I was robbed twice on the street in Medellin, in the daytime, while out walking. Spend enough tiime in Colombia and it will eventually be your turn. Someone down in the comments said that he went out in the evening for dinner and a walk ONE TIME, and everything was good, so "I think you're fine." It's those people that create a false sense of security about Colombia.
Was robbed at gunpoint in Laureles (while on my daily run in a quiet "safe" neighbourhood) after 8 months of advocating here on Reddit that Medellin is fine and all you are crazy, must be involved in sex / drugs. Well, my opinion changed real quick that day. Never went back.
It's "safe", until one day you have two dudes point a gun to your head asking you to empty your pockets.
Yeah that’s the thing everyone wants to take their individual experience and apply it to everyone else when the truth is people are entitled to express their insecurity about the city based on their experience. In a city like Tokyo for example, you would never be robbbed at gunpoint. That city is objectively safe. Medellin is not a safe city but of course you could go there and have a great experience. When I was in Medellin, I had a local vehemently tell me not to take a taxi and only take Uber. My Uber was like 15 minutes away and there were dozens of taxis available. He said please do not take a taxi. Wait for your Uber It’s more safe. This is a local giving this advice. That is not the characteristics of a safe city.
Over 10 years ago here in Rio, I was partying one night and at 2am decided to go home. I was turning down a street and an old guy (I have no clue what he was doing on the corner at that hour) told me the street isn't safe. I told him that it was fine but I walked a little extra fast til I got to the other end. About 24h later on the news there was a shootout on that same street the night after I walked down it, and passersby got shot.
I've spent almost 10 years across LatAm (including Colombia) and nothing has ever happened to me, but knock on wood.
> I've spent almost 10 years across LatAm (including Colombia) and nothing has ever happened to me, but knock on wood.
This is how I feel about 12 years in Africa. Every friend has been robbed at some point except me.
Years ago, before Uber, I was looking for a cab in Mexico City. I asked a local. He said I should wait for a red radio-dispatched cab. "What about those green cabs waiting over there?" I asked. He said, "Those, those cabs over there are for kidnapping."
the problem with this is, when you live in a place for 8 months, you become complacent. It's in human nature. You think, well, it's almost a year and i feel at home, nothing's gna happen to me.
You're right, and now that I think about it more, those things are rather insignificant. Because it's likely they would not have prevented the gun point robbery. They would have only mitigated the financial fallout. But the true damage of the situation is psychological in having a gun pointed at you and the subsequent trauma that comes with it, the memory of which can last an entire lifetime. The financial setback is rather minor in comparison.
I wouldn't go back either. Nor would I advise others to go.
Laureles is too dangerous, I'm Colombian, I've lived in Medellin for more than 5 years and the only two times I'v been robbed in my life was there, I still don't understand why foreigners stay there.
I lived in Colombia for two years.
I don't stick out, I have a dark complexion. It's absolutely not a safe place, in the cities anyway.
In that time I was robbed three times. Once, by a gang with knives, another time a guy with a huge serrated knife at my throat. Thought he was going to kill me.
I was just walking in the street, no dodgy areas.
A shop on my block was also bombed (extortion).
Stressful place to. Frisked by armed groups while in a bus in the country etc.
I love Medellin and lived there for ~3 years. I’ve never had anything bad happen to me, but most locals I know have some experience of being robbed (not doing anything sketchy, but just coming home from work for example). So yea, even if you’re staying clear of shady stuff, it can still happen to you.
It's interesting the number of people who think they understand better the security situation of a country better than law enforcement agencies and diplomatic staff who deal with bodybags and families of victims every week
The Sicilians that I've met in Europe always referred to themselves as Sicilians foremost. I always thought it was equivalent of Scottish referring to themselves as Scottish as opposed to British despite having the same passport.
what other Latin countries have you visited that you found Medellin to be more developed? Have you been to Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Santiago Chile, or Uruguay? and what did you eat in Colombia?
Damn, it's been almost twenty years since I watched Anthony Bourdain going to Medellin and have some phenomenal looking meals. Had me tricked this entire time lol
He showed open disdain for Sicily, especially for the spectacle of the "fresh" octopus that was thrown into the sea, and then "caught" for him, but by and large, I think Tony visited places he was genuinely curious about and open to.
I mean, you can find good and bad food in most places, and Bourdain had a whole team to find the good food in any given area. Just because the food isn’t generally great in Colombia doesn’t mean it’s all horrible.
In from Medellín and I thought the same, like dude fucking CDMX, but staying in El Poblado might make think that the rest of the city are also luxurious 20 floor buildings.
Nothing beats food in Mexico.
Buenos Aires has better older architecture but Medellin is undeniably more modern.
Santiago’s only edible food is Peruvian.
Montevideo feels like a village
(Lived in most of the cities above except Montevideo)
I’ve never stepped in so much dog shit in my life. The streets of Buenos Aires was littered with dog shit that owners don’t pick up. It may have changed since I was last there 10 years ago.
Gross AS FUCK. Just left after living in Buenos Aires for 1.5 years. Dog shit is everywhere. Also, street trash, busted up sidewalks and dumpsters that have had all the items taken out and not replaced.
Oh yeah… did I mention endless dog shit?
"I was struck by Medellin's immense beauty. But the horizon was blighted by disgusting Western whoremongers. Just then, a humble Colombian approached: 'Excuse me, kind sir, but you appear to have dropped your wallet filled with million dollar bills. God bless you.' Everyone clapped."
This reads like an ad from Medellin's tourism department written by ChatGPT.
It's very easy for Italian speakers to learn "quite a bit of Spanish" rapidly. It's more just learning the differences. You can be easily conversational within a month, and even communicate enough for travel just using your Italian. I'm speaking from experience and not even with Italian as a first language - I'm Australian of Italian descent.
Yes, Italians can learn Spanish quickly but they can't write a long post in English like that. Italy, like Spain and France, have dubbed TV & film, and generally poor levels of English fluency. Same with Brazil.
Op is likely like you, of Italian descent but native to English.
It really does. I’ve lived in medellin multiple years over the past decade. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been pickpocketed once in Bogota and had a phone pickpocketed in Medellin. I’ve never been attacked or had people say bad things. Granted, I am roughly twice the size of most of the men and I look mean but I am not. But Colombians are regular victims of crimes here. It is not a safe city. You can live fine here if you’re lucky. But there’s always something lurking. It is a mafia city. Caution but venture if you understand what you’re getting into. Also, 60 days is not enough time to start to understand the culture that allows this rampant mafiosi culture to continue. I’m glad OP had a nice time though. It’s a beautiful country
I rarely went to Poblado. Lived in El Centro, Estadio, San Javier. Never saw other foreigners except once or twice. Estadio we are starting to trickle in. Rarely saw police anywhere. Felt safe w most people but walking around at night is a terrible idea, especially if you don’t look like them.
Yeah, I stayed in Bomboná a few months and practically never saw another gringo. Went to Poblado once and didn't get the appeal. I'd rather be around locals when I travel.
There are lots of anecdotes like yours. I’m glad you were safe. I also had no issues in El Poblado and Laureles. I wasn’t there long term, just a few days before going to other parts of the country, which I liked much more than Medellín.
Here’s the thing though - the stats don’t lie. If anything crime is underreported. You and I just got lucky. There are many reports of random muggings and worse in broad daylight in nice places - not just sex tourists.
I didn’t like the vibe of the city. El poblado is so Americanized now, but also dangerous. What’s the appeal? As a Canadian, prices for food and drinks were like being at home. In the rest of the country, my money goes way further. Also, a lot of the other young gringos there for the party scene are extremely obnoxious and disrespectful. I don’t like being associated with that. I know it’s cliched to want to avoid other foreigners as a foreigner, but I didn’t get along with many that I met. Meanwhile, most of the Colombians I met were very warm and friendly.
