Editor’s note: This article is out-of-date and it has several inaccuracies so it was updated in October 2016, which is found here.
Expats looking for a place to live in Medellín almost always drift to the same place: Poblado.
It’s a great place to live, no doubt, because of all the great bars and clubs, restaurants and shopping malls, apartments and hostels and houses, and a reputation for being the nicest and safest area of the city.
But the best area of the city? I don’t think so.
In this post I will tell you my five favorite districts in the Medellín metropolitan area. By districts, I mean comunas and suburbs, and there are 21 of them here.
When I review each, I will tell you some of the best neighborhoods in these districts and some of the best places to go in each place.
Some might sound familiar, others not so much. It’s the same for me when I talk to others. So let’s use this as a forum to chat about our favorite places in the city.
Listo? Dále!
1. Laureles/Estadio
Long a middle class area, this comuna just west of El Centro is climbing the social ladder.
It’s a very green neighborhood, with trees everywhere, giving the place a tranquility that makes you feel comfortable immediately. But don’t let the mellow charm fool you: some of the best nightlife in the city is in Laureles, at La 70 and the north side of Calle 33.
You can find almost anything you want in Laureles and for those of you who think Poblado is better, I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.
a. Laureles has no hills. Walking around Poblado, up those hills, can be tiring.
b. You’re much less likely to run into someone who speaks English in Laureles. I know, some of you think that’s a bad thing. But if you really want to immerse yourself in the culture here, learning Spanish is a big part of that.
c. The restaurants in Laureles can compete with those in Poblado.
d. So can the nightlife.
e. The fútbol stadium is here.
So, there you go. If you want to stay in Poblado, I understand. You’re comfortable there. Just give Laureles a visit someday. You might like it more than you think.
Best neighborhoods: Bolivariana, Carlos E. Restrepo, Estadio, Florida Nueva, Las Acacias, Laureles, Los Colores, Suramericana
Best bars/clubs: El Tibiri, Imperium, Son Havana, Underground, Wamba Bar
Best restaurants: Il Massimo, La Bodeguita, La Catrina, Opera Pizza, Orale, Paris-Paris, Peru Mix, Sushi House, Sushi Taste
Best sights/recreation: fútbol games at el estadio; one of the many activities at el estadio, such as basketball, fencing and swimming; El Teatro
To rent a comfortable one-bedroom apartment, you would pay: 800,000 to 1.4 million pesos ($420 – $775) per month.
2. Envigado
Normally I don’t like suburbs but Envigado is the next Laureles: a growing place with new businesses opening all the time, including some great restaurants.
You can find nightlife and restaurants and my favorite park, Parque El Salado, where you can have a barbecue, swim and zip-line. Keep an eye out for monkeys in the trees too.
Best known for being the birthplace of Pablo Escobar, it’s better known today as a trendy place to live.
Best neighborhoods: Alcalá, El Trianón, Jardines, La Cuadrita, La Paz, Zona Centro
Best bars/clubs: El Callejón, Lady Blue, Sharona, Windsor Pub, Yesterday
Best restaurants: Brasa Arepa, Chiclayo, El Barral, Ernesto’s Tacos, La Gloria de Gloria, Tepito
Best sights/recreation: Casa Museo Fernando Gonzalez, La Romera, Parque El Salado
To rent a comfortable one-bedroom apartment, you would pay: 600,000 to 1.2 million pesos ($315 – $640) per month
3. Belén
This was the first neighborhood I lived in, and I loved it.
It’s like Laureles, except with more of a blue-collar feel. At one time, it was a little dangerous, and there are parts that still are, but for the most part it’s just a place with families trying to carve out a life in the city.
And it’s right next to Laureles, its northern neighbor across Calle 33, so you’ll have an easy time crossing over.
You won’t be bored here either, not with a big park in the comuna as well as one of Medellín’s most underrated attractions — Pueblito Paisa, the mini replica of an old Antioquian town that sits atop the Cerro Nutibara.
Best neighborhoods: Fátima, La Mota, La Palma, Las Mercedes, Malibú
Best bars/clubs: Hamburgo Bar, Kings Town, La Caverna de Baco, Shots del Diablo
Best restaurants: Albenzu, Crepes and Waffles, Il Forno, Philly Steaks
Best sights/recreation: Pueblito Paisa, Unidad Deportiva de Belén
To rent a comfortable one-bedroom apartment, you would pay: 500,000 to 1 million pesos ($260 – $550) per month
4. La América
This is your ultimate residential neighborhood, a place that isn’t a hub of nightlife and restaurants, but a place where you can live comfortably.
The way the boundaries are drawn, it’s bordered by Laureles to the east and the south, forming a right angle that makes it look like La América is sitting down and Laureles is the chair that cradles it.
I haven’t spent a lot of time here, just enough to know that one of the parades of the Feria de las Flores usually passes through, that there is a huge recreational park called the Unidad Deportiva de Floresta, and that there are restaurants that deserve a second try.
The arroz con pollo empanada at Empanadas Santiamen is just the beginning. Next time I want to have the chicharrón and frijoles. And if I’m really hungry, I’ll go for a bandeja paisa at El Madrigal as well, one of the best places to find comida típica in the city.
And who knows what else I’ll find the more time I spend here.
Best neighborhoods: Calasanz, La América, La Floresta
Best bars/clubs: Copacabana, El Madrigal, Blue, Night
Best restaurants: Cafe del Baluarte, Empanadas Santiamen, Pizza El Imperio
Best sights/recreation: Parque Floresta, Unidad Deportiva La Floresta
To rent a comfortable one-bedroom apartment, you would pay: 600,000 to 1.2 million pesos ($315 – $640) per month
5. Poblado
Ok, we’ve finally made it to the area of the city that’s the most popular with most foreigners.
Well, you already know the deal: bars, clubs and restaurants. Big shopping malls such as El Tesoro, Oviedo and Santa Fé. Even a castle.
So, to the listings…
Best neighborhoods: La Aguacatala, Lombardia, San Diego, San Ignacio
Best bars/clubs: Calle 9+1, Dalí, La Ruana de Juana, Latinería, Shamrock
Best restaurants: Amarelo Rodizio, Bonuar, Carmen, El Graspo de Uva, Peru Mix, Restaurante Toscano Trattoria e Pizzeria, Verdeo
Best sights/recreation: Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo El Castillo
To rent a comfortable one-bedroom apartment, you would pay: 1 million to 1.6 million pesos ($550 – $880) per month
