Long weekend escape to Medellin, Columbia
Painted chiva bus in Medellin, Columbia
Our family usually goes to Florida when we need a sunny weekend, but getting to Columbia for a Thursday to Sunday long weekend was almost as easy! We experienced all you’ll read below during a Thursday night to Sunday afternoon trip and can’t wait to return to this country to visit Cartagena, Bogota, and Barranquilla. From cable car rides with sweeping views to buzzing cafes and colorful streets, let me show where to go to make the most of 48 hours in Medellín!
Places to stay
Stay at the Medellin Marriott for comfort and convenience with a great breakfast and concierge lounge if you are a Marriott Bonvoy platinum or higher. The gym is large, spa is intimate, and rooftop pool is heated and serene. Staff here are very welcoming as well.
Celestino Hotel and Spa is adorable with a trendy cafe on the lobby level and a spa on the lower level. Varied rooms offer basic accommodations up to larger suites with balconies, all for a very affordable price.
Front of the Celestine Hotel and Spa
Hotel Bali at Poblado is an option if you’re on a budget, but still value attention to the aesthetic. Charming, with lovely interior courtyard, and the price is right (not much more than a hostel but with amenities of a hotel, including breakfast)
Hotel Bali at Poblado entrance
Where to eat and drink
La Provincia was a spectacular dining experience. The setting was amazing - although located technically in a shopping mall, the decor is modern and filled with nature, including the view over a lush courtyard. Most importantly, the food was delicious, with our favorite dish being the fresh catch ceviche with coconut milk and plantain chips. This was one of the best ceviches we have ever tasted (see photo above, which does not do it justice.)
Gabo MDE is another great spot. Named for Columbian author Gabriel García Márquez, the decor is vibrant with many reminders of the famous books, like One Hundred Years of Solitude, by the famous writer. The ‘cervezas Gabo’ (beer with additional infusions like herbal syrup, rum, and tajin rims) were very refreshing.
Additional recommendations from our local tour guide (who we trust because he recommended Gabo to us) included:
Mamba Negra
Saludpan
El Zarzal Estadero (for the view)
Pesqueira (when we asked about seafood)
For a drink before a relaxing dinner at the romantic, dimly lit, but very welcoming Casa El Ramal, we had drinks at Cafe Dragon, a very cool spot with a good DJ, inexpensive top shelf liquor (Ron Zacapa for a fraction of the normal price), and very friendly bartenders.
Things to do
Take a tour of Communa 13 to see great views of the city, see amazing street art, view a variety of dance and. music performances (rap and break dancing was what we saw), have drinks overlooking the city, and hear about the history of this neighborhood transformed from previous years of violence into a vibrant arts center.
Visit the Pablo Escobar Museum. The one-hour tour offers a fascinating window into the life of Escobar and his family, with a large number of well-preserved artifacts to animate the storytelling of the docents leading the tour.
Take a walk around the Plaza Botero and admire both the statues and the architecture. You can also visit the museum just across the plaza to take in additional cultural artifacts of Columbia.