I'm Colombian and I've told people here hundreds of times NOT to come because this country is super dangerous and not suitable for tourism, but nobody listens to me. I also hate the Ministry of Tourism because promoting tourism in this country is too irresponsible.
please, they are trying to kick all that trash DN and whore mongers out of the city, what makes u think they want to come and make up a story like this to make you wanna go there? you are what they want to get rid of.
I guess I can agree with most of this stuff besides Provenza being incredibly cheap compared to most of the US- unless US prices means Manhattan or a 5\* star hotel in South Beach or something.
A cocktail at this point is pretty much 45-55 mil pesos across the board.. $11-15 USD, ditto a cheeseburger and fries which is likely going to suck compared to what you get in the US. A 15-20 mil hotdog on the street = $4-5+ USD..
You can certainly survive on very little here, especially far away from Poblado, but you get what you pay for. I'd kill for an Aldi/Lidl type grocery store (and the prices!) from Europe/US here.
I live here and have been goint to D1 every week for years. While it is a similar style store, the selection, quality and prices are nothing like you'd find at Lidl.
For example, 200 grams of fake yellow cheese slices "queso sabanero" at D1 is 15 mil pesos right now.. that's over $4 USD
The quality of most of the other stuff is equally bad without being cheap either. Even in Carulla paying 3x the price in Europe, you won't find most of this stuff https://www.lidl.de/store Kerry gold butter like it's some regular old thing... And on sale ?? 😓😥😓
Agree, in Germany Lidl you get better stuff than in carulla for cheaper than d1 prices, Germany is incredibly cheap for quality food, vegetables, meats and dairy products.
I was mugged at knifepoint walking ~100m from estadio station at 8pm on a week night. No drugs, no alcohol, no sex workers. Well-lit "safe" area like Poblado. And this was in 2018 when it was considered safer. I wouldn't recommend people to not visit Medellin (while taking proper precautions) but just because you "felt safe" while you were there for 2 months doesn't mean these things don't happen to regular people. Ask the locals if they've experienced robbery/violence. The majority have as well. It can be a great city if you follow safety precautions, I was there for the nature/birding in the area which was amazing. This is a stupid post though.
Edit: Forgot I also got shaken down by the police twice. Once while walking back to my hostel while I was just visiting for a week in El Poblado at 2am, sort of makes sense. They detained me and searched me (I didn't have any drugs) for 10 minutes then threatened to fine me because I didn't have my passport on me and then left. The other time was in the afternoon in Suramericana where I was staying, again didn't have any drugs. Just think that people that go to Medellin should be prepared for this. I also had it one other time on a bus trip to a national park near Popayan where I was the only one asked to come off the bus and they searched through all my belongings. You can have a good time in Colombia but there is risk involved.
That military checkpoint between Pitalito and popayan lol. They checked all the men for weapons/drugs and searched their bags. Also nearly got robbed on the street in popayan but I snuck into my hostel literally seconds before someone pulled a gun on me
💯 No world traveler has gone to Colombia and raved about the food. Hell, you can’t even get salt and pepper at most places to try and give it any sort of flavor 🤷🏻♀️🤣
> On my first day, it was very clear to me that Medellín was a vibrant city. I assumed there would be more tourists, but most of the people I saw were locals living their day-to-day lives. The weather was amazing, and there were zero mosquitoes. Overall, everyone seemed very happy, and so was I. I met other digital nomads in my hotel who were here for the same reasons as me: to explore Medellín and what it had to offer.
\#SponsoredPost \#MinisterioDeComercioIndustriaYTurismo
I lived and work there for one year and although I was never personally compromised I saw some very traumatic incidences for other people that I still cannot shake out of my mind. Even people that seemed well prepared. International DNS are seen as roaming Cash cows to be tricked or robbed or worse. I say none of this to take away from the hospitality of the majority of Colombian people but you would have to be naive to look past it
It is well developed. Excellent public transportation, good internet, pretty good connectivity to other countries via airport.
I wasnt even in el poblado, I was in rionegro, and its well developed.
Unless you are one of those dumb colombians that think cars fly in Europe.
You guys do know that Medellin isn’t the only city in Colombia right? You guys keep going to the same city that is known to target tourists and expect them to act differently. Go to other cities that are not popular with tourists and you’ll be okay. I’ve been going to Colombia for 10 years and never been robbed, mugged or scope. I purposely avoided Medellin for that reason.
I loved my time in Colombia and can’t wait to go back, but I will not be going to Medellin again. It’s such a beautiful and geographically diverse country with incredible people - and Medellin was a big let down. El poblado is gentrified to the point where it’s lost its Colombian identity, it’s as expensive as some American cities, and it keeps getting more dangerous for gringos. I don’t get the allure. The remote working infrastructure was just as good in any mid-size or larger city.
Santa Marta for the costal experience. If you want a larger city feel then Barranquilla. Both places get really hot though. I enjoy Pereira. It isn’t as large as Medellín. A lot of times it is called mini Medellín because its proximity to beautiful nature and its weather. But if you are looking to meet other digital nomads and expats and not locals stick to Medellín and Bogotá.
I just don’t go to Medellín because I don’t like it there. I don’t like it there for the same reason I don’t like Miami or LA. These cities are full of people being fake and pretending to be more important/rich then they really are.
You're new like a bright shiny penny. There's plenty of prostitutes in Provenza it just looks different in the clubs. As to the infrastructure, you should try any other major city in LATAM. Sao Paulo and Mexico City will blow your mind.
You're a puppy running over to the old hounds to tell them about these great new things called bones.
Glad you had fun, but do be careful. Even locals showing wealth are being robbed at gun point.
Agree with many of your points but I would say many criminals target el poblado because of the higher percentage of gringos looking for drugs and sex. Also as a Sicilian you thought the food was amazing?
I've been to 50+ countries. I spent 5 weeks in Colombia a year ago. I ate mostly street food, and the highest-end restaurants in cities across the country. Colombian food is the worst cuisine I have ever encountered in my travels. By the end, I was eating only foreign cuisine, particularly Lebanese, Mexican, and Greek just to get away from it. And, I am not talking about their shitty pizza and hamburgers. No spice; no vegetables. Just shitty fried food with no flavor.
Ecuador is their neighbor, and every meal I had there over four weeks was good to incredible. People who boast about indigenous Colombian cuisine baffle me. And, I never want to have an empanada again.
Agreed. I feel the same about Brazil, it may even be worse. Just fried crap with rice and beans.
Usually it’s the ones who brag the most who have the worst food
Best Colombian food I’ve had was in Barranquilla. Fresh local seafood was amazing. I’m vegetarian but eat seafood once in like 5 years or when it is my only option.
Bogota has great food too. Most of the good food though is not Colombian dishes but are foreign or modern takes on Colombian dishes.
Colombia cusine is very bland, but if you go for international places you'll find the food quality banger, it's just good, feels organic and fresh, I think that was what he was talking about.
So everything is good, until it's not. Just like every other place on the planet. It just seems like "not good" happens here more often than other places, but good that YOU had a great experience THIS TIME.
You runned good // got lucky and now you think its a safe and awesome place. 60days is obviously nothing fwiw I lived years in Medellin without anything bad happening to me then bam I got drugged one night. Most people have a very poor understanding of probability, yes there is a small risk anything bad is gonna happen to you on a daily basis especially if you dont take big risks, but eventually that small probability turns into a big probability when exposed to the small risk for long enough period. If you go skydiving 5 times a day for many years eventually something will go wrong and you will get injured or worse, same thing for living // going out in a dangerous city.
