Practical tips
Getting from the airport, moving around the city, money, phones, safety and health. Short answers to the questions guests ask us most.
Medellín's international airport is in Rionegro, in the hills east of the city. The drive to El Poblado takes about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic and the route.
Tip: Leave extra time for the trip to the airport at rush hour and on Sunday evenings.
Official white airport taxis wait outside arrivals and charge a fixed fare set by the city. Uber, Cabify and DiDi also work from the airport, with a pickup point shown in the app. Airport buses go to central Medellín (San Diego and the center), and from there you need a short ride to El Poblado.
Tip: Ignore people offering rides inside the terminal. Use the official taxi line or your app.
Medellín's second airport is inside the city, a few minutes from El Poblado. It handles domestic flights only, mostly on smaller regional airlines such as Satena.
Tip: Check which airport your ticket says. Domestic flights on the larger airlines usually leave from José María Córdova.
Medellín's Metro is clean, safe and the fastest way across the city at rush hour. Poblado station on Line A is about a 15-minute walk from the apartment and runs north to the center and south to Envigado.
Tip: The Metro opens later and closes earlier on Sundays and holidays. Trains are very full at rush hour.
Official siteMetro, Metrocable, tram and integrated buses are paid with the Cívica, a rechargeable contactless card. Visitors can buy a Cívica Eventual at any station ticket office, pay a one-time card fee, and top it up as needed.
Tip: Load enough for a few days at once to skip the ticket line. Lost Eventual cards can't be refunded.
Official siteCable cars connect the Metro to the hillside neighborhoods and are part of the same system and card. Line K climbs from Acevedo station to Santo Domingo, and Line L continues on to Parque Arví with its own fare.
Tip: Go on a weekday morning to avoid long lines for Line L.
Official siteUber, Cabify and DiDi all pick up at the Mixa lobby, and the app shows the car, plate and driver before you get in. Yellow taxis are everywhere, but at night it is safer to use an app than to hail one on the street.
Tip: Check the plate before getting in, and never share a taxi with a passenger already inside.
Cards are accepted in most restaurants, supermarkets and malls in El Poblado, but carry some cash for small shops and street food. Use ATMs inside banks, malls or supermarkets rather than on the street, and cover the keypad.
Tip: Card skimming happens. Check your statements during the trip.
Restaurants usually suggest a tip of 10% on the bill, often listed as "servicio" or "propina". By law it is voluntary: you can pay it, change the amount or ask them to remove it.
Tip: The server will usually ask "¿Desea incluir el servicio?" before charging your card.
Claro, Movistar and Tigo sell prepaid SIM cards in their stores and in malls; bring your passport. A phone from abroad used with a Colombian SIM must have its IMEI registered with the carrier, which is free, so ask the store to do it. A travel eSIM bought before you arrive avoids this step.
Tip: The apartment has fast Wi-Fi, so many guests only need mobile data for maps and ride apps.
Paisas are polite and formal with strangers, so greet before you ask: "Buenos días" or "Buenas". Useful lines: "¿Me regala…?" (Can I have…?), "La cuenta, por favor", "¿Cuánto vale?" and "Con mucho gusto".
Tip: "Me regala un café" doesn't mean free coffee. It is the normal polite way to order.
Colombians say "no dar papaya": don't make yourself an easy target. Keep your phone out of sight on the street, carry only what you need, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
Tip: Phone snatching, sometimes from motorbikes, is the most common problem. If it happens, hand it over and don't resist.
Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi to get home rather than walking or hailing a taxi. Never leave a drink unattended or accept food, drinks or cigarettes from people you just met.
Tip: Save the building's address in your ride app before you go out.
The US, UK and Canadian governments warn that criminals in Colombia, including Medellín, use dating apps to meet foreigners and then drug them, often with scopolamine, to rob them. Meet new people in busy public places, tell a friend where you are, and don't bring new acquaintances back to the apartment.
Official siteMedellín is mild all year, usually between about 16 and 26 °C. Rain can come any month, often as an afternoon shower, and is heaviest around April to May and September to November.
Tip: Pack light clothes, a light jacket for evenings, and a compact umbrella or rain jacket.
Colombia uses 110 V, 60 Hz and type A and B plugs, the same as the US and Canada. Visitors from Europe, the UK or Australia need a plug adapter, and should check that their devices accept 110 V.
Medellín's tap water is treated by EPM, the city utility, which says it is safe to drink straight from the tap. The apartment's fridge also has filtered water.
Dial 123 from any phone for police, ambulance or fire. The building has 24/7 security and reception in the lobby.
Tip: Travel insurance that covers medical care is worth having, since private clinics bill foreign visitors directly.
The closest large private clinic, about a 12-minute walk from the apartment. Other large clinics nearby include Clínica del Prado in Ciudad del Río and Clínica El Rosario in El Tesoro.
Pharmacies are called droguerías, and there are many near the apartment. Chains such as Farmatodo, Cruz Verde and Pasteur have branches in El Poblado, some open 24 hours, and Rappi delivers pharmacy items to the lobby.
Tip: Pharmacists can advise on minor problems. Many medicines need a prescription.
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