Easyfly plane at Aeropuerto Olaya Herrera in Medellin

I discovered EasyFly, a discount Colombian airline, in my search for low-cost flights from Medellin to Bucaramanga.

A week before my departure, I booked a return flight online for 249,440 pesos ($159), which works out to about $80 each way.

But the cost savings didn’t stop with the flights. EasyFly operates out of Medellin’s Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, meaning I’d save time and money on taxi fare as well.

Until now, all my flights to/from the Medellin have been out of the Jose Maria Cordoba International Airport in Rio Negro.

The official 2013 taxi fare from the city to the international airport is 57,000 pesos ($31), whereas a taxi from OH Airport costs me about 6,000 pesos ($3), and takes 5-10 minutes (versus an hour).

EasyFly began operations in 2007, and has been slowly building a schedule of routes. Daily flights currently serve a mix of 16 cities, from the capital, to ones not serviced by other major airlines.

The three flight hubs are:

• Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport
• Medellin’s Olaya Herrera Airport
• Bucaramanga’s Palonegro International Airport

From Medellin, you can fly direct to:

• Apartado
• Bucaramanga
• Cucuta
• Monteria
• Quibdo

Disembarking at Bucaramanga’s airport

EasyFly operates a fleet of BAe Jetstream 41 propeller planes. As you can tell from the photos above, they’re not very big, but given the flight distances are so short (about an hour max), it’s not too bad.

My flights between Medellin and Bucaramanga clocked in at 45 minutes each, and both were relatively calm with little turbulence.

Inside the planes, it’s a tight fit. Each row seats 3 people. On the left side of the plane are single seats, while the right side features two per row.

For my departure from Medellin, I asked for a window seat at check-in, and got one a few rows back, which put me directly next to the right propeller. I was still able to get decent views of the city during take off.

My only luggage was a small backpack, so I was able to take it as carry-on, and stow it under the seat in front of me.

Landing at OH Airport, Poblado can be seen to the east (right)

On my return flight, I chose the front right window seat, so I didn’t have anyone in front of me.

Before I and others could board the plane, we had to give up our carry-on items (except for purses), as the flight attendance said the plane was full.

I was a little annoyed at the late notice, but the truth is I had nowhere to stow the bag in front of me, and there are no overhead compartments either.

Since we took off in Medellin from south to north, I figured the return flight would have to do a loop over Medellin to approach the airport from the south.

Sitting on the right side of the plane would give me a nice view of Poblado as we landed. This turned out to be the case, as you can see above.

Boarding my return flight from Bucaramanga to Medellin

Because OH Airport in Medellin and Bucaramanga’s airport are so small, check-in times were minimal, though you can do so online through the EasyFly site if you want to pick your seat and print your boarding pass (you’ll need two copies).

The service on the ground and in the air was friendly, and both flights were on time. Actually, my flight from Medellin departed 10-15 minutes EARLIER than scheduled. In all my years of flying, that was a first.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use EasyFly again, but for now, they don’t fly out of Medellin to any other destinations I want to visit.

Hopefully that’ll change in the future, because I much prefer flights from OH Airport to JMC in Rio Negro.

Have you flown EasyFly? Share your experience in the comments below.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Medellin's international airport

The procedure seemed simple enough. Show your ticket and your passport and through customs you go, on your way to your destination. For me, it was Southeast Florida, to visit my brother and his family for Christmas, and for the first time I had quite an experience with this obligatory routine.

This is what I was thinking about as I passed through the airport this month for another trip to my brother’s house. I was going there to sell my car, give away unneeded clothes (but very nice clothes) to the Salvation Army, to do my taxes.

But none of that was on my mind, not after what happened on Dec. 6, 2011. I was randomly picked to have my bag checked and to be x-rayed, to make sure I was not a drug mule. Half-asleep and bleary-eyed from waking up early to pack, I ambled to the customs office where I would pass through the fancy machine to confirm that, no, I am not carrying drugs in my stomach. I’m not stupid. I don’t want to go to jail, especially not a Colombian jail, but more than that, I don’t want to pack a bunch of packets in my intestine, any one of which could burst and kill me.

