7 Day "Men's" Tour to Medellin Colombia - February 19 - 25 2024
This 7 day "Men's" tour of Medellin, Colombia and surrounding area is now a go. Medellin was the “Most Dangerous City in the World” when Drug King Pablo Escobar ruled the turf. Pablo is long gone and Medellin, the 2nd largest city in Colombia has emerged as one of the most hip and cosmopolitan cities in the region. This tour is a bit of adventure tourism activities like an ATV tour, a Bicycle tour in Medellin, a white water raft experience along with a glimpse at the Narco world of Pablo Escobar. it will also be a guide to Medellin for men, something I've had requests for.
Our tour starts in Poblado, where we will be staying. We will also visit many of the popular tourist areas. Poblado is a popular destination for expats looking for upscale living, dining and shopping. The New York Times put Poblado as one of the top 52 places in the world to visit. We visit El Castillo, a Medieval Gothic Castle built for Jose Tobon Uribe. We'll also take a bicycle tour in Medellin, an ATV ride and see the museum of Pablo Escobar as well as his now abandoned and destroyed house on the lake in Guatape'.
We'll be taking the subway and cable cars and get a gritty look at this amazing city. Medellin is the only city in Colombia to have a mass public transport system, including four main lines, 5 connecting gondolas, a rubber wheeled tram system and connecting bus routes. The gondolas provide access to the hills surrounding Medellin and allow access to many areas previously inaccessible to public transportation. We take the metro to Comuna 13. This area had the highest murder rate in Medellin in the 1990’s, as drug cartels and terrorists reigned under and after the death of Pablo Escobar. In October of 2002, the government raided the Comuna and many lost their lives in the conflict, but the area was rid of conflict. Around the same time, the metro arrived to Comuna 13 and the government built a series of escalators to access the hills above the city, making a 45 minute climb into a 6 minute easy ride. The neighborhood has now become a symbol of peace in Medellin, adorned by massive graffiti projects depicting the struggle and peaceful end. It is now a hip place to visit, with street art, performers, shops, restaurants and views of the city below.
We also take a day trip to Guatape, visiting el Penol, a huge granite monolith that juts 656 feet into the air, with a chance to climb all 740 steps to the top. In 1956, Luis Eduardo Villegas López & 2 friends climbed the rock, and Lopez ultimately bought the rock from local farmers. He masterfully crafted stairs into the crack in the rock, charging visitors to climb the 740 steps to the top. The views of the lake formed when the valley was flooded to create the largest hydro-electric plant in Colombia, are amazing. We visit the town of Guatape and take a boat ride on the lake.
We continue to tour around Medellin, visiting Laureles, Lleras and surrounding areas. We also plan a visit to parque Arvi as well as trip to El Centro, to visit El Hueco (the hole) a huge shopping area with city blocks of shops selling everything under the sun. El Hueco is worth a visit since I have never seen so many knock off US and world products that appear to be genuine but based on price, clearly are not.
Medellin has some great restaurants and we’ll dine in style. We’ll also see some great street performers, visit some of the many outdoor parks in Medellin, which makes the city so live-able. Throughout the tour, we’ll also see the Venezuelan migration issue, which many Paisa (what Colombians call themselves) will say is terrible for the city. Medellin offers super affordable living in a emerging world class city, the 2nd largest in Colombia.
For more information on this tour and to sign up, visit
Our next Medellin, Colombia tour is scheduled for February 19 - 25, 2024, and open to men only. The cost of this tour is $1350 per person in a single room, complete with Jacuzzi, or $1,450 from February 18 - 25. The tour includes all entry fees, all transportation within Colombia, all lodging, some meals (there will be times you will want to eat on your own), all entrance and activity fees. There will be an optional language exchange meet up and salsa lesson, not included in the tour fee. Lodging choices may change based on availability. If you arrive early or want to stay later, you are on your own for those bookings but we can extend your visit in advance on either end. The tour does not include alcoholic beverages.
These tours are mostly about why Medellin has become so popular. We also visit some of the more popular areas of Poblado, Llera, and Laureles. I'll also present a bit of information about staying safe in Medellin and what not to do. We'll also look at the real estate market in and around Medellin and the options on living there, immigration, etc., just to provide an education about the market, the different classes of properties available, the potential effect of currency fluctuations on real estate, the opportunities and challenges in buying property in a foreign country, an overview of what to look out for and what realtors won't tell you there. Again, the tour is simply tourism but why not get an education in international real estate as a bonus, from someone who's lived abroad and owned rental properties in multiple countries. Many Americans are now choosing to own investment property or retire outside the US and Medellin is a new popular destination. This trip will give you a great overview of this great city, the second largest in Colombia. Note: The elevation of Medellin is roughly 6,000 feet so do be aware of the altitude. The bottom picture of Pablo behind bars is a photo slider, click the arrows to see more photos.
This Tour is likely to sell out...
