Neighborhoods / Surrounding Areas, A look at some of Medellin's neighborhoods & surrounding areas Options

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NEIGHBORHOODS & Surrounding Areas

"in the city of eternal spring!"

Touring the city...


CENTRAL SECTOR

The City Center (Downtown)

Unlike other urban areas in the world, Medellin's city center has had no other option than to adapt to modern tendencies, leaving a small but representative sample of its architectural and cultural heritage. However, in the past few years, as the city has extended toward the enveloping mountainsides, a new spirit of preservation has emerged, which has led it to rescue the remains of its past. The first houses in the Aburra Valley were built in El Pobaldo in 1616, in the southern area of the city. After that, the first colonists moved north, near Santa Elena.

In 1675, a village called Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Medellin emerged, though it only became a capital city in 1826. The first small village concentrated itself around Plaza Mayor (a wide cobblestone area), where today stands Berrío Park. This park is a vibrant meeting place to this day for Medellin citizens, visitors and travelers. During the early period, colonial Santa Fe de Antioquia, lying on the banks of the Cauca River continued to be the administrative and political axis of Colombia and the region.

From the colonial period, which was dominated by Spanish architecture, jewels like La Veracuz, La Candelaria and Saint Ignatius churches still survive, as well as the University of Antioquia buildings opposite of Saint Ignatius Square. It was a time of beautiful facades with big balconies and wooden windows. The houses stood out with their huge inner patios made of stone and clay tiled floors.

Toward the middle of the 19th century, construction took on a new style which became know as the Republican Period. This obvious European style was marked by iron fences, wide lawns, flower gardens & bronze statues. Two important samples of this style include Berrio Park & Bolivar Park. However, both of these areas recently had to give way for trancendental architectural developments including the construction of the Medellin Metro. Buildings representative of the Republican Period in Medellin include Villanueva Cathedral (today Metropolitan Basilica), the old station for the Antioquia Railway, Saint Joseph Church & Villanueva shopping center to name a few. San Vicente de Paul Hospital also displays some Republican Period traits.

However, the greatest number of structures from the Republican Period can be found in the downtown neighborhood of Prado, where the houses of the wealthiest citizens of the city were built. These houses are mansions that have two or three floors, outdoor gardens & patios, iron fences, big glass windows and many plaster and wooden adornments that decorate their exterior facades. There are many other styles that exist in this neighborhood, a result of styles copied from other parts of the world by the inhabitants who visited far away lands during their trips abroad. They would take pictures and bring them back only to replicate the designs in their own homes and gardens.

Another style which is prevelant in the city center is Gothic Florentine architecture. Foreign architects such as Agustin Goovaerts from Belgium was a popular figure in the past and left his mark with such structures as the old Palacio de la Gobernacion de Antioquia (now Palacio de la Cultura).

Most recently, industrial and commercial development gave way to new materials such as steel, concrete and glass. The Palacio de Bellas Artes on La Playa Avenue and the Palacio Municipal (today the Museum of Antioquia) belong to this new and modern style. By 1950, Medellin's industrial supremecy was strengthened, which gave rise to new projects and to a new architectural phase in the city center. Old clay and mud houses were knocked down in order to make room for big buildings such as the Medellin Stock Exchange, the Fabricato Building, and later on the Coltejer Tower, which was once the tallest building in all of Colombia. Today it is one of the city's most notable landmarks.

Today, residential and commercial areas on Medellin have extended south and also to the west. Concrete, steel and glass structures continue to dominate the landscape with their modern and contemporary styles. During the 1980's, the city center began to suffer from time and exposure to the elements of nature. This decay was similar to other cities around the world and demanded a rescue process that began in the 1990's and which is still in force today.

One of the most important transformations has been the creation of Botero Plaza around the Museum of Antioquia as well as the Palace of Culture. This regentrifying process has brought a new and vibrant life to the city center, giving Medellin a look and feel similar to that which existed more than 100 years ago when prestige and pride was part of the culture of downtown. The La Candeleria zone of the city center is comprised of 20 well defined inner neighborhoods, among which Prado stands out due to the preservation of a considerable proportion of its architectural heritage.