The procedure didn’t go as easily as I expected. Consider this another tip, a supplement to past posts on traveling in and out of Colombia, because this was never mentioned. I wouldn’t expect it to be included. I don’t think anyone would, unless you’re a drug trafficker.

I passed through the x-ray machine once, twice, three times, again. It wasn’t enough. The x-rays were inconclusive. The customs agents asked if I had eaten before I passed through security. I nodded. Soup at home, a sandwich at the airport, I said, but they still had questions.

“Que tipo de sandwich,” he said, wanting to know exactly what I had.

“Pavo.” I smiled a little too, because I actually remembered the word for turkey.

“Cuanto cuesta?” he said.

That, I could not remember, but I had kept the receipt so I handed it to him.

“Muy caro,” he said after seeing the price, 10,000 pesos (about $5).

“Sí, claro.” I was happy that we found something on which we agreed.

The customs agents seemed more at ease now, but they weren’t finished interrogating me. I was told to follow an agent to a back room, to lie on a couch so he could press on my stomach. It tickled and I started laughing, and I was afraid he was going to get mad, that he would think I was not taking this seriously, but he just laughed too. He understood and apologized.

“Tranquilo,” I said

He led me back to the x-ray room, where I would pass through the machine a couple more times. I felt like a character from the movie Maria Full of Grace, the film about the Colombian girl who works as a drug mule to earn more money. Come to think of it, a couple of the women sitting in the x-ray room with me reminded me of a couple of characters in the movie.

My turn finally came and I passed through twice, again drawing a reaction of raised eyebrows. I told the agents that next time, I promise I won’t eat at the airport until I have already passed through customs. They chuckled and asked me why I was in Colombia. I said it’s a beautiful place, that I’m hoping to find a teaching job at the end of the spring, either at an English language school or one of the universities. They wished me luck, told me I could leave and apologized once again.

So three tips:

1. Try not to eat at the airport until you pass through customs.

2. If you are so hungry you have to eat, keep the receipt.

3. If you get picked to pass through the x-ray machine, be friendly and cooperative. The customs agents are sincerely nice and will feel bad for any inconvenience they cause.

Three hours later, I landed in Fort Lauderdale and prepared to pass through American customs. They didn’t make me go through an x-ray machine, didn’t search my bag. But the agent I talked to was terse, rude even. Maybe American customs was quicker, I thought to myself, but Colombian customs was friendlier.

I prefer friendlier.

On this past trip, passing through Colombian customs was easier. They they didn’t x-ray me. They only checked my bag, smiled, and told me to have a good time.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

View from the airport in Santa Marta.

The more time I spend in Colombia, the more I begin to appreciate how easy and inexpensive the domestic air travel is in the country.

In 2009, I experienced my first 25-minute flight from Bogota to Medellin, and later flew back to Medellin from Barranquilla after celebrating Carnival. By bus, both those trips can easily average 12 hours, and sap you of your energy in ways quick, cheap flights will not.

Specifically, Colombian buses are known to have air-conditioning on full blast, the whole trip, thereby turning the cabin into a freezer. You can also expect loud Latin music, which I like as much as the next guy, but not for 12 hours straight.

In 2010, I flew from Cartagena to Medellin, and between Medellin and Cali several times.

This year, I flew back and forth from Santa Marta during my recent trip to the coast.

Almost all of these flights were booked within a week of departure, and often within just a few days because I tend to procrastinate.

My carrier of choice is Aires, the Colombian discount airline recently purchased by the much larger LAN Airlines.

I used Avianca in 2009, and while they still may be cheaper for certain routes, especially when booked in advance, I’ve yet to see any meaningful savings should I choose them over Aires.