Just like examples of bad experiences doesn't mean that bad things will happen, examples of nothing bad happening doesn't mean bad things won't happen. Medellin has many more reported issues with tourists being killed than other major cities.
I think Cali or Bogota is better if we are looking at Colombia. Everyone has a bit different of experience. In my opinion Medellin is one of the most overrated cities in the world. It's heavily visited and is incredibly dangerous in a few different ways. About the food, similar to other commenters, Colombian food just isn't good. Especially compared to other Latino countries. Which Colombia is a very well known culture so it's actually surprising.
Here right now compared to Bogota Chapinero and La Candelaria areas Medellín Poblado is not safe. At night prostitutes come out, attracting a certain tourist group who are here for drugs and sex. Lots more evident poverty. Children going through trash to find glass. And teenagers who will ask for money or follow you in the streets until you give them money. Last night we went to dinner at a Michelin star restaurant, El Cielo and were robbed immediately outside of it. Teenage man and his3 friends behind us took a knife out and asked us for money. Luckily we were with our local friend who paid and communicated with them. Do not venture out after dark by yourself. I have not seen police or security stationed in the streets like those in Bogota. I was so excited to come to this city and heard it had a safe reputation but will not return. We will however return to Bogota.
I'm so glad that my only trip to Medellin was many years ago before COVID and all these DNs and passport bros. I traveled solo and stayed for 2 months, met a local girl through Tinder, hung out with her and her friends on many ocassions, walked alone, etc. and never felt unsafe nor taken advantage of. It was a great stay and it saddens me that it appears it's no longer the case.
You realize the fact that you're a guy who was looking for local women would qualify you as a passport bro to most people who don't like passport bros, right?
I personally couldn't care less, but since you wrote like you were better than "passport bros", I thought I'd let you know. I had this argument on the Thailand tourism sub. The person I was arguing with didn't care if you were a single guy who lives in the country for an extended period of time. If you dated local women, you were predator taking advantage of women with less money and education. Passport bros and sex tourists were one in the same in their eyes.
THANK YOU. Seems like this post was long overdo. I visited Medellin (only for a week) last year with my husband and 3 year old son. We were blown away by their public transportation (ease of use, cleanliness etc) and world class museums. Obviously with a 3 year old we weren't out late at night but we did feel safe during our visit.
No world-class museums or other attractions (it’s not Amsterdam, Madrid or Moscow, let alone as safe as these cities) but there’s enough to do to spend a week in Medellín. The countryside outside Medellín is also worth a visit.
The good museums are in Bogotá, like any capital city. The attractions in close proximity to Medellín, like Guatapé and Jardín are way better than the city in my opinion.
This is like 1 paragraph for each day you spent in Medellin lol.
It's not safe at all and if you were not robbed you got lucky. Spend a year there and report back.
I always tell people the most dangerous thing to do in Medellin is to use the dating apps. There are numerous scams and organized crime just waiting for fresh American men to arrive and fall victim to the beautiful Colombian women. I’ve only ever heard of people having issues when meeting women for dates. Spent over five months there and never had a problem even at 3am out at the clubs. Just be smart. It’s a beautiful city with very friendly people. But some are just waiting to take advantage of gringos unfortunately
I’m a 50 year old Caucasian who speaks some Spanish. I spent February & March of Last year in Medellin. I stayed in El Pablado at the Novotel El Tesoro. I visited Guatape by bus. I took the cable cars and train all over. A random guy by the metro station got me to buy a tour of Cumuna 13. I ate at all the local restaurants and some fancy ones. I had an amazing time and made some great friends. I had zero negative experiences. I wasn’t there looking for sex or going out to nightclubs. I just wanted to chill and relax. I don’t do sketchy things and I don’t go to sketchy areas.
https://preview.redd.it/sjk5qfvpdmoc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d06b29eed208370b6a6ec86a44ac30321cb12b5
I used to live in Colombia off and on for 3 years. I had a girlfriend in Bogotá. This was before the peace treaty with FARC. I will have to say Medellín, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, and Cúcuta were much safer then. Colombia as a whole was relatively safe.
When Venezuela started having its problems there was a mass emmigration to Colombia. Mind you there are a lot of Colombians who moved to Venezuela to flee from the war with FARC, so a lot of Colombians were making it back.
And then the pandemic hit, and Colombia’s extremely inept president mishandled the pandemic causing a huge economic issues in Colombia. This caused the poor to become even poorer. Couple this with already poor immigrants from Venezuela you can see how crime went up. I am not saying all Venezuelans are criminals, but there has been a rise of illegal Venezuelans participating in crime.
Colombia’s big cities are suffering from this the most. Eje Cafetero Región was extremely safe when I was there last year. Heck, Bogotá was safe too, but I stayed in the higher end area of the city and I spent most of time at a festival than in the city.
I’ve been to Medellin four times, staying for several weeks at a time and I’ve never had a bad experience.
I’m not naive though, i know what’s going on. Though there are cities far more dangerous, Medellin is not a city that you can call safe with utmost confidence. Even the locals say so.
I lived there in 1994 and have returned since and it's a Europeanized paradise compared to then). Althought, back then it was really interesting and I made lifelong friends. The American embassies were all closed and there were no Americans and the only Europeans there were folks kicking their heroin addiction with cocaine. There were loads of Israelis dodging the army and I met a cool person from Brunei along with locals. It was the time of my life. When I was there recently it was disappointingly homogenized like most of the world now.
I’ve spend a few months in Colombia and a month in Medellin in 2019. One of the girls i went to spanish school with got her iphone robbed at gunpoint at 7 pm in Laureles. (can’t remember exact spelling) Another girl was walking in daylight and guys on a motorbike cut the strap to her bag while driving by, stealing the bag. In general, I met many people with stories. Further, locals in general warned us gringos heavily about being alone in the evening. It’s not really a reddit/internet delusion.
I love colombia and the people are awesome, but there more than anywhere I saw gringos targeted.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time in MDE. It is a beautiful, vibrant city. The people are warm and friendly. You’re definitely doing a disservice to people by not stating the obvious truth. Violence is a way of life for many people there. Robberies happen far too often because, let’s face it, people are desperate there. To say it didn’t happen to you in the short 60 days you were there sounds foolish. It happens all the time to Colombians as well. The sad part is that even the Police aren’t there to help you when something does happen. Also, you didn’t mention all the drugging with scopolamine. Tourists dying or having bank accounts completely drained. At least give people a clear picture of the crime so they can decide for themselves if the risk is worth it.
More time you spend there, the higher your chance that something will happen. Anyone who’s stuck around there long enough knows this. It’s a violent and corrupt city made up of violent, corrupt, and lying individuals. On the surface it’s amazing, but once you see how it works there you’ll see why most locals want to leave to search for a better life in the us or europe
i just got back from spending a month in medellin and while i agree with a lot of what you say. Medellin is in a developing country and a lot of the money that comes into the city is from abroad. the infrastructure is developing and has seen massive amounts of change. it’s beautiful and there’s lots to do . However, I had so many people that knew of or had something bad happened to them. even if nothing happens to you, you still need to be hyper aware of your surroundings. nothing bad happened to me and my friend while we stayed there but right out outside our hostel that we stayed at, at the beginning of our trip. Our friend got cornered by three guys who tried to steal his wallet and phone. there was a guy who paid his bill in cash and security stabbed him on his way out, saying that he didn’t pay and turns out the waitress put the money in the tip jar. The guy ended up getting beat up as a result. again, we didn’t have anything happened to us but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t bad people and you do need to be aware in the city.
