(Free) Things To Do In Medellín 2024 – Discover The City On A Budget
In this article, we cover the best free things to do in Medellín. The fascinating city of Medellin has so much more to offer than only nightlife, beautiful people, salsa, and amazing food.
Although not every area of the metropolis is completely safe and some parts of the city should be avoided by foreigners, the tourist areas are perfect for discovering the daily lives of the so-called Paisa citizens.
As Medellin is built between mountains, there are several hiking and nature trails to discover as well.
What sets Medellin apart from other cities in Colombia is that the citizens are extraordinarily proud of their city and they try to keep it as neat as possible.
There is less corruption in government-level organizations so things really get done here.
One good example is that Medellin is the only city in Colombia with a metro system.
The streets are surrounded by greenery and the parks look beautiful and well-maintained.
Add the rich culture and history of both the country and city to it and you get the perfect recipe for a good variety of free things to do in Medellin.
We’ve come up with a few activities that are worth mentioning.
At the bottom of the article, we added highly recommended activities that don’t break your wallet.
Combine all of this and we believe that you can have an excellent stay in Medellin when you’re on a budget.
With that being said, let’s jump to the results.
1. Comuna 13
A visit to Comuna 13 is one of the top activities in the city in general and as it’s completely free to discover this former-notorious neighborhood, it’s definitely top-ranked in this article of free things to do in Medellin.
Comuna 13 used to be one of the most dangerous areas in the world, especially during the 80s and 90s due to the influence of the narcos.
The government began to clear the neighborhood from these drug traffickers in 2002, which resulted in a violent clash.
But after the bloody start, things began to improve as the government invested heavily in projects and improvements.
In 2011, the famous San Javier Outdoor Escalators were installed, so that nowadays, you don’t have to climb all the steep stairs.
With all these improvements, Comuna 13 is a relatively safe area where visitors can enjoy colorful graffiti art and a unique experience of what these Comuna’s really are like.
Keep in mind that poverty is still a big thing in Comuna 13.
If it fits your budget, book a tour with a local or else, buy one of the many souvenirs.
Drink a cold beer or buy a snack at one of the local shops as every sale they make has an impact on their lives.
2. Cerro de Las Tres Cruces (Hill of Three Crosses)
That Medellin has access to the mountains is no secret.
There are a few trails that are often visited by Colombians for their daily cardio.
One of them is Cerro de Las Tres Cruces (Hill of Three Crosses).
This short (1.2 kilometers) but steep hill takes you to a magnificent viewpoint looking over the city and its local airport.
Every day, many Colombians take this hike as it’s quite the exercise.
On top of the hill, there are outside gym facilities, and combining it with the intensity of the trail, it attracts young, athletic Colombians as well.
At the start of the hill, there are shops that sell sports clothes, drinks, protein bars, shakes, and coffee.
Halfway through the first section is an older man who sells ice-cold water.
At the half of the hill, there are two shops serving cold drinks including freshly squeezed orange juice.
All very refreshing.
The hike is worth the view!
The views are so much better in the early morning!
The majority of the climbers will be at the top in roughly 40 minutes, but people from all sorts of athletic levels will be at the top sooner or later.
In fact, there are kids, old people, and even families with pets who climb the hill.
It’s recommended to visit Cerro de Las Tres Cruces in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat of the sun.
During the weekends, the paths are usually crowded, so preferably, come during the weekdays.
The trail can get muddy when it rained the night before, and when it rained for a few days, it’s better not to go.
But when the conditions are fine, take on your sports gear, wear good shoes, bring some water, and head over to Cerro de Las Tres Cruces for the perfect panoramic viewpoint. You won’t regret it!
Important: there is also an older man who voluntarily cleans the trail as well as maintains the stairs. He does this for free. If you can spare some change, he’d be happy to accept it. You can recognize him by his bright yellow safety vest and his sombrero.
3. Jardin Botanico
The Joaquin Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden of Medellín, also known as the Jaridín Botanico (Botanical Garden), is a spectacular botanical garden that has 4,500 flowers and 139 recorded bird species.
The 14-hectare garden has an important collection of orchids preserved in an architectural space called the “Orchideorama”.
As there is no entrance fee and you can easily wander around for a while, it’s a great option on our list of free things to do in Medellin.
Keep an eye out for wildlife as you will encounter exotic animals such as the iguana.