Prado

The Prado neighborhood in Medellin was born from the desire to emulate an area in Barranquilla with the same name. This neighborhood of Barranquilla was where many foreign immigrants arrived and became very wealthy based on trade and shipping. They built spectacular European & Mediterranean style mansions in Prado, Barranquilla. The greatest promoter of the Prado neighborhood in Medellin was millionaire Ricardo Olano who, impressed by what he saw in Barranquilla, wanted to replicate this opulant style in the Antioquian capital of Medellin.

Enthusiastic about this idea, many Antioquians returned from their trips bringing photographs and engravings of the houses they had seen abroad and wished to replicate in the new Prado of Medellin. Soon, Prado became the most prominent planned neighborhood in Medellin with the best sidewalks and streets in the city. Twice a year, the Guayacanes trees (lignum vitae trees) planted up and down the sidewalks in Prado would bloom their magnificent yellow flowers and carpet the entire area with their beautiful droppings. Due to a wide variety of styles found in construction, Prado resembles a huge museum of architecture, displaying oriental, republican, neoclassic and belle epoque designs.

This neighborhood reached its pinnacle between 1930 & 1950, when the industrial and commercial activity of the city was booming. However, due to rapid expansion of the city, Prado was no longer isolated and became intermixed with the hustle bustle of new Medellin. Soon thereafter, many of Prado's inhabitants traded in their designer mansions for the more laid back and quiet neighborhoods of Laureles and Poblado.

Although this rapid exodus caused some concern over Prado's cultural and architectural heritage, a great number of it houses have been preserved due to civic and private cultural foundations dedicated to the city's heritage. There have only been a few houses that have been demolished in order to give way to larger commercial buildings and retail centers. The rest of the neighborhood is currently undergoing a renovation and rehab process to improve public areas and is being coordinated by Medellin's Secretaria de Cultura.

SOUTHERN SECTOR

El Poblado

The neighborhood of El Poblado is considered today as the most prestigious residential area of Medellin. It was the site of the first built houses in the Aburra Valley back in 1616. However, the first dwellers did not consider this area to have any strategic importance and they moved north in order to create La Candeleria village, the heart of today's city center in Medellin.

Avenida Poblado is the main artery that runs through the area. Near the San Diego neighborhood it joins Avenida Oriental, which connects El Poblado and the city center (downtown). Apart from the zone adjoining El Poblado square, the rest of the neighborhood was made up of farms and ranch houses owned by prominent families in Medellin. In fact, many of the sub neighborhoods in Poblado such as Astorga, Vizcaya, Patio Bonito, Manila & Provenza took their names from these countryside properties.

The area currently belonging to Parque Lleras, the epicenter of the Zona Rosa (clubs, bars & restaurants), was initially developed as the first formally built housing complex in the city. Its original purpose was to house hundreds of peasant and migrant families that had arrived to the city and no place to stay. Lleras was built by a state bank and today it is a popular social spot in Medellin full of retail shops, restaurants, clubs, bars & discos. A similar fate befell other neighborhoods in the area such as Colombia, Manila & Astorga, whose original inhabitants have long ago left to give way to commercial buildings and private enterprise.

Due to El Poblado's rise in residential and commercial growth, the local government, through a system of increased value, financed important roadways such as Las Vegas Avenue and the access road to the neighborhood of Envigado. In addition, important connecting roads such as Transversal Inferior & Superior were built in the hills of Poblado where some of the most prestigious apartments and homes in Medellin are built.

El Poblado's Golden Mile...

El Poblado's "Golden Mile" is a commercial strip where one can walk from El Poblado Park all the way down to the border of El Poblado and Envigado. This strip of El Poblado Avenue is where you will find some of Medellins most expensive and prestigious commercial real estate such as San Fernando Plaza. You will also find many hotels, retail centers, banks, restaurants, national & international companies, supermarkets, malls and social gathering areas.

Oviedo Mall is located on this strip and is one of Medellin's most luxurious retail centers. You can also find such hotels as the Dann Carlton, Sheraton Four Points, Poblado Plaza, Porton de Medellin as well as the newly built Holiday Inn. There have also been important health institutions that have moved to the area in the last few years such as the new branch of the Medellin Clinic. Medellin's "Golden Mile" is no doubt the most prestigious area of the city.