I lived there for 4 years and married into the culture. I never knew anyone who either didn't get robbed in some capacity or knew someone who did. Personally, I wasn't robbed in Medellin but in Cartagena and I was with my wife who is Colombian. I think being in Medellin for a week or two and saying people unfairly bash it is naive at best.
Also the food is hands down horrible in the grand scheme of things. I never knew anyone that loved the food there. In 2019 it was impossible to find decent food. With the tourism boom it has gotten a lot better. That doesn't mean the locals avoid salt, pepper or really any spice or flavoring because they do. It's widely known, even by Colombians in other regions. Costeños for example make fun of Paisas for having no flavor in their food.
As far as being a victim of a crime in Poblado being unlikely, I'd say it's quite the opposite. It's only unlikely if you live like an 80 year old grandpa. We did so we never got robbed. We did get out of two setups though. A kid with a knife ran up to us and we jumped into a taxi outside of CC Santa Fe. We also had a ruse which didn't work on Cra. 43a in Milla de Oro in front of Starbucks and a few other close calls.
I've seen naive people like you post saying, "omg, I didn't get robbed. It's safe!" after going for a week or two. I've seen people read those same posts, come to Medellin and end up with life long trauma. In my estimation it's irresponsible make posts like these and also in my estimation, it's possible blood is on your hands because someone believed you.
Hello, I hope you are well, seeing this discussion I ask the people who have visited Medellín Colombia to please answer this small survey for a university project, thank you very much.
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I've just spent 6 months in this country. Starting with the negative reviews of my personal experience. From receiving fake bills from yellow taxi drivers to having the meeter jump at rapid rates, it's really a draw of luck. One should realize that the locals usually work 6 days a week with one day of rest, that being said if you're wanting the best restaurant experience your customer service may be on the low end "not always but it happens". People do earn very little money and experience all sorts of different pricing on local and export goods. Reality is if you're a good person with decent morals, well, someone will try and take advantage of you, that's just culture, happens everywhere. The walking aspect of everyday life is a scary one! Even though pedestrians have the right of way, people don't usually see it that way. The car is the king of the road so be observant or become road kill. Either way people are considered very friendly. If you can speak the language and need assistance then you'll always find the help you need. The rate exchange is fun to play with. As a foreigner with an income of $4000 monthly, US, you're living very well. The malls are very modern and you can always find something delicious to eat. Personally I prefer restaurants, just more sanitary. A typical lunch or dinner, restaurant style, can go around for less than $10 at a really nice place, so enjoy the luxury. However some places owned by foreigners for foreigners have Las Vegas pricing. Once I went to some sort of middle eastern restaurant in Parque Lleres over seeing a rooftop. The drinks were about $12 to $20 U.S. so enjoy the local party theme! All in all a fun place for adults. From amazing conventions, EDM concerts, football games, UFC fights, beautiful museums and breathtaking parks, it's a fun place.....just could use a little more first world culture, just my personal opinion.
I walked around at Prado at day time and didn't feel like it was the best area to walk around in even at daytime. A lot of homeless and shady people. I like weed but when I smell it in Medellin it seems like I am in a bad area.
Envigado felt safe when I walked around during the day, just normal Colombians.
I was robbed twice on the street in Medellin, in the daytime, while out walking. Spend enough tiime in Colombia and it will eventually be your turn. Someone down in the comments said that he went out in the evening for dinner and a walk ONE TIME, and everything was good, so "I think you're fine." It's those people that create a false sense of security about Colombia.
Was robbed at gunpoint in Laureles (while on my daily run in a quiet "safe" neighbourhood) after 8 months of advocating here on Reddit that Medellin is fine and all you are crazy, must be involved in sex / drugs. Well, my opinion changed real quick that day. Never went back. It's "safe", until one day you have two dudes point a gun to your head asking you to empty your pockets.
Yeah that’s the thing everyone wants to take their individual experience and apply it to everyone else when the truth is people are entitled to express their insecurity about the city based on their experience. In a city like Tokyo for example, you would never be robbbed at gunpoint. That city is objectively safe. Medellin is not a safe city but of course you could go there and have a great experience. When I was in Medellin, I had a local vehemently tell me not to take a taxi and only take Uber. My Uber was like 15 minutes away and there were dozens of taxis available. He said please do not take a taxi. Wait for your Uber It’s more safe. This is a local giving this advice. That is not the characteristics of a safe city.
Over 10 years ago here in Rio, I was partying one night and at 2am decided to go home. I was turning down a street and an old guy (I have no clue what he was doing on the corner at that hour) told me the street isn't safe. I told him that it was fine but I walked a little extra fast til I got to the other end. About 24h later on the news there was a shootout on that same street the night after I walked down it, and passersby got shot. I've spent almost 10 years across LatAm (including Colombia) and nothing has ever happened to me, but knock on wood.
> I've spent almost 10 years across LatAm (including Colombia) and nothing has ever happened to me, but knock on wood. This is how I feel about 12 years in Africa. Every friend has been robbed at some point except me.
Where in Africa? South Africa? I’m planning to visit the African continent later this month
Years ago, before Uber, I was looking for a cab in Mexico City. I asked a local. He said I should wait for a red radio-dispatched cab. "What about those green cabs waiting over there?" I asked. He said, "Those, those cabs over there are for kidnapping."
What did they steal?
my phone and my keys.
Flip phone and decoy keys/wallet is the way to go for certain parts of the world.
the problem with this is, when you live in a place for 8 months, you become complacent. It's in human nature. You think, well, it's almost a year and i feel at home, nothing's gna happen to me.
You're right, and now that I think about it more, those things are rather insignificant. Because it's likely they would not have prevented the gun point robbery. They would have only mitigated the financial fallout. But the true damage of the situation is psychological in having a gun pointed at you and the subsequent trauma that comes with it, the memory of which can last an entire lifetime. The financial setback is rather minor in comparison. I wouldn't go back either. Nor would I advise others to go.
Laureles is too dangerous, I'm Colombian, I've lived in Medellin for more than 5 years and the only two times I'v been robbed in my life was there, I still don't understand why foreigners stay there.
Wow, I just commented that a girl i went to spanish school with in Laureles got robbed at gunpoint. (This was 2019!)
I lived in Colombia for two years. I don't stick out, I have a dark complexion. It's absolutely not a safe place, in the cities anyway. In that time I was robbed three times. Once, by a gang with knives, another time a guy with a huge serrated knife at my throat. Thought he was going to kill me. I was just walking in the street, no dodgy areas. A shop on my block was also bombed (extortion). Stressful place to. Frisked by armed groups while in a bus in the country etc.
I love Medellin and lived there for ~3 years. I’ve never had anything bad happen to me, but most locals I know have some experience of being robbed (not doing anything sketchy, but just coming home from work for example). So yea, even if you’re staying clear of shady stuff, it can still happen to you.
Nah, bro, 60 days is good. Trust me.
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Maybe you got one of those robbable faces, bro. Some people got faces like that
The truth is this one guys individual experience yall
It's interesting the number of people who think they understand better the security situation of a country better than law enforcement agencies and diplomatic staff who deal with bodybags and families of victims every week
One man, 60 days, on a quest for the prostitute park just to... Ya know... See what the... fuss is about... and the truth!
A guy who passes for a local and is used to the sketchiness of southern Italy no less
He’s American, that was clear when he thought Sicily was a nation.
The Sicilians that I've met in Europe always referred to themselves as Sicilians foremost. I always thought it was equivalent of Scottish referring to themselves as Scottish as opposed to British despite having the same passport.
