Medellin, Colombia, rises proudly from the belly of the Aburrá Valley, known for being the city of eternal spring. Its natural beauty makes a perfect setting for a journey that rewards you with unforgettable views. The beautiful weather, rich culture, and surprisingly advanced city are more than enough to attract ex-pats from around the world to live there.
Although the area has almost 3 million inhabitants, the city feels like a lot of neighborhoods linked together with green spaces. Complemented by lush greenery, trees, brooks, and hundreds of birds in bright colors, Medellín looks smaller than it is.
Medellin, Colombia is attracting more and more ex-pats who want to live an outdoor, active lifestyle in a city that has near-perfect climate conditions, affordable health care, competent real estate, and lower living costs than many cities in the U.S.
Cost of Living
Medellin has a very affordable cost of living, compared to Western standards, while maintaining a high quality of life in the type of apartments you’ll find, entertainment, shopping, and other lifestyle habits. Your cost of living will also depend on what type of lifestyle you want to have. At Medellin, the living expenses are 60% to 70% less compared to major U.S. cities.
Things to Do
Statues in Botero Plaza
Botero Plaza is home to 23 large bronze statues, created and donated by the famous artist, Fernando Botero. Vivid shiny marks on the sculptures can be seen due to tourists who rub the sculptures for good luck. The plaza is also the gateway to the Museo de Antioquia, which dedicates its entire upper floor to an extensive collection of Botero’s works of art.
Ride the Metrocable to Parque Arvi
Parque Arvi is an ecological nature preserve in Medellín known for its wildflowers, butterflies, and hiking trails. To reach the side of the mountain carefully, you can take a ride in the gondola cars. Your ride takes you over local communities full of children playing in schoolyards and corner stores. When you reach the top, you will find a lot of shops for snacks and refreshments, which are all local products. Here you can enjoy the views as it is a great place to take advantage of different Medellin activities.
Shop in El Hueco (the hole)
El Hueco consists of Thousands of shops, from tiny one-person stalls to larger stores, are selling everything you can imagine. The “mini-malls” appear like basic doorways, but as you reach, they’re filled with small shops, typically centered on a theme, like, clothing, cosmetics, and appliances.
Enjoy Medellín’s Climate along the Ciclovia
Enjoying the weather is on the top of the list in Medellin things to do. From early morning until 1 p.m., Ciclovia is closed to motor traffic and is filled with walkers, bicyclists, joggers, and families out for a stroll every Sunday and during the holidays. You will find a lot of shopkeepers who are selling fresh fruits, juices, water bottles on the roadside to the people. There are also many small tents in which people repair bicycles and flat tires or broken chains.
Graffiti
Graffiti is today much more than just random drawing in public spaces. Just think of it today as it has got its importance and people are learning it. In Medellin, you are going to appreciate all the artwork on the grey concrete walls. The best way to experience art is to take one of the city’s graffiti tours through Comuna 13.