We like to go somewhere warmer in early February, so when we saw inexpensive airfares to Colombia we jumped on the opportunity. From North Carolina it took roughly as long as reaching the US West Coast, with a 2 hour and then a 3+ hour flight.
For this trip we decided on Medellin. Located near the equator, but also nearly a mile in elevation, it is known as the city of eternal spring for consistent temperatures year round. Of course, Medellin is also known for its history of drugs and violence, but much of that is in the past, and lots of people have been visiting, especially post-Covid. You certainly want to take some precautions like you would in any big city – stick to well-lit areas, don’t be conspicuous, take ubers, etc.
Our plan was to split our trip between tourist sights and working, so we wanted to be in a safe neighborhood with easy access. Poblado is always mentioned as the main expat and digital nomad area, while Laureles is quieter but growing in popularity. In the end, we chose Laureles, and we would likely return to that area on a future trip as it fit our preferences nicely.
A few other notes about Medellin:
- Very green city, plants and trees everywhere
- They like their music loud!
- Numerous homeless
- Lots of motorbikes, generally faster since they go between cars. Somewhat surprisingly, everyone wears helmets.
- Google weather is not accurate for rain
- We had trouble accessing some US websites if we didn’t use our VPN (Google drive, American Airlines, etc)
Lounges and Flights
Turkish Lounge in Miami – we visited both going and returning. Both times there was a short line to get in, and then Leandra found us seats in the far corner. Overall they had a nice buffet, with falafel, hummus, rice and kabob, plus a number of salad options. At the self-serve bar they had several wines (including a sparkling), plus a nice dessert selection with Oreos, honey baklava, rice pudding, and others. On the minus side, the chairs were rather uncomfortable and the airport was cold, per usual for Miami.
The Lounge in Medellin – fairly basic, a few snacks and drinks available self-serve, and a small menu available via QR code. We had a view of the security area below us.
Arrival in Colombia
We arrived around 9p, and passport control was quick and efficient – just needed to provide the name and address of our hotel. Once in the arrivals area there were a decent number of taxi touts, but they weren’t too aggressive. We called an Uber, which was more expensive than expected (~$30usd) and also needed to provide a PIN number to start the ride which was a first. The city is separated from the airport by a set of mountains, so there is a very long tunnel (over 8km!) that was rather unique, then a curvy downhill drive into the center.
Our Apartment
Our stay at this apartment was quite mixed. The check-in process was bumpy—we were only asked to give 15 minutes notice of our arrival a few hours earlier. Since we were on a plane we didn’t know and ended waiting outside for someone to bring our key fob. When he arrived, he seemed unsure of the apartment’s location, which wasn’t the most confidence-inspiring start.
The apartment itself felt more worn than the listing photos suggested. We were greeted by a mop left by the door and a broken soap dish on the counter. The overhead lighting has an unflattering blue-white tone throughout. Only one set of towels was provided initially, though management did drop off more the next morning after we contacted them. We also lost water on two days for a few hours each without any proactive notice from the management.
The shower was frustrating—temperature swung unpredictably between hot and cold, and drainage was poor. With the soap holder broken, we had nowhere to store our toiletries in the shower. The bed was quite firm, which may not suit everyone. We were also missing pillowcases. And despite being on the 10th floor, road noise was surprisingly noticeable due to thin single-pane windows. We had to sleep with earplugs.
On the positive side, the wifi was solid (92 down, 44 up), and the street felt safe and well-lit at night. Also, the kitchen was reasonably stocked with utensils for breakfast and takeout. Our favorite part was the balcony and views over the city – in the evening we spotted multiple pairs of parrots returning to their roosts along with other birds. On our first night the apartment was warm, so we got the AC going. We didn’t need it any other night as we were able to open the doors and windows.
