Medellín After Smaller South American Cities Felt Like Sensory Overload

I’m always excited for every country I get to visit, but I think we can all agree that there are certain destinations that come with an extra level of excitement and anticipation. For me, Colombia was definitely one of those places.

Colombia wrapped up my five-week South America journey. There’s another post dedicated entirely to how I mapped out the trip, how I managed to book almost 90% of my flights on points, and how I maximized credits, hotel certificates, and airline rewards throughout the journey.

Logistically, Colombia was always going to make the most sense as my final stop. It meant the shortest flight back home to the United States and geographically it fit naturally after Ecuador. One thing I really appreciated about using points throughout this trip was the flexibility. If I needed to adjust a route or return home earlier, I could. In my case, my flight back home was booked through the American Airlines AAdvantage program and unlike many international carriers, American airlines generally allow you to change or cancel award bookings without change fees, which gave me a lot more flexibility as I figured things out along the way.

As I mentioned in some of my other South America posts, I was only booking flights and hotels around a week or week and a half ahead of time. For the most part it worked out well for me. That doesn’t mean I landed in South America with no plan at all. I had a loose framework in mind, cities I wanted to prioritize, and an end date where I absolutely needed to be back home.

By the time Colombia came around though, I was definitely feeling some travel fatigue. I had switched hotels much more frequently than I expected during this trip and my suitcase and backpack were both embarrassingly overpacked. Every hotel change meant unpacking, reorganizing, and somehow trying to force everything back into the same bags again.

As I got closer to booking Colombia accommodations, I decided to cut Bogotá from the itinerary entirely. Instead I would only visit Medellín and Cartagena, and I shortened the trip by two days so I could return home a little earlier. Again, that flexibility is where points really beat cash fares for me.

So from Quito, Ecuador, my next stop was Medellín.

What I knew about Colombia beforehand is probably similar to what most people know it for: lively music, warm people, nightlife, coffee, and incredible food. I was excited for this final stretch of the trip.

In Medellín I stayed at The Somos Beats Hotel & Rooftop, very close to the Provenza and Manila areas. The location ended up being excellent if you’re looking to stay somewhere walkable to restaurants, cafés, and nightlife without constantly needing Ubers. The room itself had a very urban modern feel to it, exposed brick, industrial pipes, open hanging clothes storage, very stylish without feeling overdesigned.

One thing I did genuinely enjoy there was the breakfast. It wasn’t a buffet but rather one prepared breakfast dish each morning along with fruit, coffee, and juice. I know this sounds dramatic but the fruit in Colombia was perfection after weeks of traveling.

I love walking tours. You’ll get tired of hearing me say that throughout these posts. They’re how I orient myself whenever I arrive in a new city.

And honestly, I don’t think there’s another city on this trip where a walking tour felt more useful than Medellín.

After spending time in places like Quito and Santiago, Medellín immediately felt denser and more energetic, especially around the city center. There are people everywhere. Markets spilling into sidewalks, music playing, vendors calling out, traffic moving constantly. It’s lively but can also feel overwhelming when you first arrive.

One of my first mornings I joined a GuruWalk through the city center. We walked through Plaza Botero, past the giant Botero sculptures, along Calle Carabobo with all the shops and market stalls, and through Plaza Bolívar. Both walking tours I did in Medellín spent a lot of time giving historical context to the places we were walking through rather than just naming landmarks. They explained how different neighborhoods evolved, the impact of violence and displacement throughout the city’s history, and the ongoing attempts at rebuilding and modernization.

I also appreciated that the guides were realistic. They pointed out areas we should avoid wandering into and explained where tourists really had no reason to be. Nothing ever felt unsafe during the tours themselves, but it was a reminder to stay aware of your surroundings.

I also visited the Museo de Antioquia while trying to escape a sudden rainstorm near Plaza Botero. It ended up working out perfectly. If you’re already exploring the square and appreciate Botero’s sculptures outside, the museum is worth stepping into for an hour or two.

