A Comprehensive Guide to Medellin: Colombia’s Metropolis in the Valley

Medellin is a city that wowed me from the start.

The surrounding mountains wowed me with the views they provide. Lush tropical vegetation and barrios of brick-built homes cover and accent their slopes. Their towering presence over Medellin offers a sweeping perspective of the city.

The weather wowed me with its enduring spring temperature. When it rains, it pours in Medellin, but I didn’t mind. The rainfall is only a break from a climate that rarely varies through the year.

The Paisa culture wowed me with its exuberance. I found some of Medellin’s best experiences inside compact salsa clubs. They sweltered and made me sweat while offering little room for comfort. But I never noticed this because Colombians mesmerize with their mastery of dance.

But of all the things that wowed me about Medellin, its progress wowed me the most. Medellin’s turbulent history of Narco warfare and guerilla strife is well documented. Yet going there taught visitors like me that much of the city’s worst is in its past.

How I Traveled to and Around Medellin

My journey to Medellin started with a seven-hour flight from San Francisco to Panama City. After a layover, my connecting flight was a straight…