Both the Aires and Avianca websites are available in English, and easy to use. I realize some may argue this point, but I’ve used both enough to stand behind it.

Sales result in e-ticket information being emailed to you. I normally take note of the confirmation number, and simply show up at the ticket counters with my passport (a required form of ID for foreigners traveling within the country by air).

I’ve never had a problem with lost baggage, including the time I flew Avianca from Madrid to Bogota in 2009, and my Aires flight from New York City to Cartagena (via Bogota) in 2010.

Aside from the same-day flight booked from Santa Marta to Medellin when I was feeling sick, all my one-way domestic flights within Colombia have been $100 or less.

I realize this still might be a lot for backpackers or frequent travelers to cover, but as I enter my mid-30′s, and travel full time for my job, it seems like a cheap price to pay.

Which do you prefer for long trips in Colombia, buses or planes?

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This is a sponsored post, which enables me to continue bringing you my experiences and practical travel tips from Medellin, Colombia.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

View of Medellin from San Antonio metro station.

The metro in Medellin is the only rail-based mass transportation service in Colombia, and it does not contaminate because it uses electrical technology!

The Metro is a breeze, compared to New York City anyway.  It is clean, big, above ground and usually smells nice.

Except in rush hour when you have to wait 2-3 metros to cram on with the others, it is usually spacious too.  So definitely try to avoid rush hour if you can.

Metro Map of Medellin

How to Use the Metro in Medellin

1. There are 2 basic lines to the Metro, the orange line and the blue line.
   1. There are also 2 metro cable lines attached to the metro lines as well, and there is no additional cost to transfer to them.  (The exception is the new metrocable to Parque Arvi from Santo Domingo).
2. A single Metro ride costs 1,750 COP (1 USD).
   1. If you know you will take a Metro and then a bus, you can ask for an “integrated” ticket.  This will buy you a ticket for both, and be cheaper then buying tickets separately.  But only certain bus lines accept this so you have to figure that out for yourself!
   2. You can get a Metro Card but it doesn’t allow you to buy more fares for less money.  Instead, it allows you to go through a separate turn-style, which helps you to avoid some of the people traffic you may encounter.  It really has saved me a LOT of time.
   3. There are no automated ticket machines.
3. The hours of the Metro are:
   1. Monday to Saturday: 4:30 AM – 11 PM
   2. Sunday: 5 AM – 10 PM
4. Do not be alarmed to see armed policemen in all of the Metro stations.  Usually they are young men, ages 18 – 20 who are doing their mandatory military service.
5. Traveling on the Metro is generally very safe, however be extra careful of pickpockets during rush hour or any other time the metro cars are crammed full of people.

Map of Medellin Metro (click picture for larger view)

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Barrio Belen Malibu

When first arriving in Medellín, or anywhere in Colombia, it takes a minute or two to understand the set up of the city.  And, without a map or a local explaining it to you, it may take even longer.

So how do you locate street addresses in Medellin?

Reading the Map

There are Carreras (Avenues) and Calles (Streets), which run perpendicular to one another, with a few exceptions.  It sounds easy enough.

However, when you have to find an address, you will be given something that looks like this:

Kr 72 no. 14-28

Let me break it down for you:

• Kr 72 = Carrera 72
• no. 14 = Calle 14
• 28 = the house/ building number between Calle 14 and Calle 14a or Calle 15

or..

Cl 10a no. 66b-24

• Cl 10a = Calle 10a
• no. 66b – Carrera 66b
• 24 = the house/building number between Carrera 66b and Carrera 66c

Then to make it even more interesting they will throw in a transversal, circular, and a diagonal every once in a while.