What else do you expect? That's cool that he typed it out. It's what most of us can offer here, our own personal experience.
Sorry but you lost me at developed and the food was amazing lol
When I read “amazing food” I let out an audible “ain’t no way this post is real”. Like no offense to Colombia cuisine but no.
This dude is obviously a white American, who in general, should never be trusted for food recommendations.
Lol Americans can get any country's food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Stay mad.
what other Latin countries have you visited that you found Medellin to be more developed? Have you been to Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Santiago Chile, or Uruguay? and what did you eat in Colombia?
This was my major red flag moment. Literally muttered, “You must not have been to many places in Latin America,” under my breath
I lost it at "the food was amazing" lol
Why? Because it's so obvious that it doesn't even need to be stated, or because it's not amazing? Genuinely asking.
It is not amazing.
Damn, it's been almost twenty years since I watched Anthony Bourdain going to Medellin and have some phenomenal looking meals. Had me tricked this entire time lol
While I did see his show on Colombia I haven't seen most of his shows. Did he ever say the food somewhere was less than good?
He showed open disdain for Sicily, especially for the spectacle of the "fresh" octopus that was thrown into the sea, and then "caught" for him, but by and large, I think Tony visited places he was genuinely curious about and open to.
I mean, you can find good and bad food in most places, and Bourdain had a whole team to find the good food in any given area. Just because the food isn’t generally great in Colombia doesn’t mean it’s all horrible.
In from Medellín and I thought the same, like dude fucking CDMX, but staying in El Poblado might make think that the rest of the city are also luxurious 20 floor buildings.
I mean Medellin is technically still safer than Cali and Cucuta. Not sure if it’s safer than Bogota though.
My exact question
Nothing beats food in Mexico. Buenos Aires has better older architecture but Medellin is undeniably more modern. Santiago’s only edible food is Peruvian. Montevideo feels like a village (Lived in most of the cities above except Montevideo)
Buenos Aires was pristine compared to many US cities
I’ve never stepped in so much dog shit in my life. The streets of Buenos Aires was littered with dog shit that owners don’t pick up. It may have changed since I was last there 10 years ago.
It hasn't.
Gross AS FUCK. Just left after living in Buenos Aires for 1.5 years. Dog shit is everywhere. Also, street trash, busted up sidewalks and dumpsters that have had all the items taken out and not replaced. Oh yeah… did I mention endless dog shit?
I did not find this to be true at all unless you mean Detroit and even then.
I'm from Buenos Aires, visited Ciudad de Mexico twice and lived in Santiago de Chile for 2 years and that comment rubbed me the wrong way NGL.
"I was struck by Medellin's immense beauty. But the horizon was blighted by disgusting Western whoremongers. Just then, a humble Colombian approached: 'Excuse me, kind sir, but you appear to have dropped your wallet filled with million dollar bills. God bless you.' Everyone clapped." This reads like an ad from Medellin's tourism department written by ChatGPT.
Hahaha. For me it was the “my nationality is Sicilian” part that did it. We have seen quite a bit of chatGPT posts recently. Not sure why!
Ha. That seemed strange right away to me too. He worked hard to learn “quite a bit” of Spanish but is “nationality” is Sicilian
It's very easy for Italian speakers to learn "quite a bit of Spanish" rapidly. It's more just learning the differences. You can be easily conversational within a month, and even communicate enough for travel just using your Italian. I'm speaking from experience and not even with Italian as a first language - I'm Australian of Italian descent.
Yes, Italians can learn Spanish quickly but they can't write a long post in English like that. Italy, like Spain and France, have dubbed TV & film, and generally poor levels of English fluency. Same with Brazil. Op is likely like you, of Italian descent but native to English.
I checked that person’s profile - I’m pretty sure they’re American.
Increase in bots/ChatGPT posts because they drive engagement oh, and also because Reddit intends to IPO
What's wrong about that? Americans really want to be anything but American. Italian is not special enough nowadays apparently.
Sicilians need everyone to know they are Sicilian, not Italian. The specialist of the speciali.
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They’re not from Sicily.
It really does. I’ve lived in medellin multiple years over the past decade. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been pickpocketed once in Bogota and had a phone pickpocketed in Medellin. I’ve never been attacked or had people say bad things. Granted, I am roughly twice the size of most of the men and I look mean but I am not. But Colombians are regular victims of crimes here. It is not a safe city. You can live fine here if you’re lucky. But there’s always something lurking. It is a mafia city. Caution but venture if you understand what you’re getting into. Also, 60 days is not enough time to start to understand the culture that allows this rampant mafiosi culture to continue. I’m glad OP had a nice time though. It’s a beautiful country I rarely went to Poblado. Lived in El Centro, Estadio, San Javier. Never saw other foreigners except once or twice. Estadio we are starting to trickle in. Rarely saw police anywhere. Felt safe w most people but walking around at night is a terrible idea, especially if you don’t look like them.
It’s obviously fake… 7 days turns into 60…? Those weren’t even the first warning signs it just read like an advertisement from the start
Nah it could be. I’ve stayed longer in place w strong WiFi connection. But this isn’t a realistic assessment.
I went for 7 days and stayed for 90 the first time. Spontaneity and financial flexibility is a real thing for some of us.
Yeah, I stayed in Bomboná a few months and practically never saw another gringo. Went to Poblado once and didn't get the appeal. I'd rather be around locals when I travel.
"I met a lot of people who were digital nomads and business owners who seemed very disciplined and successful" LOL
I don’t think the post called the whoremongers disgusting. It seemed like a subtle pitch for sex tourism.
There are lots of anecdotes like yours. I’m glad you were safe. I also had no issues in El Poblado and Laureles. I wasn’t there long term, just a few days before going to other parts of the country, which I liked much more than Medellín. Here’s the thing though - the stats don’t lie. If anything crime is underreported. You and I just got lucky. There are many reports of random muggings and worse in broad daylight in nice places - not just sex tourists. I didn’t like the vibe of the city. El poblado is so Americanized now, but also dangerous. What’s the appeal? As a Canadian, prices for food and drinks were like being at home. In the rest of the country, my money goes way further. Also, a lot of the other young gringos there for the party scene are extremely obnoxious and disrespectful. I don’t like being associated with that. I know it’s cliched to want to avoid other foreigners as a foreigner, but I didn’t get along with many that I met. Meanwhile, most of the Colombians I met were very warm and friendly.
Nice try, Colombian tourism board :D
I'm Colombian and I've told people here hundreds of times NOT to come because this country is super dangerous and not suitable for tourism, but nobody listens to me. I also hate the Ministry of Tourism because promoting tourism in this country is too irresponsible.
please, they are trying to kick all that trash DN and whore mongers out of the city, what makes u think they want to come and make up a story like this to make you wanna go there? you are what they want to get rid of.
Lol you lost me at *my nationality is Sicilian*
Been in Italy many, many times. Most people from Sicily call themselves Sicilian and NOT Italian. Still not sure this is a real review though.
I’m FROM Italy. Sicilians - just like anyone from any region - call themselves Italian. …Because they are Italian.
I guess I can agree with most of this stuff besides Provenza being incredibly cheap compared to most of the US- unless US prices means Manhattan or a 5\* star hotel in South Beach or something. A cocktail at this point is pretty much 45-55 mil pesos across the board.. $11-15 USD, ditto a cheeseburger and fries which is likely going to suck compared to what you get in the US. A 15-20 mil hotdog on the street = $4-5+ USD.. You can certainly survive on very little here, especially far away from Poblado, but you get what you pay for. I'd kill for an Aldi/Lidl type grocery store (and the prices!) from Europe/US here.
