-09-02T16:00:34","date_gmt":"2016-09-02T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97181531"},"modified":"2017-09-01T15:51:11","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T15:51:11","slug":"medellin-visit-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/medellin-visit-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Medell\u00edn, Colombia: It’s WAY More Than Pablo Escobar"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably recognized the name Medell\u00edn for its connection to Pablo Escobar. The infamous drug lord called the Colombian city home and his criminal empire was known as the “Medell\u00edn Cartel”. Escobar and Medell\u00edn are heavily featured in the hit Netflix show Narcos<\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

But forget that version of the city.<\/p>\n

Though only two decades removed from its notoriously violent past, Medell\u00edn is now widely considered one of South America’s safest big cities. Situated in a picturesque valley, the cosmopolitan town is surrounded by jutting mountain peaks and boasts pleasantly moderate temperatures year-round. So if you haven’t started thinking about Colombia as a vacation destination, it’s time to start, because the country has a lot to offer. From towering mountains to placid lakes to ritzy cities… We’re ready to pack our bags and go right now (actually, we’re gonna binge watch Narcos first). Because we think everyone should be headed south, we’ve curated a perfect to-do list for each and every kind of traveler.<\/p>\n

Ready, set, Medell\u00edn<\/a>!<\/p>\n

The Adventurous\u00a0Athlete<\/h2>\n

Just an hour outside of the city lies a must for any adventure junkie: super affordable paragliding<\/a>. Other easily attainable activities include mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and catching a soccer match — but don’t do the latter without picking sides first. In Medell\u00edn, there are two teams,\u00a0Atl\u00e9tico Nacional<\/em> and Independiente Medell\u00edn<\/em>, who are bitter rivals. The fans sit on opposite sides of the stadium and yell, cheer, sing for 90 full minutes as the soccer game unfolds in front of them. If you’re on the losing side, better head out of there quickly and grab a beer at a local watering hole.<\/p>\n

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The Insatiable Know-It-All<\/h2>\n

Sure, you could go on a bunch of Pablo Escobar tours<\/a>… But then you’d be missing some of the best parts of\u00a0Medell\u00edn history! Nestled in a valley in the mighty Andes, the city dates back to the early 1600s, when Spanish colonists began constructing the foundations of the town. Since then, the city has been ever vibrant and evolving: beautiful colonial gems sit next to sparkly modern skyscrapers, all of it framed perfectly by the cutting cliffs of the surrounding mountain chain. Appreciate the sprawling history of\u00a0Medell\u00edn by checking out its amazing parks and plazas<\/a>:\u00a0Plaza Botero,\u00a0Parque Berrio,\u00a0Jard\u00edn Bot\u00e1nico,\u00a0Parque Explora, Parque Arvi are all must-sees for any visitor. And a\u00a0trip to Medell\u00edn wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Museo de Antioquia<\/a> and the Modern Art Museum\u00a0Medell\u00edn<\/a>. Make sure to take a ride on the Metro Cable — a recent project that connects the poorer housing sites in the hills to the rest of the city (it also provides some of the best views of\u00a0Medell\u00edn when you reach the top).<\/p>\n

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The Ravenous Foodie<\/h2>\n

Don’t poke fun at it for its lack of spice — Colombian food still packs a punch. Try\u00a0dishes like\u00a0bandeja paisa <\/em>(meat, eggs, plaintains, the works), ajiaco<\/em>\u00a0(a potato-based soup),\u00a0mondongo <\/em>(tripe soup, for the daring) and\u00a0cazuela de pescado<\/em> (a perfectly seasoned filet of fish). And don’t forget where you are — coffee country! Colombia has a Starbucks-like country-wide coffee chain,\u00a0Juan Valdez<\/a>, which serves up a great cup of coffee. But when in\u00a0Medell\u00edn, you’ve got to check out the growing list of small mom-and-pop shops that are crafting delectable espresso drinks as well as curating a super cool, undeniably modern Colombian vibe. Oh, and all this dining out will only set you back $5 for a full meal at a smaller restaurant, though the prices at the ultra-fancy restaurant normally only top out at around $25. For a night or two of the best meal of your life? Worth it.<\/p>\n

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The Devilish Dancer<\/h2>\n

The average price for a private lesson<\/a> in\u00a0Medell\u00edn comes in at a shockingly low $20. So, yeah. You’ve got to take one. If you prefer to let the music be your guide, you’ve come to the right place. In the trendy neighborhood of\u00a0El Poblado<\/em>, the party never stops. Music continues to play all night long, especially on the weekends, and visitors and locals alike twist and trot through the always-full watering holes. The most popular place to get your dance on is the trendy Parque Lleras<\/em>, where the party starts on Thursday and doesn’t end ’till the weekend’s over. Outside of the expat-laden El Poblado<\/em>, though, are plenty of other salsa bars. Check out local favorites\u00a0El Eslabon<\/em> Prendido<\/em>, Patio del Tango<\/em> and\u00a0Son Havana<\/em> for a hoppin’ time.<\/p>\n

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The Cosmopolitan Socialite<\/h2>\n

Any socialite from\u00a0Medell\u00edn knows that the poshest place to stay is just east of town: the ritzy El Poblado<\/em> neighborhood — where the city’s elite fled to escape the violence of the town in the nineties. Now, though, expats\u00a0are a welcome addition and the neighborhood is pumped full of lush trees, boutique hotels and up-all-night clubs. Modern art galleries\u00a0and cafes line the twisting streets, giving the South American city a decidedly Western feel to it. It also plays host to the must-go spot for bars, restaurants and nightlife,\u00a0Parque Lleras<\/em>, where locals and travelers alike dance the night away to traditional salsa or the increasingly popular techno beats. Like some of the posh locals, the cosmopolitan visitor should make a day trip outside of the city on the weekend, to colorful places like Guatape, Envigado or San Feliz.<\/p>\n

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Ready to make your way to Medell\u00edn? Start by figuring out your fare!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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You probably recognized the name Medell\u00edn for its connection to Pablo Escobar. The infamous drug lord called the Colombian city home and his criminal empire was known as the “Medell\u00edn Cartel”. Escobar and Medell\u00edn are heavily featured in the hit Netflix show Narcos\u00a0. But forget that version of the city. Though only two decades removed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":97181533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1887],"tags":[373,2341,1839],"class_list":["post-97181531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-south-america","tag-colombia","tag-medellin","tag-south-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97181531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97181531"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97181531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97191343,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97181531\/revisions\/97191343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97181533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97181531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97181531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97181531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}