The most well-known streets running through Medellin, which usually include many restaurants and clubs are:

Calles

• Calle 10
• Calle 30
• Calle 33
• Calle 44 (San Juan)
• Calle 50 (Colombia)

Carreras

• Carrera 43a (Avenida Poblado)
• Carrera 46 (Oriental, crosses Downtown)
• Carrera 52 (Guayabal)
• Carrera 64 (Regional)
• Carrera 65
• Carrera 76 (crosses Belen)
• Carrera 80

Local Tip #1

Many streets do not have “Walk/ Don’t Walk” signs.  Therefore, you have to be very careful and look every which way before crossing the street.  Especially around the round-a-bouts.

You may think you have a clearing and then a bus will round the corner at very high speeds forcing you to book it to the other side.  Drivers do not slow down for you here.  Run.

Local Tip #2

Motorcycles do not always follow the same rules as the other cars.  They act more like cyclists in the fact that they may run a red light if they see no cars are coming from the perpendicular street ahead of them.  Stay alert, and be extra cautious with them.

Local Tip #3

When walking down the street, always check the street number you are on.  Sometimes the Carrera or Calle will change even though you have not switched streets.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Yellow taxis line up outside the Premium Plaza mall.

By Western standards, taking taxis in Medellin is relatively inexpensive, and thus offer an easy and practical way for both visitors and locals to get around the city.

Guide to Taking Taxis on the Street

Hailing a yellow taxi on the street is as simple as holding up your arm until one flashes their hazard lights or turns on their direction signal as a sign they’re pulling over to pick you up.

During the daytime, you should be fairly safe picking up taxis from the street, however exercise caution in the evenings.

Throughout the city, and often near points of interest, shopping centers and local landmarks, you’ll see taxi stands where taxis queue up for customers.  If you see one of these, it makes the process even easier.

Sometimes a person will be standing near the taxis keeping them organized, while other times, locals will be helping to direct passengers to specific taxi drivers who will then tip them a few coins in exchange for their help in attracting a customer. These people expect the tip from the driver, not you, so don’t give them any money!

All Medellin taxis include digital meters with blue or red lighting. When you get in, check to make sure there is a meter, and it’s working. If not, take another taxis (this is very rare, thankfully).

Taxis start off at 2,400 COP ($1.40), and in the evenings there is a mandatory charge of 4,000 COP ($2.30) even if the ride lasts less than that price.

Compared to many countries in the world, the majority of taxi drivers in Medellin are honest, friendly and trustworthy. Unlike places like Thailand and India, you probably won’t be blatantly ripped off, however there are a few small ways some drivers will try to make a little extra money (especially if you’re a foreigner).

1. They’ll take a longer route than necessary to run up the meter. If you’re not familiar with the city, it’s unlikely you’ll notice.

2. They’ll ask for more money than appears on the meter (in the past, some drivers have claimed the difference is an evening surcharge, or it was for waiting at some point along the trip, though that time should be accounted for by a working meter).

3. Before you can give them money and ask for change, they’ll state the amount due, rouding up to the nearest 1,000-peso mark from whatever shows on the meter (Ex: if the meter shows 5,300 COP, the driver will ask for 6,000 COP, with no intention of giving you change).

4. The driver will claim not to have change for the bill you give him. If this happens, it’s his responsibility to find a shop or gas station where you can get change for your bill. The easiest way to avoid this inconvenience is to always carry small bills when taking taxis (and certainly nothing greater than a 20,000 peso note).

Tips are not expected, nor required, though many drivers appreciate any extra money you offer (through rounding up) given they usually make only about 50,000 COP ($25) per day.

The Safest Approach to Taking Taxis

While many people never have a problem with hailing taxis from the street, there is a safer approach that is often recommended by Colombians.

1.  Call a taxi company to send you a registered taxi, 034 – 444 – 5555.  If you call from a home phone number (landline), they will automatically know your address.

2.  The taxi company will give you a secret code (often 4 digits) that you have to give to the driver so the driver can confirm he has the right person.

3.  Have someone walk you to the door of the taxi, and note the registration number of that taxi.  If you do not have someone to walk with you, call someone and give them this information over the phone.