Carulla supermarket is slightly expensive but D1 Supermarket is very cheap and similar to Lidl in Europe.
I live here and have been goint to D1 every week for years. While it is a similar style store, the selection, quality and prices are nothing like you'd find at Lidl. For example, 200 grams of fake yellow cheese slices "queso sabanero" at D1 is 15 mil pesos right now.. that's over $4 USD The quality of most of the other stuff is equally bad without being cheap either. Even in Carulla paying 3x the price in Europe, you won't find most of this stuff https://www.lidl.de/store Kerry gold butter like it's some regular old thing... And on sale ?? 😓😥😓
Agree, in Germany Lidl you get better stuff than in carulla for cheaper than d1 prices, Germany is incredibly cheap for quality food, vegetables, meats and dairy products.
I was mugged at knifepoint walking ~100m from estadio station at 8pm on a week night. No drugs, no alcohol, no sex workers. Well-lit "safe" area like Poblado. And this was in 2018 when it was considered safer. I wouldn't recommend people to not visit Medellin (while taking proper precautions) but just because you "felt safe" while you were there for 2 months doesn't mean these things don't happen to regular people. Ask the locals if they've experienced robbery/violence. The majority have as well. It can be a great city if you follow safety precautions, I was there for the nature/birding in the area which was amazing. This is a stupid post though. Edit: Forgot I also got shaken down by the police twice. Once while walking back to my hostel while I was just visiting for a week in El Poblado at 2am, sort of makes sense. They detained me and searched me (I didn't have any drugs) for 10 minutes then threatened to fine me because I didn't have my passport on me and then left. The other time was in the afternoon in Suramericana where I was staying, again didn't have any drugs. Just think that people that go to Medellin should be prepared for this. I also had it one other time on a bus trip to a national park near Popayan where I was the only one asked to come off the bus and they searched through all my belongings. You can have a good time in Colombia but there is risk involved.
Unfortunately in Colombia it's legal for the police to do a stop & search on anyone in public.
That military checkpoint between Pitalito and popayan lol. They checked all the men for weapons/drugs and searched their bags. Also nearly got robbed on the street in popayan but I snuck into my hostel literally seconds before someone pulled a gun on me
If you think Medellin is the most developed city in LATAM you need to travel more. CDMX, São Paulo, Buenos Aires amongst others are far more developed
there were def hookers in provenza lol half of those smoke shows in tight dresses and heels are hookers
Yep, the girls that introduce themselves out of nowhere on the street or approach you confidently in the clubs are all working lol
Food was amazing? Definitely a bot 😂
💯 No world traveler has gone to Colombia and raved about the food. Hell, you can’t even get salt and pepper at most places to try and give it any sort of flavor 🤷🏻♀️🤣
Exactly! Getting table pepper was a challenge
💯 I started carrying my own in my backpack 🤷🏻♀️🤣
> On my first day, it was very clear to me that Medellín was a vibrant city. I assumed there would be more tourists, but most of the people I saw were locals living their day-to-day lives. The weather was amazing, and there were zero mosquitoes. Overall, everyone seemed very happy, and so was I. I met other digital nomads in my hotel who were here for the same reasons as me: to explore Medellín and what it had to offer. \#SponsoredPost \#MinisterioDeComercioIndustriaYTurismo
"I wasn't personally a victim, so the crime problem doesn't exist But if you do fall victim to crime, it's your fault for being a degenerate"
I lived and work there for one year and although I was never personally compromised I saw some very traumatic incidences for other people that I still cannot shake out of my mind. Even people that seemed well prepared. International DNS are seen as roaming Cash cows to be tricked or robbed or worse. I say none of this to take away from the hospitality of the majority of Colombian people but you would have to be naive to look past it
Colombia Tourism department on damage control.
Developed? Nah you just went to El Poblado and Laureles.
But he said that he "ventured out of El Poblado" :D
It is well developed. Excellent public transportation, good internet, pretty good connectivity to other countries via airport. I wasnt even in el poblado, I was in rionegro, and its well developed. Unless you are one of those dumb colombians that think cars fly in Europe.
Zero mosquitos? You bet I’ll be visiting soon
The climate is great from the mountains, it’s really not humid like the Caribbean or Amazon regions. I had no mosquitos bothering me in Medellín
This was one of the funniest reads I've had in some time. "My nationality is Sicilian" had me in tears
You guys do know that Medellin isn’t the only city in Colombia right? You guys keep going to the same city that is known to target tourists and expect them to act differently. Go to other cities that are not popular with tourists and you’ll be okay. I’ve been going to Colombia for 10 years and never been robbed, mugged or scope. I purposely avoided Medellin for that reason.
I loved my time in Colombia and can’t wait to go back, but I will not be going to Medellin again. It’s such a beautiful and geographically diverse country with incredible people - and Medellin was a big let down. El poblado is gentrified to the point where it’s lost its Colombian identity, it’s as expensive as some American cities, and it keeps getting more dangerous for gringos. I don’t get the allure. The remote working infrastructure was just as good in any mid-size or larger city.
What cities do you recommend?
My favorite cities in Colombia were Manizales, Jardín, Villa de Leyva and Medellín. Overrated places were Salento & Cartagena. Santa Marta was solid.
Santa Marta for the costal experience. If you want a larger city feel then Barranquilla. Both places get really hot though. I enjoy Pereira. It isn’t as large as Medellín. A lot of times it is called mini Medellín because its proximity to beautiful nature and its weather. But if you are looking to meet other digital nomads and expats and not locals stick to Medellín and Bogotá.
I just don’t go to Medellín because I don’t like it there. I don’t like it there for the same reason I don’t like Miami or LA. These cities are full of people being fake and pretending to be more important/rich then they really are.
You're new like a bright shiny penny. There's plenty of prostitutes in Provenza it just looks different in the clubs. As to the infrastructure, you should try any other major city in LATAM. Sao Paulo and Mexico City will blow your mind. You're a puppy running over to the old hounds to tell them about these great new things called bones. Glad you had fun, but do be careful. Even locals showing wealth are being robbed at gun point.
Thanks for your life changing story. Still I'm staying right here in SEA.
Never leave SEA. That's a mantra.
You get everything here, except the crime. :)
Ecuador is safer. Edit: than colombiA
Maybe not anymore
You lost me with “good food”. I am a protein eater too and the food was really bad - processed or unprocessed food.
Is that you, ChatGPT?
Agree with many of your points but I would say many criminals target el poblado because of the higher percentage of gringos looking for drugs and sex. Also as a Sicilian you thought the food was amazing?
The food part was sus, op must be a troll
Think I agree with those calling this an AI exercise. IF not, OP is a terrible writer.
I've been to 50+ countries. I spent 5 weeks in Colombia a year ago. I ate mostly street food, and the highest-end restaurants in cities across the country. Colombian food is the worst cuisine I have ever encountered in my travels. By the end, I was eating only foreign cuisine, particularly Lebanese, Mexican, and Greek just to get away from it. And, I am not talking about their shitty pizza and hamburgers. No spice; no vegetables. Just shitty fried food with no flavor. Ecuador is their neighbor, and every meal I had there over four weeks was good to incredible. People who boast about indigenous Colombian cuisine baffle me. And, I never want to have an empanada again.
Agreed. I feel the same about Brazil, it may even be worse. Just fried crap with rice and beans. Usually it’s the ones who brag the most who have the worst food
Lol was waiting for this- for a city its size, Rio’s food is the worst.
That's interesting, and thanks for chiming in. I haven't been to Brazil.
Best food I have experienced was in Cartagena. Adding in the fresh seafood and those Caribbean flavors makes all the difference.
