The first time I went to Medellin I took the bus from Pereira. Although bus travel is the cheapest and most available form of travel across Colombia, I was ready to get out and hike home after a few hours on the bus because I was so sick. After almost seven hours of altitude and motion-induced vomiting, I knew I was going to have to find another way home.
Luckily, Colombia has a number of low-cost airlines, and many have flights from Medellin. Although I love Avianca, Colombia’s main airline, it tends to be expensive unless there is a sale or discount on a certain period of travel. (I’ve flown round-trip to Bogota for less than $100 on Avianca, but sometimes those flights are around $300!)
For domestic travel in Colombia, I love Aires. The first time I flew with them was after that bus trip to Medellin. My flight to Pereira from Medellin lasted 30 minutes, was only $60, and allowed me to spend an extra day enjoying my favorite Colombian city. I’ve been addicted ever since. Aires offers incredibly affordable flights (I recently flew round-trip to Medellin and paid $118 for two people) and flies into places that aren’t always served by other major airlines.
Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport
The best part about flying with Aires, however, is the Olaya Herrera Airport.
Although not all domestic flights leave from the Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (airport code EOH), if you find one that does, definitely consider it first. It was recently remodeled for the South American Games, and it looks better than it has in years.
More importantly, it is a convenient, 5 minute, 5,000 peso taxi ride from the Poblado Metro Station and it is also located next to the South Bus Terminal. In comparison, the international airport in Medellin, Jose Maria Cordova, is actually in Rionegro. It takes at least 30 minutes to get to the airport, and a taxi to or from the Rionegro airport starts at 50,000 pesos (around $25) from Poblado. It’s a huge price difference; if you are flying round-trip it could save you $40 easily!
Aires, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Satena, and EasyFly all offer flights to and from EOH. Destinations from Medellin include Cali, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, and of course, Bogota. Bogota’s domestic and international terminals are virtually next to each other, and from Bogota it’s easy to get an international or domestic flight to somewhere more exotic, like Leticia.
To find cheap flights, check airline websites and use EOH for your flight code if you want to fly in or out of Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport.
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Written by Melody Stratton
I love this post. Thanks for including the airport code. I think it’ll make it easier for people to find this airport.
Cheers,
Rafael
Thanks, Rafael. It’s always nice to hear positive things about posts!
I am not fond of using Cheap Flights because i am always after the amenities and comforts”–
Hey Dude,
You should add Satena to your low cost airlines. I booked my flight from BAQ to MED and it was cheaper than Aires and seems to be quite competitive with the other airlines.
I’m liking the blog a lot, I am coming like I said in January. Can you give me any insider tips about festivals and what’s might be going on at that time?
Thanks bro, keep up the good work.
Hey Kirthi, thanks for bringing Satena to my attention. I wasn’t familiar with them, but their website looks decent: http://www.satena.com/
As for events in January, I don’t really know of anything specific that’s happening in Medellin. Late February is Carnaval in Barranquilla, but it’s possible the Colombians use January to rest up after partying throughout December. (Cali’s Feria festival starts Dec 26 and runs until New Year’s).