This is less for sharing information and more for making the driver aware that someone knows where you are at all times and will come looking for you if you don’t arrive as expected.

#1 Local Tip

The cumulative effect of taxi doors being opened and closed regularly for months and years can slowly start to cause mechanical problems.  As Colombian taxis are much smaller than the sedans and SUV’s used in US and European cities, they don’t stand up to being slammed shut so well. If you open the door on an old taxi, sometimes it even feels like it will fall off in your hand!

If you do not want the taxi drivers to give you a dirty look or yell at you, be extra careful when closing the car door. Make sure you gently close it with love and kindness. If a door is already damaged, the driver may prefer to close the door himself.

Whether you hail a taxi from the street, or call a service, the majority of drivers will be open to talking with you, especially if you’re a foreigner.  Many will even start the conversation by asking where you’re from.

These conversations can be a great way to practice your Spanish, while also learning about the city and local culture.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

View of Medellin valley from the road to the international airport.

The Jose Maria Cordoba International Airport is the principal airport to serve Medellin and the Aburra Valley.

It is located about 40 miles outside of Medellin, in the municipality of Rio Negro (about 2,300 meters in elevation) and there are a few different options for getting into the city, all of which take about an hour.

BY TAXI

The most convenient method to get into Medellin, albeit the most expensive, is to grab a taxi outside of the baggage claim area. Just head for the taxi in the front of the line.

The going rate to Medellin is now about 60,000 Colombian pesos, or about $34. The driver may charge between 55,000 and 60,000 but never pay more than that.

BY BUS

The official airport bus which travels between the city center and the airport  costs just 7,000 COP (about $4) and leaves every 15 minutes, or when it fills up.

It is a small and often crowded but a cheap and reliable option. The bus runs until about 9 pm so if you are arriving on a late-night flight, you may be forced to take a taxi.

When exiting the airport, turn to your right and walk down the sidewalk until you see the white bus. It will drop you near the San Diego mall (first stop), or in the city center near the Hotel Nutibara (second stop).

BY COLECTIVO

A colectivo, or shared taxi, is another option to get to Medellin. It is a taxi shared by three or four passengers, who split the fare. When split between four, the cost will only be about 15,000 COP (about $8.50). The driver may not take you all the way to your destination if it is out of the way, as they prefer to drop you at a more central location.

The road between the JMC airport is four lanes, and well-lit. It is a relatively safe road unless the harsh winter weather causes landslides which can shut down a couple lanes of traffic at a time.

Once you get out of the mountains, the view of Medellin spread out in the Aburra Valley is quite a spectacle.

Enjoy your stay!

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Medellin bus

Buses in Medellin are definitely the way to go.

I was afraid to take them when I first arrived because I didn’t know how they run and didn’t know where they go or how to ask for information.  But with a little help from a few locals, it has become one of my favorite adventures.

Taking the bus is cheaper then the Metro (by a little) and you always find yourself taking routes and seeing places you otherwise wouldn’t see.  The drivers are extremely helpful and always polite.  And, they appreciate it when you are polite with them.

1. All buses within Medellín cost between 1,400 and 1,600 COP (80 – 90 cents US).

a.  Bus drivers will always have change for you (and will prefer smaller denominations bills, like 5,000 or 10,000 COP).

b.  You must go through a turn-style and then pay the driver.

c. To get off the bus, there is usually a red button to press near the front of back door.  (I had a hard time finding that the first few times and I panicked).

d.  Everyone I have sat next to so far has helped to inform me of when to get off the bus.  I also ask the driver to shout out to me when I reach my destination and he almost always remembers!

2. The bus routes in Medellin are usually listed on the lower left-hand corner of the outer windshield, which means nothing if you cannot understand what they are saying or if you don’t really know where you need to go.

(Really important:  ask someone… Everyone in Medellín wants to help you, especially if you are a tourist!  Even the bus drivers will stop and try to walk you through it.  Do not be afraid of holding the bus up!)

