Medellin, Colombia – The Former Drug Capital of the World

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

– Nelson Mandela

Medellin was once synonymous with drug lord, Pablo Escobar and the drug cartel. People who are born and raised in Medellin are called Paisas and they are extremely proud people. Sasha and I did the free walking tour by Real City Tours, a company who doesn’t sugar-coat information, rather they tell it like it is. Many people ask if Medellin was a city built off the earnings of drugs, and the answer is, in our guide’s words…”hell no”. The reason people from this city are so proud is because over the past five years, Medellin has become one of the most transformative cities, fighting a past stigma of drugs, violence and terror. Through resilience, they are now a city with some of the most creative and efficient transportation (escalators and gondolas to get to work? Yes please!)

During our time in Medellin, we felt very safe. The main caution (especially as a tourist), is petty theft, so watch your backpacks. In this city there is a local saying called “No dar papayas” which literally translates to “don’t give papayas”. In this saying, a papaya is representative of an opportunity. If you hold out a papaya in your hands, somebody on the street will take it. So in other words, don’t give people an opportunity to take what you are leaving up for grabs. Throughout our tour, our guide would give us a “papaya level”, meaning level of danger. There was only time when papaya level was a five (the highest), so we simply turned our backpacks around and wore them on our front.

We were lucky enough to stay with Sasha’s buddy in Itagui, a 20-minute commute via public transit to downtown Medellin and Poblado. His family lives in La Ceja, about one hour drive outside of the city, where produce is fresh and extremely cheap. Every weekend he and his girlfriend go there to purchase their produce for the week. Here was our loot:

Everything on this table cost a total of $40 USD. At a Whole Foods in the U.S. this would have been well over $100.

Every morning I made us fresh smoothies with all the local ingredients!

Things to do in Medellin

1) Walking tour with Real City Tours

I love this. It’s so true. 🙂

We could just never get over all the fresh fruit for SO cheap!

2) Visit Plaza Botero

Fernando Botero is the most famous artist in Medellin where he was born. His work can be found all over Colombia and he is most well-known for his voluptuous sculptures made of bronze. He gifted the city several sculptures which can be seen for free in Plaza Botero.

3) Casa de La Memoria (Memory House)

Real people telling real stories of growing up in Medellin during the most dangerous times. This is a very somber visit, so try to visit on a sunny day so when you walk back outside you feel happy and uplifted again. Entry is free.

4) El Jardin Botanico (free admission)

A nice reprieve from the polluted city air, this botanical garden is located near the city center and entry is free. Don’t expect many flowers, but there are some large trees and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot an iguana or two, soaking up the sunshine! There are also lots of feral cats.

5) Explore Nearby Cities Via Cable Car

We took public transit during our time in Medellin, which is the city’s pride and joy. You will not see a single mark of graffiti or a speck of trash in, on or around the city metro because this is the symbol of their progression as a community. The metro is super cheap, and if you take a bus in conjunction with the metro, you ask for “integrado” which will include both bus and metro tickets for a lower price than purchasing each separately.

6) Visit the Once Dangerous and Deadly Comuna 13 (don’t worry, it’s not deadly or nearly as dangerous now)

Comuna 13 was perhaps Medellin’s poorest city. However, they received global recognition when they were named the most innovative city. From the metro, exit at station San Antonio and take a transfer to San Javier. From there, you simply board the cable car (metrocable in Spanish) and there is no additional cost. In Colombia (unlike in America), the higher up one lives, the poorer they are. Riding the metrocable was a really interesting experience. We sat in a cable car with all locals – some just checking the area out and going for a nice ride, and others as their daily commute to get home from work. I found it to be such an interesting juxtaposition to have what is now a tourist destination and spectacle, to be another person’s saving grace to get home safely. Prior to the transformation, it would take someone over one hour each way to get from their home at the top of the mountain, to town to work, and it was extremely dangerous for them to walk in between the neighborhoods filled with drug trafficking and violence. Now the cable cars serve as a connecting point for a better life.

Where to Eat in Medellin

We scoured the city for the best places to eat in Medellin, and I can sum this up in one word: POBLADO. This is where the cool, hip kids hang out and is the fancy, ritzy part of town. Poblado is where the party’s at, and is where many hostels are centered around. This area had, by far, the best food in Medellin (which also came with a higher price tag) but was so worth it. Here were some of our favorites:

• Cambria Cafe Resto – French/European. Sasha ordered the ahi steak and I had the Nile salmon with couscous and mango salsa. Ambiance is adorable, service is attentive, and French music is lovely. Their sweets and pastries are the best I’ve had in South America. ($$$)

• Cafe Velvet – a great place to just chill with a lovely ambiance with a live plant wall. Great coffee and fresh juices. ($$)
• Il Castello – Italian food. They make their own home-made pasta and ravioli. Portions are a bit small for the high prices, but very delicious pasta. ($$$)
• Restaurante Delirio Exquisito – Mexican ($$)
• Tabun – THE BEST Arabic food I’ve ever had in my entire life! (And I grew up in the Bay Area, California, O’ahu, Hawaii and Seattle, Washington where ethnic food is ubiquitous). The seating is really fun and the restaurant is huge, so there are plenty of options if you want to sit at a table, on the floor, or outside. ($$)

This is the dish we ordered and it was enough food for five people! We brought our leftovers home and made it into an omelette the next day

Floor seating options.

So there you have it. Medellin is not the dangerous and deadly city it once was, outcast in its own shadow of danger. So tell all your friends and family to visit Medellin!