After 4 years of living in the Medellin area and before that 2 years of visiting I feel I can start a list of good and bad.

I am still living in the Medellin area-actually now outside 45 minutes away in the country

Lets start with the good!

Great weather as far as temperature-if you do not like rain you will not like Medellin as it gets allot and often

you can drink the water

Attractive women and they are easy. I think there are better places to meet a wifie type but if the most important thing to you is attractive and easy pussy whether you buy it or date it Medellin is hard to beat.

It is not too far from the Usa

Rent is cheap

Taxis are cheap

The Bus is cheap

Medical is good and relatively cheap

Lots of malls and Supermarkets

If you are into Aquatics they have lots of Pools and even a waterpolo club

Close to an international airport 45 minutes to 90 minutes if horrible traffic

Metro

OK NOW ON TO THE BAD!

Most of the women gringos have available to them are barrio style, poor uneducated, unsophisticated and boring. Now if you know what you are doing or are lucky you can upgrade from this type of girl to a better girl but that takes living here and working at it. If you want to more about this email me cuz we can spend hours on this.

If you are want to live Healthy forget about it, Pollution is terrible, very expensive to eat healthy and they just dont have things that in the Usa we take for granted. Forget about cottage cheese, blueberries, quality protein powder ( if they have it will be 3 times as expensive and who knows the quality) lots of fruits missing etc. The pollution alone will counteract any healthy living you plan on doing. It is not Manilla Bad but beware you have been told.

Living well is expensive because it has one of the highest tax rates in South American, 17% tax on everything. More on cars, electronics, etc
for example a chevy ss camaro that would cost 35k in the usa is 100k here!! I paid 25k for my Mazda 2!! gas more expensive 4.50 a gallon. The worst for me is flying out of the airport the taxes are equal to what the ticket is !!! So if you want to use Medellin as your base to see the world think again. Costs twice flying out of Medellin to anywhere vs say Florida. I am moving eventually my base from Medellin to elsewhere and the flight costs are a major factor.

Want to live cheap I suggest Equador.

Crime is better then 10 years ago but it is still here! I was robbed and I know many others that have been also.

Traffic is terrible, if you dont buy a car and suffer through it you can last longer but the taxi drivers are scary and the motorcycles crazy. You dont need a drivers test to get your license!

Like movies, they are mostly dubbed in Spanish for the first run stuff so if you dont know spanish well another reason to download them.

Colombian food sucks, there is a reason you can only find it in Colombia vs say Mexican which is in every country. Mcdonalds is the only place open real late, and a couple of 24 hr supermarkets so eat early.

There is not much to do in Medellin, if chasing girls is your major interest you are in luck, if you need other diversions well cant think of any.

Want to open a business here, good luck most Gringos go broke doing it. The colombians are dishonest and make poor employees for bars and restaurants etc. Will rob you blind and you will be firing and hiring constantly. Make your money elsewhere and dont plan on working here. Guys renting rooms, teaching english is about it.

Well I hope this list can grow with others input.

I personally think Colombia is a better place to visit then live however I only changed to that opinion after living here myself.

While I am still living here I do enjoy meeting new visitors drop me a line
if you need a wingman lets talk about it

Thanks for starting this thread as I know lots of folk will be interested.

I would like to buy a condo in Laureless. Since you live there what are your thoughts on this since it would have to be a cash deal.

Woodway-I too have lived here almost 5 years now and own a place on the fringe of Laureles (conquistadores...walkable..1 block... to Abydos....LOL).

I have also lived in Poblado and while a nice area, I much prefer Laureles for several reasons;

1-It is flat and you can walk almost anywhere;

2-It is convenient as hell to everything. Centro, Belen, Bello, Poblado, malls, MAKRO,Home Center, grocery stores, the stadium, yadda yadda yadda.

3-It is strata 5 (poblado is a 6) so utilities are cheaper, restaurants are less expensive, hell almost everything is less.

4-You have the La 33 and 70 bars, restaurants etc which are filled with locals, not tourists and they are significanlty less expensive than the Parque Lleras rip off locales. Also, you rarely if ever see the backpackers in this area.

5-Bus lines are plentiful and you can get anywhere in a matter of minutes in a car (although as madman pointed out, cars are terribly expensive to own here and driving is the ultimate game of chicken).

Visit Poblado. Buy in Laureles or adjacent neighborhoods. More bang for your buck.

As a side note, Parque Lleras has lost some of it's charm and is no longer the place for the locals to see and be seen. The bars and discos in La Strada on Ave. Poblado is the new in place and several new places on Las Palmas. PL was starting to be called, Parque Gringo, then migrated to Parque Backpacker and is now commonly referred to as Parque Ordinario. Many places have shut down or gone out of business. The crowds are definately smaller and not as many events are being held there anymore. Plus, the eye candy has dropped dramatically!

PM me if you want more info.