Envigado

Approximately 7 miles southeast of Medellin is the town of Envigado. This neighborhood is considered one of the most efficient towns in all of Colombia and as a result of increased population density of Medellin, it has become a natural extension to the Antioquian capital that offers superior residential and commercial opportunities to its inhabitants. Rich in culture, artistic and culinary options, Envigado is easy to access and is connected by a series of roads that reach downtown as well as the airport to the east. The main access thoroughfares are El Poblado Avenue, Las Vegas Avenue and Autopista Sur (Southern Highway). Another access point to Envigado is "Anillo de Las Transversales" which connects it to Las Palmas. Visitors and travelers can easily take the Medellin Metro to Envigado Station and then get to the town center via bus or taxi.

The towns historical importance began with the participation of hundreds of Envigado families in the so called Antioquian colonization, which fostered the growth of neighboring departments like Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio and northern Valle. Envigado lies on one of the foothills of the Central Andean Cordillera (mountain range). It stands on a flat zone, slightly higher than the rest of the Aburra Valley. Its rapid growth was the result of the arrival of thousands of workers who came to make money in the neighboring factories of Itagui, a town which offered better tax incentives for companies to establish themselves in its territory.

The quality of Envigado's public services and infrastructure has made it one of the towns with the best quality of life in the country. Including it's neighboring town of Sabaneta, Envigado has fast become one of the highest appreciating land areas in all of Medellin and there are currently multiple commercial as well as residential projects underway. Many people refer to this area as the "Next Poblado".

In spite of being so close to Medellin, Envigado has a rural atmosphere and many beautiful areas that are ideal for hiking, bird watching, mountain biking or just relaxing. The main park in the town square is another significant meeting and socializing area in Envigado. Dominated by the church on the eastern side, it plays host to cafes, bars and restaurants that surround it and offer people a wonderful place to chat, read, play board games, have a beer or a cup of coffee. Among the most famous meeting points in Envigado is La Puerta del Sol & Los Cachivaches.

On the weekends, Envigado's bars and discos are filled with locals and visitors alike. There are also areas where local talent can be found engaged in storytelling or playing music. Some of these local artists include Sabor Antillano (salsa), Imaginarte (Cuban Trova) and La Nave de Los Locos, where music and stories can be heard.

Food is a big attraction as well and one can enjoy the famous Envigado Morcilla (black pudding), typical pork sausage, green bean dishes, buñuelos, pork skins, empanadas, tamales, chicharon, chuzos and a variety of exotic fruit juices at the market places and gathering areas!

Envigado is home to the Otraparte Museum House, where philosopher Fernando Gonzalez lived. This home has been declared a national monument and can be visited by those who wish to find out more about his life and work. More information can be found in the Medellin Travel Guide in the "Museums & Culture Centers" section under option #7.

Also known for their wide selection of furniture and lamps, Envigado is a treasure to be found just south of Medellin! Annual events that take place are the National Tiple Festival and the Carriel Festival.

Sabaneta
http://www.sabaneta.gov.co (*English Translation)

Created in 1967, after having been part of Envigado, Sabaneta (means small plain) stands out as a model community in Colombia. At approximately 7 square miles, Sabaneta is officially Colombia's smallest municipality and is made of of 24 different neighborhoods. Thanks to its key location in the southern sector of the city combined with its excellent infrastucture, Sabaneta has become a tourist destination and regularly has scheduled events with large turnouts. There is also important agriculture activity in Sabaneta including coffee and banana plantations.

Sabaneta has a strong religious heritage and it is known for its mass pilgrimages organized to the Maria Auxiliadora Sanctuary. The image of Virgin Mary was a donation from the daughters of Fidel Cano (founder of local newspaper, El Espectador) sits at Saint Anne Parish, which holds 3000 people. Tuesday holds special significance in Sabaneta as thousands of parishioners from the region gather to ask Maria Auxiliadora for special favors.