Another place I visited was Parque Arví, which I accessed through Medellín’s Metrocable system. Just getting there is part of the experience. Depending on where you’re staying, you’ll likely take one cable car line into another as the city slowly disappears beneath you and turns into hills and forest.

The journey itself gives you a glimpse into the neighborhoods that have made their homes along the hillsides surrounding Medellín. You really start to understand the geography of the city once you’re above it. The final cable car ride into Parque Arví itself was unlike anything I had experienced before, just gliding quietly above dense lush forest for what feels like miles.

This was one place where I completely underestimated what I was getting into.

For some reason I imagined Parque Arví as one of those scenic viewpoint stops where you arrive, walk around for thirty minutes, take photos overlooking the city, maybe grab a coffee, and head back down. That is not what this is at all.

Parque Arví deserves its own slow morning or afternoon. I made the mistake of trying to squeeze it into the end of an already packed day after Comuna 13 and other exploring around Medellín. I was mentally rushing myself the entire time because I felt like I still had other things on my agenda.

The park itself is huge and genuinely feels like an escape from the city. Once you’re inside the trails, you’re surrounded by forest for miles. I also realized very quickly that I was underdressed and underprepared. I showed up in casual city clothes and white sneakers not fully thinking through the fact that it had rained the previous day and that this was an actual nature park, not just a viewpoint stop.

By the end my sneakers needed serious help.

Still, I would absolutely recommend it if you want a quieter contrast to Medellín itself. Next time I would dedicate an entire low-key morning there with no other plans afterward.

Another area you’ll hear about constantly in Medellín is Comuna 13. I did a separate GuruWalk there and I think it’s one of those places where you’ll hear mixed opinions from both locals and travelers.

Comuna 13 was once considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Colombia during the height of the country’s violence and drug conflict. Today it’s colorful, artistic, and heavily visited by tourists. There are murals, music performances, escalators connecting the hillsides, food vendors, and street art everywhere.

I think some of the tension people feel comes from trying to balance remembering the area’s very real history while also watching it become heavily commercialized through tourism. As foreigners it’s easy for people to flatten Colombia’s history into Pablo Escobar references and Netflix imagery, but the reality of those years was obviously much more complicated and devastating for the people who actually lived through it.

You can get a deeper understanding of those years at Museo Casa de la Memoria. It’s not an especially large museum, but it is very powerful. One of the highlights for me were the interactive exhibits that allow you to trace Colombia’s history year by year and city by city, seeing how violence and conflict affected different regions across the country over time.

One thing I unexpectedly enjoyed was simply walking around Provenza and Manila during quieter hours of the day.

Originally I wasn’t planning to experience much nightlife while in Medellín even though my hotel was right near Provenza. Solo travel for long periods sometimes makes me a little more cautious at night, especially in places I’m still getting familiar with.

But on my final morning before leaving Medellín for Cannúa, I spent a few hours just slowly walking around the neighborhood after breakfast.

Technically I could have tried to squeeze in more sightseeing that morning. I had considered places like Museo El Castillo or even trying to fit in another park before my pickup. But because I hadn’t really taken the time to properly explore the neighborhood around me yet, I decided to keep the morning low key instead of racing the clock trying to fit in one last attraction before checkout.

Seeing Provenza during the daytime completely changed my perspective on it. In the mornings you can watch restaurants opening for the day, vendors setting up, music slowly starting to drift through the streets, and locals having coffee outside before things become crowded later at night.

The entire area stretches for several blocks and feels much more relaxed during the day than I expected. Honestly, if I had explored it earlier in my stay and gotten more comfortable with the layout of the neighborhood, I probably would have gone back out one evening for dinner or drinks. Not until 1 a.m. or anything crazy, but enough to actually experience the atmosphere a little more.

And honestly, slowing down that final morning ended up being the right decision. After several days of Medellín’s constant movement and energy, Cannúa was exactly the change of scenery I needed. I also go into my full day in Guatapé and El Peñón (including a helicopter ride I didn’t plan!).