Hotel Plaza Granada

Eastern Trial

by JuanGaitan

The eastern region in Antioquia is really beautufull. In spanish is called "Vuelta a Oriente". Full of mountains, lakes, rivers, great restaurants, you can ride horses, sailing,....
You have two different choices, take Las Palmas Road or Santa Helena Road.

Pueblito Piasa

by MrRandMcnally

Up on one of the hills on the Eastern side of the city you will find one of Medellin's great public areas. the Pueblito Piasa is a tiny recreation of a small Antioquian colonial town, complete with plaza and church. There is also a resturant with good Piasa food and great views of the city. The park that covers the rest of the mountian and the trail up the mountian if you go on foot are covered with a sculpture garden.

CEMETERIO DE SAN PEDRO

by swesn

From Hospital metro station, you can walk over and take a look at the Cemeterio de San Pedro. I know, it seems strange to visit a cemetery, but it IS quite a pretty cemetery... sort of... not stupendously interesting, but again, if you have nothing to do, why not just drop by.

And if you know the names of any executed or assasinated drug-gang members, you sure can try and locate them and pay your respect to the graves.

City of Eternal Spring(and Unwarranted Reputation)

by jtstipe

"City of Eternal Spring..."

Medellin is a large city in Colombia with a notorious reputation. When I told some of my friends and family members about my impending trip to Medellin with my wife, I was met with a stunned look, then a joke about drug cartels or weed. However, most them were very excited and wanted to see lots of pictures (and for me to bring them back lots of coffee). Well I didn't disappoint them. I have plenty of pictures and tips to share about this city. I went to Colombia for two weeks in July 2006, and I stayed here for most of my trip with my wife's parents and sister. I had the opportunity of seeing the country as a member of the family instead of a tourist. I visited beautiful towns, parks, and ate at great restaurants. The views and the sites were amazing. For example take a look at this picture... Medellin is called the City of Eternal Spring, and the weather looked like this for most of the trip.

""But Jake, what about the drugs and the crime...""

What about it?? I don't do drugs so I'm wasn't looking for any down there. It's not Amsterdam, folks. Lots of people have these Scarface, or Blow, or Donnie Brasco, or some other gangster movie images in their heads when they think of Medellin. It's not the safest city in the world and this was the home to Pablo Escobar. But Escobar has been dead since 1993, and from what I've seen the police have a very visible presence in Central Medellin and other well traveled areas. I had no problems when I was there. Some precautions may need to be taken, but these precautions were no different then previous trips I had taken to Paris in 2003 or even New Orleans in 2005. Just be smart, forget any pre-conceived notions you may have based on what you saw in a movie or some old news story, and you should have a rewarding experience in this city that has so much to offer.

My in-laws could not wait to show me around. We spent all day sightseeing and eating that I had nothing left by the end of the day to party. That was just fine with me. However, I did see some nice areas to go out at night, especially in El Parque de Lleras. There was plenty to do during the day with the parks, plazas, museums, malls, stands, and short drives that wore me out. I'm convinced that the best way to explore a new country or region or city is to do it with a close friend or family member from that area. My experience in Colombia was wonderful and I have my wife's family to thank. We all have friends from Latin America, or Eastern Europe, or East Africa, or from another region of the world, or another region in your own country. Take the opportunity to travel back to your friend's home and enjoy the hospitality of their family and friends.