I agree with Sandman about Laurelas. I have been staying there since trip 4 and now I am about to return for trip #17, 4 years later.

When I retire I will be living in Laurelas.


As to nothing to do, there is plenty to do.

I've been going there a few years and many trips before you. What exactly do you consider "plenty" to do in Medellin besides mongering shit? The city is boring as fuck!

Sobe-Well, I guess it depends on what you like to do.

-Frequent free concerts all over the city;
-BodyTech has free fashion shows almost monthly. Lots of bikinis, lingerie and spandex workout clothing,
-great multiplex cinemas with rocking chair seats and $4.00 tickets; (paisa girls love going to movies)
-from Thurdsday to Sunday almost every bar and disco is in party mode with wall to wall chicas;
-every Sunday Av. Poblado and the autopista has one lane shut down for the cyclovista. Walk, jog, ride and the eye candy is awesome!
-with 22 recognized national holidays and 9 additional bank holidays there is always a parade of some sort going on somewhere not to mention the ferias in local small pueblitos;
-parapenting, paintball, horseback riding, motocross, 4 wheel ATV,cycling,hiking,camping, fishing at trout farms, parque de las aguas, parque arvi, theaters with plays, musicals and international dance exhibits,
-weekend trips to El Penol, Guatape, Santa Fe de Antioquia, La Pintada for white water rafting, Jardin for cave exploring

And, to keep in concert with the board, a revolving door of new talent at the casas almost weekly.

Remember, the best time to cum here is during, summer and spring break as well as Christmas break. Many work the casas and the places are full of 18-21 year old non hardened chicas working part time for tuition money.

Next time you are here, invite a GF to Santa Fe de Antioquia or Guatape for the weekend, stay in a finca hotel, play in the swimming pool, soak up some rays, walk around the city, go horseback riding or take a lake tour (Guatape), let them pig out at a local restaurant and just wait until you see the GFE you get for the weekend. For us, it is a small weekend retreat. For them it is a "paseo" of grand porportions.

"Boring as fuck?" Hell, I never find the time to get it all in and have tough decisions to make on what I prefer to do!

I don't know what you do at home, but I go out to restaurants and I see movies. There are 1,'000's of restaurants in Medellin and plenty of movies.

I like to take a daily walk for an hour or two. The weather is great for that.

If anyone is bored there, I guess its not for them is it.

Im not a concert guy and I not a big fan of live reggaeton.

I work out at Bodytech but im not going there to watch a fashion show.

I've been to all of the cinemas. I just saw the smurfs with my girl and no I couldn't get out of it lol. I do like the Colombian films though.

I do see the road closures on the weekend but they make more traffic for me and detours than anything else.

Ive been to Guatape but not Santa fe de antioquia. These are great weekend trips but are not in Medellin.

Im definitely not a finca guy. I really don't freaken know what the big fuss about going to a finca is. Its like such a big deal for them.

Been to all of the clubs.

Atv, paintball is all case specific and you must a fan of those hobbies.

Will try fishing and horseback riding though to pass time.

If you are a die hard ocean guy and have been around sand, surf and ocean practically your whole life? Then Medellin is not for you.

Nice honest comments though Sandman. So Jimmy besides dressing paisas in your little school outfits, I'm glad you came to Medellin to eat and watch movies. That constitutes "plenty to do" for you.

If you are a die hard ocean guy then why are you going to Medellin?

I guess if you go surfing everyday that is plenty to do for you. I guess you need to find a place with beaches and women.

Many people don't care about the ocean.

I do what I want with the Paisas and not the other way around. Smurfs, LOL!

Santa Fe de Antioquia, La Pintada for white water rafting, Jardin for cave exploring


Sandman, Any more information about these three locations? How far, where to stay, etc. I haven't been to any of them.

I have to agree with Jimmy and Sandman about Laurelas. I have been staying there for several trips, and I really like the mix of shops, residential places, and clubs. Walking for a couple of hours a day, and taking the bus to wherever still is a bunch of fun.

Women? what can I say. I love them, and they are all over the place, lots of fun to be around, and way easy to be with.

RT-

Santa Fe de Antioquia was the original capitol of Antioquia before they moved it to Medellin. It is about an hour and 15 minutes outside of Medellin and you can easily get there by bus for about 20K from terminal norte. There are many finca hotels close by (I have stayed at the Oasis in nearby Giradota. Decent pool, food and A/C but the beds are hard) There is also a small hotel right on the edge of the Parque in the center of town. Reservations not reqired unless a feria weekend.

You will pass through the longest tunnel (7.14 Km) in all of Latin America to get there and some incredibly beautiful scenery. You will also cross the oldest suspension bridge in South America. It is like stepping back into time 100 years. Cobble stone streets, original wooden doors and windows on the houses and a really laid back atmosphere. Shorts and flip flops are widely accepted as it can get hot there.

