Medellin is known for its dangerous history combining drug cartels and Pablo Escobar. Until recently the thought of tourist visiting Medellin was really off limits! However things are now changed and Medellin is a new modern city which is easy to get around and safe. Which is great for me as the weather was a perfect spring- which makes a nice contrast from Santa Marta and Cartagena!
Most of Medellin can be accessed by the metro, which joins Terminal del Norte (where most people arrive into or leave from) to the popular tourist attractions and hostel area. It even has a section on a cable car which takes you to Parque Arvi.
A few stops to get off on the Metro include Universidad, where there is the free Jardin Botanico, Planetarium and Parque de Los Desesos (where local crafts and stalls can be found).As mentioned Parque Arvi, found at the end of cable car line. To get here the cable car takes you above the comunas of Medellin, similar to Brazils favelas and finally over the mountain ridge into the park. Finally Plaza Botero, the city centre where 23 bronze sculptures can be found, as well as the Museo de Antiouia.
I couldn’t not mention Medellin and not Pablo Escobar (the Colombian drug trafficker). Famous for smuggling cocaine into the US, he was the wealthiest criminal in history, with the current TV series ‘Narcos’ depicting his story. There are a few tours around Medellin relating the Pablo life and death.