3. There are two types of buses in Medellin:

a.  The circulars, which literally just go in one big, round circle around the city.

b.  The “others” which only go in one direction.

4.  The most useful information I have to-date:  the website for bus routes

Transporte en Linea:  Find where you are located, click on the spot and then a list of buses will appear in a pop-up box.  Click on each bus and the route will show up on the map so you can have various choices of places to go.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Spirit Air flies to Medellin via Ft Lauderdale.

I initially intended to use Spirit Airlines to fly to Medellin in 2010, however with the strike that was occurring days before my scheduled departure, I decided to go with the Colombian discount airline, Aires, instead.

After flying from Aires to Cartagena last year, as well as using them for two trips to Cali, I was happy to use them again in 2011.  Unfortunately, their flights out of New York City were sold out at least two months in advance for February.  And checking the website now, it appears the route is no longer being offered.

I checked Spirit Air, and found a rate of about $157 one way from Ronald Reagan National airport in northern Virginia to Medellin, via a short layover in Fort Lauderdale.  The price was too good to pass up, and even after adding a $33 charge for one checked bag, it was still cheap at about $190.

In 2010, I’d paid for a return flight on Aires as proof of onward travel should I need it upon arrival in Colombia.  I didn’t, and later turned that ticket into a credit I applied toward my return flight last December.  Neither time that I entered Colombia was I asked for proof of onward travel, nor had it ever been a sticking point when renewing my tourist visa.  This time, I decided to skip the expense and leave myself flexible.

The Spirit Air flights to Medellin starts with the first departure from DC at 7 am EST, so I made sure to arrive at the airport by 4 am.  There was nobody at the Terminal A ticket counter until about 4:30 am.  When it was my turn, I was told I needed to purchase a return flight. I resisted, but the rep was quick to mention they were fined the prior week over this issue.  I asked him to pull up a flight from Medellin to Fort Lauderdale for 6 month’s from that date.  He did, and I forked over another $223 for the return flight.

Once my ticket info was squared away, I went through security, and waited to board the flight.  It was an orderly process, as the plane was split up into zones.  My seat was the second to last on the plane, and during some turbulence, I felt especially uneasy all the way back there.  I’m use to sitting over the wing, which I imagine is a spot that feels more stable. The legroom on the plane was minimal, but it was only about 2 hours to Florida so you suck it up because that’s part of why the prices are so cheap.  I was really tired, and the flight seemed to go by quickly.

When we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale, we emptied into the Spirit Air terminal and it was filled with people coming and going from planes.  Families, kids playing on the floor, a long line to buy snacks and use the bathrooms.  It’s not a terminal I’d want to go through often.  Spirit Air flies to several locations in Colombia, besides Medellin, including Bogota, Cartagena, and Barranquilla.

After an hour on the ground, we boarded the second flight in the same orderly manner.  This flight was about 3 hours, as we were aided by a tailwind.  We passed pretty blue waters in the Caribbean Sea, and on approach to the Medellin international airport, dropped out of the clouds and zoomed through some large green valleys.

The verdent land was scarred by numerous landslides, leaving tracks of exposed red mud drifting down the mountainsides.  2010 was a record year for rains, and landslides caused many deaths and road closures throughout the country.

And while I thought the final approach through the mountains, with limited visibility due to clouds was a little sketchy (in other words, I imagined us smashing into a mountainside at any moment), the plane landed perfectly, and taxi’d to the gate.  Going through Immigration was a breeze, I collected my bag, and hopped on the shuttle bus back to central Medellin.

Overall, I’d fly Spirit Air again because of their low rates.  The service was friendly too, but the legroom and personal space was severely lacking, especially if the person in the seat in front of you chose to recline it (which most did).  I’m not sure if this is actually the case, but I feel as though there was more space on the Aires flights.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.