Another attraction to the area is the house of Barquereña, a museum and exhibit hall that was contructed in California style. Within the premises there is a park displaying sculptures by Antioquian artist Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, famous for his historic representations.

La Romera recreational and ecological park is a forest reserve and offers amazing scenic views along its 1.86 mile eco-path. The area contains a wide variety of fauna & flora and it is possible to take a horseride which includes snacks and lunch. There are a wide variety of restaurants, discos, bars and roadside inns that travelers can enjoy while in Medellin and the central park is not be missed with its historic church. La Doctora is one of the most famous restaurants in Sabaneta.

Celebrations in Sabaneta include Fiestas de Maria Auxiliadora (May), Fiestas Patronales (X) and Fiestas del Plátano (June).

Itagüí
http://www.itagui.gov.co/ (*Spanish Only)

Itagüí is an industrial and commercial center for the city of Medellin. The first city in the country to establish a manufacturing corridor back in the 1950's, it is arguably the most industrialized town in Colombia. Founded in 1832, Itagüí is located just southwest of downtown Medellin approximately 6 miles and claims the reputation of having the highest population density in Colombia, with an average 45,000 vehicles circulating through its streets per day.

Although green areas are not abundant, conservation groups are working on ways to promote a healthier environment for its inhabitants and visitors. Chimney Park (Parque Chimeneas) offers recreational activities as well as interesting games and musical activities for children and adults. Other attractions include Obrero Park which is more than 60 years old and has an area of 500 square meters and is located just two blocks away from Itagüí's main town square. Restored at the beginning of 2006, this park is popular due to its active nightlife including social gatherings, recitals, poetry readings, music and movie theaters. This area gathers a great variety of artists, young adults as well as visitors to the area. A few meters away from the park is "

Caldas

Caldas is south of Medellin and represents the farthest outlying municipality in this listing. Located 13 miles to the south, it serves as headquarters for an important crockery factory that services the Colombian and Latin American markets. Originally the property of wealthy landowner Roque Mejia, the town was founded in 1848 and named after the Colombian national hero, Francisco Jose de Caldas. The expansion of the town came later thanks to the arrival of settlers coming from Envigado, Itagüí and La Estrella.

Although Caldas has made a name for itself due to its crockery business, one of the more appealing features of the town is its peculiar offering of bars and restaurants with bizarre and unique styles such as the Vinacure Museum-Bar located in the La Tablaza area. On the other hand, more traditional options also exist in the city including mule and horseback riding. The La Mulera Inn specializes in this activity and its proprietors will show you one of Antioquias favorite past times as you ascend the mountains above in search of travelled trails and spectacular views. Afterwards, you can enjoy some wonderful fresh fruit juices and Creole food prepared by the Inn.

Other notable interests in Caldas include La Posada, a refuge for intellectuals and considered to be one of the best venues for literary gatherings in the southern sector of Medellin. After excercising your mental capabilities, you may want to visit Las Mellas dessert factory for some tasty Antioquian style treats including obleas, a thin wafer sandwich filled with caramel. You can also visit such places as Arlequin and El Kaizer that surround the crockery plant.

To get to Caldas, you will need to take the detour on Autopista Sur (South Highway) to Primavera settlement, and then continue along Troncal del Suroeste in the south of the city.

NORTHERN SECTOR

Bello
http://www.municipiodebello.gov.co (*Spanish Only)

To the north, the town of Bello is another important industrial and residential area of Medellin. Its guardian hill, Quitasol, is 9200 feet higha and holds the honors of being the highest mountain in the entire valley. Bello's history dates back to 1676, when a village called Hatoviejo was established. Two centuries later, in honor of Venezuelen intellectual Andres Bello, the area changed its name to Bello in honor of the Chilean-Venezuelan humanist, poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist.

The relationship between Bello and the textile sector is closely linked with Fabricato Tejicondor's main branch (the first textile factory in Colombia). Bello is also the headquarters for of the main service garage for the Medellin Metro. One of the sources of pride for its citizens is the fact that Bello was the birthplace of ex Colombian President Marco Fidel Suarez who served his term from between the years of 1918 & 1921.