The garden is divided into several sections, which include a tropical forest (Bosque Tropical), a desert garden (Jardín del Desierto), a palm garden (Jardín de Palmas), and a lake (Laguna Franciso José de Caldas).
Just by following the main path, you will easily navigate to each section.
The park is also popular among Colombians to picnic or just simply sit on one of the benches and watch the world go by.
Visitors have the option to take a tiny 20-minute tour through the butterfly garden, which costs 5,000 COP and includes an explanation.
It’s important to know that you need to fill in a form via the official website in order to receive a certificate that allows you to shoot professional pictures.
Also, the Botanical Garden is closed on Mondays.
There is no entrance fee, except if you want to park your car (3,000 COP per hour, 12,000 COP per day), motorbike (4,000 COP per day), and bike (1,000 COP).
4. Pueblito Paisa
Pueblito Paisa is one of the main attractions of Medellin and is a reproduction of municipalities of the Antioquia built in 1977.
It’s like you’re walking through an old, yet tiny town, thanks to its authentic architecture.
Pueblito Paisa is located on the top of a hill called Cerro Nutibara.
What’s so special about this hill is that it’s one of the few ecosystems that is conserved in Medellín and is considered one of the city’s seven “guardian” hills.
You can follow the path and climb to the top of the hill, which is an easy job and the path is covered in shade.
Once you reach the top, before you enter the “small town”, on your right-hand side, there is a small museum and next to it, a plateau where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
The museum, which is about the city of Medellin, is not spectacular but with an entrance fee of 5,000 COP, it’s hard to say no to that.
Inside the small town are a few restaurants that serve authentic food that’s typical of Medellin as well as some souvenir shops, a small church even a shop where you can take old pictures.
Aside from the picturesque town, there is a sculpture park named Parque de Las Esculturas Cerro de Nutibara and an open-air theatre called Teatro Al Aire Libre Carlos Vieco to discover, which hosts all sorts of shows.
However, the main attraction is the small town that serves as the ideal background for a selfie.
Pueblito Paisa is open daily and even in the evening.
5. Plaza Botero
The sculptures of Fernando Botero are one of the highlights of Medellin’s city center and definitely worth the visit, especially to take pictures.
Fernando Botero is a famous sculptor and has a signature style, known as “Boterismo”.
He depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volumes, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece as well as transforming famous paintings into Boterismo paintings.
On Botero’s square, there are several sculptures where you can pose in front.
Keep in mind that the plaza is the ideal place for pickpocketing, so be alert.
Boterismo, a unique style displayed at Plaza Botero.
While other city centers usually are the highlight of the city with exceptional historical buildings, Medellin somehow does not seem to manage that.
The sculptures are impressive with the Palace of Culture Rafael Uribe Uribe in the background, but it’s not a city center where you can stroll around for hours.
The square is located in a commercial district, which they nicknamed “the hole” as it isn’t the nicest area in the city.
But there are countless shops to be found which offer basically all the products you can possibly imagine for a bargain.
For that reason, it attracts many people from Medellin to go out and shop there.
The shops are closed on Sundays, though. We cannot stress this enough, be careful of your belongings.
With that being said, we definitely think Plaza Botero is well worth the (short) visit.
6. Parque Arví
One of the most popular free things to do in Medellin is exploring its surrounding nature.
The abundance of mountains with spectacular views is something we cannot get enough of.
One of the most convenient areas to explore nature is Parque Arví, an ecological nature reserve in Medelín.
This large park lies on top of the eastern mountains and can be accessed by public transport, namely with the metro cable.
The ride alone over the residential area of Carpinello is already spectacular.
Every day, except on Monday when the park is closed, many Medellin citizens love to walk around the park, enjoy nature and the fresh air, and even come for a picnic or a barbecue.
Boterismo, a unique style displayed at Plaza Botero.
Once you arrive at the top of the mountain and at the entrance of Parque Arví, you have two options:
- Explore a small part of Parque Arví on your own by visiting the picnic area, or
- Go on one of the 33 hiking trails with a guide.
It’s irresponsible to walk one of the hiking trails on your own as there is a (big) chance you get lost as there are no signs to follow and in some parts, robberies have been reported.
Hiking with a guide only costs you 10,000 COP per person and eliminates both risks.