Taking the second metrocable from Santo Domingo over the mountain to Parque Arvi, the landscape turns from urban to rural forests in the blink of an eye.

Medellin continues to look for ways to expand Colombia’s only metro system.  By all accounts, the metrocable system which extends from the train line up into two different neighborhoods in the city has proven a success.

In 2009, I rode on Line K, which extends from Acevedo to Santo Domingo where Biblioteca Espana was built, twice.  Santo Domingo offers sweeping views of Medellin in the valley below, and for the cost of a metro ticket from anywhere in the city, it’s a real steal.

The newly constructed terminus of the Line L metrocable in Parque Arvi.

Since then, a separate metrocable, Link L, has been built from Santo Domingo up over the mountain ridge, to Parque Arvi.

One Friday, I went to explore this new territory with a friend.  Unfortunately, the trip took longer than I expected, so starting in the early afternoon, say around 1 pm, offered us very little time in the park.

A normal metro ticket currently runs 1,550 pesos ($0.86), and that will get you as far as Santo Domingo, at which point you exact Line K, and transfer over to Line L.  You are required to buy a new ticket, which is slightly more expensive at 2,500 pesos ($1.39), however I believe it covers your return trip back to the regular metro line as long as you do not exit the metrocable station(s) when making the transfer on the way back.

The road from the metrocable to the entrance of Piedras Blancas park.

The ride from Santo Domingo to Parque Arvi is a completely different experience.  Instead of drifting over homes and neighborhoods, you’re above a forest.  It takes about 10-15 minutes to arrive at the terminus, so hopefully you’re riding with friendly people in the gondola.

Upon exiting the metro, you’ll see a tent with a few people giving out information and maps.  They’ll be able to point you in the right direction, depending on what you want to see.  My friends Troy and Christine walked to a small waterfall, while on my visit, I headed for Piedras Blancas, a hotel and park within the park.

It required a short walk down a road.  Facilities at the park are still under construction.

The photo above shows the point at which if you turn to your left, you’ll see the photo below, which is the entrance to Piedras Blancas.  At that point, it’s about a one hour walk along the road to reach the lake and nature trails, so it’s best to either take a horse (about 5,000 pesos) or better yet, one of the buses that pass by on the way to/from the nearby pueblo, Santa Elena.

The entrance to Piedras Blancas where visitors can take either a bus or horse to the lake and nature paths.

After waiting about 15 minutes for a bus, to no avail (because it was a Friday afternoon and they were running less frequently), we started to walk.  I figured the guy renting horses was fibbing when he said it was a one hour walk, but as we headed down the road, I started to realize he was telling the truth.

Luckily, a bus (1,000 pesos) eventually came by and we waived it down.  Once on the little bus, it was evident the walk would indeed be an hour, at least.

Bridge to the Insect Museum

We hopped off the bus at the entrance to Piedras Blancas, and as it was so late in the day (and close to closing time), we were allowed to enter for free.  A series of walking trails wrap around the lake, and there are signs posted which detail the local wildlife and fauna.  Paddleboats are available for hire, and there is an Insect Museum, among other sites, for the curious.

View of the lake, with the park's hotel perched on a hill above.

A hotel is perched above the lake, and from the look of the photos in a brochure back near the metro, it looked like a swanky place to stay.  I immediately pictured it as a great place to take a partner for a Saturday night getaway, or to celebrate an anniversary.

Unlike bigger pueblos like Guatape and El Penol, there was very little traffic on the roads within the parks, and while I’m sure it’s busier on the weekends, especially with sunny weather, I still picture it as a very tranquil getaway from the busyness of Medellin.

The last metrocable going back to Santo Domingo is around 6 pm, and we managed to catch a ride in a park pick-up truck (1,500 pesos) to ensure we got back in time.  The alternative would’ve been a circuitous route via bus back through Santa Elena to Medellin.

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The 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide by David Lee is now available for purchase on Kindle and PDF.