Medellin City

Medellin city is fairly large - stretched out from the lower North (Niquia) to South (Itaguii), gently rising toward the South.

Prevailing winds arrive up the Aburra valley from the North and therefore, the pollution builds up as you head South toward El Poblado, which is doubtlessly the most popular area for visitors. It is also, without comparison, the wealthiest part of town.

Medellin is however, far more than just the Poblado area and as you take the time to seek out other gems in the city, you meet a different kind of people and can really enjoy everything Medellin has to offer.

That said, El Poblado is the cleanest, safest and most modern part of the city and truth be told, I wouldn't consider living in any other part of the city.

Let's begin with things to do in Medellin for ideas on what to do during your visit.

And of course, if you need to get around, the Metro de Medellin (Medellin Metro System) is a great and safe way to see the city.

It can be useful with a little information about the huge utilities company, Empresas Publicas de Medellin.

Main areas of Medellin

There are of course a number of other areas to the city such as:

- Bello (Strictly speaking not part of the city. Large and noisy)
- Belen (Calmish middle class area in the central Medellin)
- Carlos E. Restrepo (charming part of town)
- Itaguii (to the far South)

El Poblado

El Poblado (the Village) is the financial center of Medellin and without comparison, the area with the greatest concentration of wealth. It's also the largest area in Medellin city which is interesting I think. It's fascinating to think that about 100 years ago, the Prado barrio used to be the where the wealthy lived and can still be discerned from the old mansions in that neighborhood.

The higher you head into the hills toward Envigado to the South, the quieter is gets but the amount of construction that has occurred, especially in the last 10 years, has brought it's drawbacks both in terms of contamination and transportation.

That said, it is easy to find a number of pockets of residential areas that are hidden away from the noise of the city, with magnificent views of the city and surrounding mountains.

Compared to a number of other districts in Medellin City, El Poblado is like a different world altogether. It's modern with cafes, shopping, offices, banks, private clubs, bars and nightclubs, 5 star hotels, delicatessens, enormous supermarkets and anything else you associate with consumption.

The main drawback that I see is the disappearance of stores and restaurants/ cafes throughout the area in favor of the shopping mall culture that has become huge in Medellin. The soon to be opened Santa Fe Mall will become Latin America's largest and is literally only a block away from San Diego that is fairly big in itself.

Parque Lleras is a favorite among visitors to Medellin because of its high concentration of bars and restaurants.

Return from Medellin City to Medellin Colombia

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