Last updated: August 8, 2020
I spent about 10 days in Medellin with my girlfriend, Rachel, during July 2019. We found: the best local SIM card in Medellin was Avantel. The safest neighborhood was Poblado and my favorite coffee shop there was Pergamino. Our favorite tour was Comuna 13. We made a bunch of videos. And more! See all the places we were recommended and (and some of which we liked) on this shared Google Map.
Best SIM Card: Avantel
I got an Avantel SIM card for $10,000 pesos, plus the $20,000 pre-paid amount of 4GB data and 100 minutes of talk time. (2GB of daytime data, and 2GB of evening data) I bought this at a mall kiosk in Poblado. If I was staying in the country for over 30 days, I was told I would either need to get a new SIM or register mine somehow.
Scooters: Nobody Uses Them (Yet)
We saw a lot of electric scooters for rent around the Poblado neighborhood. We rarely saw anyone using them.
Best Coffee in Poblado: Pergamino
If you’re not going to drink your coffee like a local as a tinto, or like a fancy local at a Juan Valdez Cafe, then may I suggest: Pergamino Cafe. I loved the coffee selections at Pergamino Cafe. They have cold brew, nitro, pour over, V60, AeroPress, Chemex, and more. This is a chain with several locations. Plus the Pergamino in the heart of Poblado is quite the scene! Lots of people were working at laptops. By 10:30am on a Friday, there was a line for seats. Also Try: Across the street is Cafe Velvet. This was less crowded, open earlier, and with some strong third-wave offerings (like V60 and pour over). One time while I was here, I met the Founder of Baselang!
Uber in Medellin: Use Cabify Instead
During our trip in July 2019, the app Cabify was much better than Uber. We had much faster pickups and paid a lower rate.
Medellin Travel Vlogs
More Travel Videos from Medellin, Colombia
We also made these videos during our trip and I quite like them:
- Medellín, Colombia: Tour our Airbnb as we travel the city
- Tight Rope Traffic in Medellin Colombia | Medellín VLOG by Nick Gray
- Medellín Farmers’ Market in Poblado, Colombia | MEDELLIN VLOG by Nick Gray
- Tour and Tasting at Placita de Flórez Market in Medellín, Colombia
The Best Medellin, Colombia Podcast Episodes
I’m planning to visit Medellin, Colombia for the first time. I found that these three podcast episodes were great introductions to the recent history:
NPR: Episode #1825: The Remarkable Rebirth of Medellín
Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa reported in Medellín at the height of the cartel war. After 30 years, she returns to the city, joined by radio reporter Luis Gallo, whose father worked as a captain in the anti-narcotics unit and whose life and family history were forever changed by Colombia’s armed conflict. Together, they tour Medellín, talking to local artists, academics, urban planners and politicians to understand how it went from chaos to the innovative, model city of today. NPR link for the podcast / text description from here
99% Invisible: Post-Narco Urbanism
Lots of text on the link if you prefer to read the story there!
BBC: Medellin, Colombia: Slums and urban regeneration
How a huge civic project transformed the violent neighbourhoods of Medellin, Colombia’s second city.
My Favorite Medellin Photos
Here they are.
More Information + Good Resources
- YouTube: Medellin Travel Guide
Reflections On Couples Travel: By Rachel McEvoy
I realized during this trip that:
- Time away (withdrawal) energized us both (Rachel at Toucan, Nick solo working/connecting via interwebs)
- Having the goal of Spanish was similarly energizing (and served to connect us with others)
- Two nights in a place, at least, was more manageable. Travel between spots when spending one night there diminished ability to be fully present.
- I missed my long time friends.
- Novels kept me company.
- When traveling, most mental space IS taken up by the travel itself. Return home and to routine felt restorative because mental space was freed up for bigger picture and long term goals and habits
Original post: July 20, 2019 -- Last updated: August 8, 2020