Some excellent horseback riding along the river and in the mountains. I recommend Alberto at Rancho Mexicano. Good horses and he prepares some wonderful food cooked on an outdoor grill. He also has cock fights (albeit without the blades and none ever get killed) on Fri and Sat nights.












Makes for a great day or weekend trip. Bars are hopping on the weekends and the people are very friendly towards tourists (it is about 50% of their livelihood)

La Pintada (or shangri la as it is commonly referred to) is to the south of Medellin The Cauca river runs through it and most of the hotels offer whitewater rafting services through local guides. Some nice class 2 and 3 rapids during the non rainy season. Most operators will not do trips during the rainy season as they get to class 4 very quickly. More of a day trip cause it is very small and not much to do there. Again, you can get there by bus but from terminal sur. It is probably 1.5 hours to get there but the scenery getting there and once you arrive is just incredible.










Jardin is about a 3.5-4 hour ride south and west of Medellin. It is the southern most city in Antioquia and proclaimed by many to be the prettiest. Another beautifully scenic drive capped off with passing by Morro de Cerro Tuso (supposedly the largest natural pyramid in all the Americas). This was a sacred place of the local indigenous people and there are indian burial grounds inside the caves. You can go there but by horseback only. Some beautiful natural waterfalls inside caves and it is supposed to be great for spelunking (not my thing).

The city itself has one of the largest and prettiest cental parques in all of Colombia and was selected for the set of one of the most popular TeleNovelas in the country. It also has one of the most ornate churches (in need of some repair) in all of Coplombia. Nearby trout farms where you can catch and eat farm raised trout(they will cook it up for ya) perhaps the most famous sweets store (some 180 different sweets, cookies, rollos and tortas are prepered here every day and the lines can be long to get in. There is also a cablecar ride to the top of the mountain looking down over the city. Not a big deal but something fun to do while there.










Again, you can get there by bus or several private tour companies will trake you there.

Hunterman mentioned Camillo Uribe at www.medellincitytours.com. He is not the cheapest around but you can get private, secure transportation. Camillo probably wouldn't care if you got a BBJ in the backseat with a chica along the trip and would probably be open to you partaking of some of the local herbs.

Another one is www.landventuretravel.com. Andres speaks perfect English, is a little less expensive than Camillo but you won't be guaranteed there won't be other people along for the trip and I do not get the impression he is as liberal

I have been there twice and plan on returning a few more times.

Great info Sandman.

Thanks.

MM

Sandman, Thanks for all the information. I knew there was some other stuff to see in Colombia. I have been to Bogota, Cali, Cartagena, Guatape, Medellin and San Andres.

I want to see new places and visit the others again during the festivals.

I picked this up on the web, With crime on thee upswing, pollution and traffic getting worse
lung cancer and respiratory problems does not seem like a good bet to make.

Medellin Contamination | Medellin Contaminacion | Medellin Lung Cancer | Medellin Cancer de Pulmon

Here is a study by Javeriana on the rise in pollution in Medellin, and cancer rates. This study is not up to date as this study ended in 2005. It is now a problem which is much worse.

Cáncer de pulmón Medellin - Javeriana
http://www.javeriana.edu.co/fcea/convocatorias/memorias_1congreso_sp/c...
Tenemos que hacer algo y pronto. LAS PERSONAS DE MEDELLIN, ESTAMOS RESPIRANDO VENENO

Ecopotrel haga su parte y no vende mas su veneno! Su gas es lo mas peor de mundo.

Look at page 4 and compare the number of URGENCIAS, and see what outranks the other emergency room visits. ER visits for respiratory problems is #1. In 2008 Emergency rooms visits were dramatically up for respiratory problems in Medellin. The doctors said a colder than normal year combined with the pollution had drobes more people coming in to the emergency rooms.

For 1 the gas here is more than 4,000 ppm loaded with contamination. The dirtiest gas in the world. The gas in Medellin is even 4 times more contaminated than Bogota. Different laws for Antioquia. The are saying this problem with dirty gas will be fixed in 2010. However, its more than just the gas, the cars in Colombia don't have good exhaust systems either. There is no control on contamination from the factories. Its just not enforced.

The majority of contamination in the air is from the buses, and the dirty gas they use is the dirtiest gas in the world.That is not an exaggeration. Secondly of course its the fact they are old buses.

Hey i love Medellin, don't get me wrong. If your visiting for a short period of time your OK. If your going to live here a long time, then realize this air is really dirty, and its not just a problem for people with asthma or allergies.

If you get cancer in your lungs, chances are you may not ever have asthma or allergy symptoms. You will just get cancer of the lungs and die. On the contrary people with asthma will have problems in under a year in Medellin or Bogota, and will likely throw in the towel and move out of the city before they get Cancer.

My option is to live outside Medellin in one of the near by pueblos. They are safe these days, and yes you even have internet service.

By Cali2005 on Mar 13, 2009, 07:13 in Friendly Talkzone.