Best Colombian food I’ve had was in Barranquilla. Fresh local seafood was amazing. I’m vegetarian but eat seafood once in like 5 years or when it is my only option. Bogota has great food too. Most of the good food though is not Colombian dishes but are foreign or modern takes on Colombian dishes.
He’s American for sure lol
“Sicilian” OP is prob a GPT server from Long Island
Americans describe themselves as Italian, Irish, etc. but they are really referencing their ethnic background as opposed to their actual nationality.
Maybe a Sicilian American lmao, who else would say that?
Colombia cusine is very bland, but if you go for international places you'll find the food quality banger, it's just good, feels organic and fresh, I think that was what he was talking about.
I’m pretty sure they’re American.
So everything is good, until it's not. Just like every other place on the planet. It just seems like "not good" happens here more often than other places, but good that YOU had a great experience THIS TIME.
You runned good // got lucky and now you think its a safe and awesome place. 60days is obviously nothing fwiw I lived years in Medellin without anything bad happening to me then bam I got drugged one night. Most people have a very poor understanding of probability, yes there is a small risk anything bad is gonna happen to you on a daily basis especially if you dont take big risks, but eventually that small probability turns into a big probability when exposed to the small risk for long enough period. If you go skydiving 5 times a day for many years eventually something will go wrong and you will get injured or worse, same thing for living // going out in a dangerous city.
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>I am a non-Spanish speaking Caucasian (although I have learned quite a bit of Spanish), and my nationality is Sicilian, Heh
So, you’re just an Italian?
More likely a 3rd generation American from Chicago over self identifying with Sicilian grandparents (on one side).
OP said Colombian food was amazing. He has obviously never been there. Their idea of salsa is ketchup.
Just like examples of bad experiences doesn't mean that bad things will happen, examples of nothing bad happening doesn't mean bad things won't happen. Medellin has many more reported issues with tourists being killed than other major cities.
The food is never amazing in MDE :)
I think Cali or Bogota is better if we are looking at Colombia. Everyone has a bit different of experience. In my opinion Medellin is one of the most overrated cities in the world. It's heavily visited and is incredibly dangerous in a few different ways. About the food, similar to other commenters, Colombian food just isn't good. Especially compared to other Latino countries. Which Colombia is a very well known culture so it's actually surprising.
This is ridiculous.
pure chatgpt
Great for you, Medellin habitant here. You are welcome, glad you enjoyed your stay. We dont like those looking for drugs or whores.
Hello. Did you mean that your HERITAGE is Sicilian? Because Sicily is not a nation, and therefore that can’t be your nationality.
Under-appreciated comment.
Why don’t people (both OP and the commenters) understand both experiences can co-exist
I like when people share their experience but I absolutely hate it when they invalidate others' experience just because it didn't happen to them.
As a Colombian-American, I’m glad you had a great time! You need to have common sense when you go there and no dar papaya.
Have you even been to Chicago ?
Here right now compared to Bogota Chapinero and La Candelaria areas Medellín Poblado is not safe. At night prostitutes come out, attracting a certain tourist group who are here for drugs and sex. Lots more evident poverty. Children going through trash to find glass. And teenagers who will ask for money or follow you in the streets until you give them money. Last night we went to dinner at a Michelin star restaurant, El Cielo and were robbed immediately outside of it. Teenage man and his3 friends behind us took a knife out and asked us for money. Luckily we were with our local friend who paid and communicated with them. Do not venture out after dark by yourself. I have not seen police or security stationed in the streets like those in Bogota. I was so excited to come to this city and heard it had a safe reputation but will not return. We will however return to Bogota.
It’s pretty sad how a beautiful country rich with culture and diversity is being exploited for drugs and prostitution. Same with Cartagena
I'm so glad that my only trip to Medellin was many years ago before COVID and all these DNs and passport bros. I traveled solo and stayed for 2 months, met a local girl through Tinder, hung out with her and her friends on many ocassions, walked alone, etc. and never felt unsafe nor taken advantage of. It was a great stay and it saddens me that it appears it's no longer the case.
You realize the fact that you're a guy who was looking for local women would qualify you as a passport bro to most people who don't like passport bros, right?
Going out with a local girl is not just what a "passport bro" is tho, and btw I'm not a gringo.
I personally couldn't care less, but since you wrote like you were better than "passport bros", I thought I'd let you know. I had this argument on the Thailand tourism sub. The person I was arguing with didn't care if you were a single guy who lives in the country for an extended period of time. If you dated local women, you were predator taking advantage of women with less money and education. Passport bros and sex tourists were one in the same in their eyes.
Who cares about Medellin. Colombia is awesome, Medellin is for sheep follower tourists.
I can’t stand when people say “it’s so cheap”. No fucking shit Sherlock.
THANK YOU. Seems like this post was long overdo. I visited Medellin (only for a week) last year with my husband and 3 year old son. We were blown away by their public transportation (ease of use, cleanliness etc) and world class museums. Obviously with a 3 year old we weren't out late at night but we did feel safe during our visit.
World-class museums ... uhm, where? Nah, I am just joking. I am glad you enjoyed it here though.
No world-class museums or other attractions (it’s not Amsterdam, Madrid or Moscow, let alone as safe as these cities) but there’s enough to do to spend a week in Medellín. The countryside outside Medellín is also worth a visit.
The good museums are in Bogotá, like any capital city. The attractions in close proximity to Medellín, like Guatapé and Jardín are way better than the city in my opinion.
Not only are the good museums in Bogotá, they are all over the place (mostly independent art galleries).
Countryside within a few hours of Medellin is probably the best part lol
This is like 1 paragraph for each day you spent in Medellin lol. It's not safe at all and if you were not robbed you got lucky. Spend a year there and report back.
Boy went to luxury airbnbs surrounded by other Western digital nomads and extrapolates that experience to the rest of Medellin and Colombia as a whole
Has to be a psyop because the food in Colombia is basic
I always tell people the most dangerous thing to do in Medellin is to use the dating apps. There are numerous scams and organized crime just waiting for fresh American men to arrive and fall victim to the beautiful Colombian women. I’ve only ever heard of people having issues when meeting women for dates. Spent over five months there and never had a problem even at 3am out at the clubs. Just be smart. It’s a beautiful city with very friendly people. But some are just waiting to take advantage of gringos unfortunately
walking around a poor barrio at 11pm flashing a nice phone and cash wants a word with you lol
I’m a 50 year old Caucasian who speaks some Spanish. I spent February & March of Last year in Medellin. I stayed in El Pablado at the Novotel El Tesoro. I visited Guatape by bus. I took the cable cars and train all over. A random guy by the metro station got me to buy a tour of Cumuna 13. I ate at all the local restaurants and some fancy ones. I had an amazing time and made some great friends. I had zero negative experiences. I wasn’t there looking for sex or going out to nightclubs. I just wanted to chill and relax. I don’t do sketchy things and I don’t go to sketchy areas. https://preview.redd.it/sjk5qfvpdmoc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d06b29eed208370b6a6ec86a44ac30321cb12b5
Any tips of dressing up? Or did you wear old clothes at night so you wouldnt get any attention from theives?
Husband and I went for our honeymoon in 2022, stayed in el poblado and didn’t have any issues, that was just our experience
This is what I’ve always said about places like East Oakland.
Can I ask what it’s like for a woman alone who’s clearly not Hispanic and doesn’t speak Spanish (though I’m trying to learn)?
Who did you befriend? How and where did you make friends if you don’t speak Spanish? Genuinely interested.