Parque Arví is perfectly maintained, something that’s common with many of the city’s facilities.
The hiking trails are not that intense, meaning that every family member can enjoy nature to the fullest.
Make sure to bring cash as all merchants at the entrance and next to the roads only accept cash, and so do the restaurants and even the metro cable.
More detailed information about Parque Arví can be found in the Parque Avrí Ultimate Guide by Medellin Guru, who did an excellent job in his detailed up-to-date guide.
7. Visit the nearby town of Santa Fe De Antioquia
Santa Fe De Antioquia is the ideal get-away town for many citizens of Medellin.
Contrary to other nearby towns, Santa Fe De Antioquia is easy to reach and if you take the bus from Medellin’s bus from Centro Comercial Terminal Del Norte, you will be in the old city center in approximately 2 hours (for only 12,000 COP).
The former capital of Antioquia is one of the oldest colonial cities in South America and it’s so picturesque, that it should be on everyone’s bucket list when visiting Colombia.
What makes a visit to Santa Fe De Antioquia so special are the following things.
a. Walk through the old centre
The old center is beautiful, surrounded by colonial architecture, and ideal to stroll around.
Keep in mind that the temperature is completely different from what you’re used to in Medellín: most of the time it’s really hot!
We recommend you walk in the early morning or late afternoon.
Within the city center, there are four iconic churches you can spot.
The most famous church, the Catedral Basilica La Inmaculada, is located in front of Parque Principal and Plaza de Bolívar, where you can find many good, local restaurants and watch the world go by.
b. Puente de Occidente
A ten-minute drive north of Santa Fe De Antioquia you can find a unique bridge with a fascinating story and that bridge is one of the highlights of visiting Santa Fe De Antioquia.
The suspension bridge was finished in 1895 by one of the architects who also helped design the Brooklyn Bridge and by that time, it was among the largest suspension bridges in the world.
The story goes that the architect was an alcoholic and that the Colombian people did not trust the strength and construction of the bridge.
To prove his bridge was flawless, the architect ordered him to pack the bridge full of cows.
The bridge completed the stress test and from that moment on, the people from Santa Fe De Antioquia could safely cross the Cauca River.
Most visitors take a tuk-tuk from the town to the bridge, which costs 30,000 COP in total if you want the tuk-tuk driver to wait for you.
Right before you cross the bridge, make sure to have your camera ready as the crossing of the river gives you quite the scenic view.
c. Nightlife
Many citizens from Medellin visit Santa Fe De Antioquia during the weekend, to escape the city.
Along with their good, holiday mood, they bring their full wallets with them and make sure they have a good time.
Around the bus terminal of Santa Fe De Antioquia, you can find a few bars that are open until late, and everywhere in the city, you can find nightlife events.
From Sunday until Thursday, the nights in the town are quiet again.
d. Stay over
In case you stay over, which we highly recommend, make sure to book accommodation that has a swimming pool.
The climate is perfect for an afternoon at the pool, enjoying an ice-cold beer or cocktail.
For many citizens of Medellin, that’s the reason to escape Medellin and visit Santa Fe De Antioquia.
A tropical climate, palm trees, and mountain views – you can’t find that in Medellín!
8. Parque de las Luces
Yes, Medellin has plenty of parks and when you’re looking for free things to do in Medellin, it is an activity that you might want to consider.
We did our best to make this article as diverse as possible and recommending many parks is not the answer.
However, we do understand that travelers like to take pictures of iconic features a city has to offer and Parque de las Luces definitely is iconic.
You won’t stay long wandering around this (concrete) park, but it’s definitely recommended to shoot some selfies for your Instagram page.
The square is named after the Cuban engineer Francisco Javier Cisneros, who was in charge of the construction of the Antioquia Railway.
The square itself used to be the place where traders and farms from the Antoquian region traded their goods and functioned as a sort of distribution center.
Unfortunately, this area has a bad reputation because of the high crime rate.
The construction of the iconic 24-meter high light poles was part of the revitalization of the area.
The park is definitely safer and the area is not as notorious as it used to be, but just keep an eye out for pickpockets. You can walk from Plaza Botero to Parque de las Luces as it’s only a ten-minute walk.
Tip: there is a large library attached to the square, which has free wifi and air conditioning. After showing your ID, you are able to access the library for free where you can see the Parque de las Luces from the third floor.