Located on the northern outskirts of Medellin, Bello boasts several tourist attractions including Hatoviejo chapel in Santander Park. There are 12 beautiful oil painting inside depicting the apostles, Ecce Homo and an image of the saint patron "Our Lady of Rosario de Guadelupe". The small 2 room hut where ex President Suarez was born is still located in Bello for travelers and visitors alike to view, although most of the original hut has long been built over by a newer home with large windows.

Also located in Bello are important pre-Colombian sites including that of the Niquia natives in which many important ceramic pieces have been found. The Serrania Las Baldias stands out among Bello's ecological attractions. This natural provides a rich natural abundance of undisturbed flora and fauna that can be accessed via a 6.3 mile hiking trail available to the public. Here are some amazing photos of the area and is considered "off the beaten path" for foreign travelers to Medellin, although it is often visited by researchers and hiking clubs,

Photos of Serranía de las Baldias

Medellin Factoid: This area is of interest to the national and international scientific community because of its ecological diversity and in fact recent discoveries have been made including previously unclassified plants and animal species.

Another area worth mentioning is the mountain park "Alberto Diaz Munoz" located on El Quitasol Hill. Operational since 1995, it has pedestrian and eco-paths along with amazing slides that are fun for all!

Located on what locals refer to as the "Milk Route", Bello has an abundance of dairy products that are available due to its proximity to the San Pedro farming area. Bello can be reached by travelling north on the Autopista North (North Highway) or can also be conveniently reached by taking the Medellin Metro. There are 3 designated stops (stations) in Bello including Madera, Bello & Niquia.

EASTERN SECTOR

Santa Elena

The small town of Santa Elena is located just east of Medellin approximately 10 miles away from the city center. The weather is normally cooler due to its elevation and its soils are rich with nutrients that local farmers enjoy for growing an abundance of tropical and local varieties of flowers, may of which are exported to international markets abroad.

This industry is celebrated every year in what has become one of Colombia's most famous events, the Flower Festival (Feria de los Flores). Held every year in August (typically a dry month for Medellin), this festival incorporates the local flower growers of Santa Elena. Inhabitants from the different villages (called veredas) build amazing works of art with the seasonal flowers. These pieces are built using natural materials including a wooden base upon which a wide variety of flowers are decorated. Afterwards, the Silleteros march down from the mountainside village of Santa Elena with the designs strapped to their backs (called silletas).

The main event for the Flower Festival (Feria de los Flores) is Silletero parade in which hundreds of beautiful silletas can be seen making their way down the designated streets of the city. Many citizens of Medellin make a pilgrimage every year to the small town of Santa Elena the night before the parade in order to witness the artistic construction of their designs and to toast their work.

Santa Elena also offers year-round attractions as well to local, national and foreign visitors. One of these ecological marvels is Avri Regional Park with its expansive 28,000 acres of natural reserve that extends into the municipalities of Medellin, Bello, Copacabana and Envigado. Sunsets from the ecological park are very popular and attract many visitors who wish to see their beauty. Viewpoints such as La Laguna, Patio Bonito, La Meseta, La Paloma and Cerro Verde offer a wide variety of visual gratification as one takes in the lush green surroundings of the area.

The park contains an amazing rich source of bird species including 119 different types currently on record. As well, the reserve boasts more than 163 different types of insect species that can be found along its paths, around the lakes, forests and streams that are in abundance throughout the park. Outdoor sports are also popular at the park including such activities such as hiking, biking, camping, fishing and kayaking. At Montevivo (a few minutes away from Parque Central), there is an expansive system of ropes that have been constructed that allow for the practice of canopy and other climbing sports.

Mixed in with the natural ambiance of the area are hidden culinery treasures to be discovered such as the restaurant Donde Edward in which one can savor the gourmet rabbit dishes that are well known for this region. On the road from Medellin to Santa Elena one can also find the Conejos y Conejos Restaurant (Rabbit and Rabbit) as well as Sancochos Edilma, a place where some of the best sancocho (a local stew made of tubers, carrots, chicken or beef) in Antioquia exists for visitors and travelers.

The main square in Santa Elena is the meeting place for those who wish to embark upon other activities in this general area.