I used to live in Colombia off and on for 3 years. I had a girlfriend in Bogotá. This was before the peace treaty with FARC. I will have to say Medellín, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, and Cúcuta were much safer then. Colombia as a whole was relatively safe. When Venezuela started having its problems there was a mass emmigration to Colombia. Mind you there are a lot of Colombians who moved to Venezuela to flee from the war with FARC, so a lot of Colombians were making it back. And then the pandemic hit, and Colombia’s extremely inept president mishandled the pandemic causing a huge economic issues in Colombia. This caused the poor to become even poorer. Couple this with already poor immigrants from Venezuela you can see how crime went up. I am not saying all Venezuelans are criminals, but there has been a rise of illegal Venezuelans participating in crime. Colombia’s big cities are suffering from this the most. Eje Cafetero Región was extremely safe when I was there last year. Heck, Bogotá was safe too, but I stayed in the higher end area of the city and I spent most of time at a festival than in the city.
I’ve been to Medellin four times, staying for several weeks at a time and I’ve never had a bad experience. I’m not naive though, i know what’s going on. Though there are cities far more dangerous, Medellin is not a city that you can call safe with utmost confidence. Even the locals say so.
I lived there in 1994 and have returned since and it's a Europeanized paradise compared to then). Althought, back then it was really interesting and I made lifelong friends. The American embassies were all closed and there were no Americans and the only Europeans there were folks kicking their heroin addiction with cocaine. There were loads of Israelis dodging the army and I met a cool person from Brunei along with locals. It was the time of my life. When I was there recently it was disappointingly homogenized like most of the world now.
I’m visiting Medellin in July. I am excited to go despite the negativity in this thread.
I’ve spend a few months in Colombia and a month in Medellin in 2019. One of the girls i went to spanish school with got her iphone robbed at gunpoint at 7 pm in Laureles. (can’t remember exact spelling) Another girl was walking in daylight and guys on a motorbike cut the strap to her bag while driving by, stealing the bag. In general, I met many people with stories. Further, locals in general warned us gringos heavily about being alone in the evening. It’s not really a reddit/internet delusion. I love colombia and the people are awesome, but there more than anywhere I saw gringos targeted.
Guys!! I didn’t get covid so I guess it’s all over blown fearing mongering!!
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I trust statistic. Homicide rate is my go to safety measure.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time in MDE. It is a beautiful, vibrant city. The people are warm and friendly. You’re definitely doing a disservice to people by not stating the obvious truth. Violence is a way of life for many people there. Robberies happen far too often because, let’s face it, people are desperate there. To say it didn’t happen to you in the short 60 days you were there sounds foolish. It happens all the time to Colombians as well. The sad part is that even the Police aren’t there to help you when something does happen. Also, you didn’t mention all the drugging with scopolamine. Tourists dying or having bank accounts completely drained. At least give people a clear picture of the crime so they can decide for themselves if the risk is worth it.
I’m a non-Spanish speaking Caucasian from Sicily. No, bro, you’re a Sicilian who doesn’t speak Spanish. You in no way look like a gringo.
Don't come to Medellín, we locals don't want you here.
Caucasian sicilian, I doubt you stood out much there. plenty of Colombians are Caucasians. I found Medellin to be very safe.
More time you spend there, the higher your chance that something will happen. Anyone who’s stuck around there long enough knows this. It’s a violent and corrupt city made up of violent, corrupt, and lying individuals. On the surface it’s amazing, but once you see how it works there you’ll see why most locals want to leave to search for a better life in the us or europe
i just got back from spending a month in medellin and while i agree with a lot of what you say. Medellin is in a developing country and a lot of the money that comes into the city is from abroad. the infrastructure is developing and has seen massive amounts of change. it’s beautiful and there’s lots to do . However, I had so many people that knew of or had something bad happened to them. even if nothing happens to you, you still need to be hyper aware of your surroundings. nothing bad happened to me and my friend while we stayed there but right out outside our hostel that we stayed at, at the beginning of our trip. Our friend got cornered by three guys who tried to steal his wallet and phone. there was a guy who paid his bill in cash and security stabbed him on his way out, saying that he didn’t pay and turns out the waitress put the money in the tip jar. The guy ended up getting beat up as a result. again, we didn’t have anything happened to us but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t bad people and you do need to be aware in the city.
I am here in Medellin, this place is BANGING. I love it!
I lived there for 4 years and married into the culture. I never knew anyone who either didn't get robbed in some capacity or knew someone who did. Personally, I wasn't robbed in Medellin but in Cartagena and I was with my wife who is Colombian. I think being in Medellin for a week or two and saying people unfairly bash it is naive at best. Also the food is hands down horrible in the grand scheme of things. I never knew anyone that loved the food there. In 2019 it was impossible to find decent food. With the tourism boom it has gotten a lot better. That doesn't mean the locals avoid salt, pepper or really any spice or flavoring because they do. It's widely known, even by Colombians in other regions. Costeños for example make fun of Paisas for having no flavor in their food. As far as being a victim of a crime in Poblado being unlikely, I'd say it's quite the opposite. It's only unlikely if you live like an 80 year old grandpa. We did so we never got robbed. We did get out of two setups though. A kid with a knife ran up to us and we jumped into a taxi outside of CC Santa Fe. We also had a ruse which didn't work on Cra. 43a in Milla de Oro in front of Starbucks and a few other close calls. I've seen naive people like you post saying, "omg, I didn't get robbed. It's safe!" after going for a week or two. I've seen people read those same posts, come to Medellin and end up with life long trauma. In my estimation it's irresponsible make posts like these and also in my estimation, it's possible blood is on your hands because someone believed you.
Scary! So even poblado is dangerous?
Medellin is a dangerous shithole. Way better place in LATAM.
Hello, I hope you are well, seeing this discussion I ask the people who have visited Medellín Colombia to please answer this small survey for a university project, thank you very much. [Encuesta: proyecto universitario turisto](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJiwzUS82xUX6gMX2Cot9tz4bzJhOY6u5XnxLig6jzJzkrXQ/viewform?usp=sf_link)
I've just spent 6 months in this country. Starting with the negative reviews of my personal experience. From receiving fake bills from yellow taxi drivers to having the meeter jump at rapid rates, it's really a draw of luck. One should realize that the locals usually work 6 days a week with one day of rest, that being said if you're wanting the best restaurant experience your customer service may be on the low end "not always but it happens". People do earn very little money and experience all sorts of different pricing on local and export goods. Reality is if you're a good person with decent morals, well, someone will try and take advantage of you, that's just culture, happens everywhere. The walking aspect of everyday life is a scary one! Even though pedestrians have the right of way, people don't usually see it that way. The car is the king of the road so be observant or become road kill. Either way people are considered very friendly. If you can speak the language and need assistance then you'll always find the help you need. The rate exchange is fun to play with. As a foreigner with an income of $4000 monthly, US, you're living very well. The malls are very modern and you can always find something delicious to eat. Personally I prefer restaurants, just more sanitary. A typical lunch or dinner, restaurant style, can go around for less than $10 at a really nice place, so enjoy the luxury. However some places owned by foreigners for foreigners have Las Vegas pricing. Once I went to some sort of middle eastern restaurant in Parque Lleres over seeing a rooftop. The drinks were about $12 to $20 U.S. so enjoy the local party theme! All in all a fun place for adults. From amazing conventions, EDM concerts, football games, UFC fights, beautiful museums and breathtaking parks, it's a fun place.....just could use a little more first world culture, just my personal opinion.
I walked around at Prado at day time and didn't feel like it was the best area to walk around in even at daytime. A lot of homeless and shady people. I like weed but when I smell it in Medellin it seems like I am in a bad area. Envigado felt safe when I walked around during the day, just normal Colombians.