Due to the beauty of its women, the warmth and friendliness of its people, the year-round spring-like weather, and its gorgeous flowers and mountains, Medellín attracts like a magnet. As a city with a great gastronomic, commercial and tourist offer, it provides countless opportunities for leisure and business.

Colombia’s second most important city, Medellín, rises in the center of a valley and covers part of the mountains that surround it. The landscape evokes the drive of the colonists who toiled their way through a rugged topography and whose descendants founded this large industrial, ever-thriving city of hard-working, persevering people.

Medellín is considered a Colombian hub for business, industry and technological development.  With a renowned leadership in finance, banking, services, politics, art, culture, communications, fashion, and entertainment industries, the city is a true development axis.

The paisas, as the people from this region of the country are called, have earned a reputation as enterprising and visionary people who are also great bargainers. Their proactive spirit, frugality, and hospitality have become proverbial, and they are also famous for loving life on the street and exaggerating their colorful stories.

Events, congresses, fairs, and seminars in Medellín on topics like textiles and the clothing industry, medicine, construction, and education have become international benchmarks. The city is also a focus for health tourism and sports events, and a good number of regional, national, and international organizations and corporations have chosen it as their seat.

Several nearby municipalities attract their fair share of visitors. The varied topography of the department of Antioquia allows going from one climate to another in just minutes thanks to an excellent road infrastructure that promotes trade and tourism.

You can other informative reviews about Medellin and the rest of Colombia at the Official Tourism Portal.

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1. President Uribe

Love him or hate him– and there appears to be no standing on the fence here– Bush’s best buddy in South America has increased security, dealt some serious blows to the guerrillas, presided over economic growth, and encouraged tourism into a “conflict zone.”

Did you know that Colombia, in stark contrast to its Latin American counterparts, has only suffered one coup d’état and one dictatorship in its history, way back in 1953…although the students hollering out there in the streets would have you believe that current boss is no better than a dictator.

2. Fading FARC Influence

Whisper it carefully and in well-chosen circles, but the FARC and ELN Guerrilla groups are possibly at their lowest ever ebb.

Controversial events such as the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and the three American contractors from the southern jungles of Guaviare, as well as the deaths of leading FARC members Raul Reyes, Ivan Rios, and founding member Manuel “Tirofijo” Marulanda, have led many commentators to declare FARC a tired anachronism.

3. The conflict is not aimed at you.

Cocaine and kidnapping. Sure, cocaine and marijuana are regularly available, and your decision to meddle in the marching powder is what keeps Colombia’s warring factions in business.

As for kidnapping, unless you are an aid worker attached to an international NGO, a crusading journalist or just plain crazy, why would you be traveling alone through the forests of Guaviare, Vaupes, or other outlying regions where there is the very real threat of being kidnapped?

4. Reputable Bus Firms

Overland travel, even at night, with reputable bus firms between the major cities of Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, Santa Marta and intermediary cities such as Barrancabermeja, Bucaramanga, Ibague, Manizales, Villavicencio has become acceptable and frequent.

5.US State Department Warnings

Come on! If you were to follow these to a T then you would never leave the prairie. Apply some common sense and listen to what the locals have to say; after all, this is not Baghdad.

6. Secure Urban Areas

Walk around Bogota’s Zona T and Zona G or Medellin’s El Poblado and see how lightly the Colombians themselves are taking life. Some 15 years ago you would have thought twice and then thought better of a night out here in Medellin, but now it’s how to stay in and detox that is the main concern.

7. Colonial Cities

For small perfectly preserved whitewashed and cobblestoned oases of calm, make your way to Popayan, Mompos, Villa de Leyva, and San Gil.

Cartagena is a little more frenetic and plagued with street vendors but then it’s been receiving tourists for decades.

8. Tourism is booming

But don’t let this put you off; come now before the rest of the world catches on. Cartagena and Bogota are still the most visited areas of the country, closely followed by Medellin, but what does it tell you that a country with a long running internal conflict received a little more than two million visitors in 2007?

9. Colombians

War weary and decidedly unhappy with their narco-fueled image as perceived by those only glued to Fox News will have you believe – are arguably the friendliest bunch in the Americas.

If you’re lost In Brazil, a local will show you home. But in Colombia you’ll be invited to the family cookout that day or the following!

10. Still Afraid?

In this case you are advised to head only to the Colombian Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia – as they say over there, “no hay guerrilla maritima,” “there’s no sea-based guerrilla!” Grab a coco loco and hit the beach

Originally Written by Richard McColl and Posted by on The Travellers Notebook

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One of the best places to get served up a slice of real Colombian life is in Calle 8 in Poblado in a little hidden away converted house that has been serving some of the best traditional food in Medellin since 1991. The name is Ajiacos y Mondongos and it delivers on it’s name. On the menu are just three dishes, Ajiacos, Mondogos and Cazuela but what they lack in variety they more than make up for in ambiance and flavour.

So famous are it’s delicious home recipes that the rich and famous of Medellin have been coming here for lunch since it opened and have left their glowing remarks written for all to see on the walls of the restaurant alongside the celebrity photos.  Even the President himself has graced the establishment.

One of the best parts of this dining experience is that the service is super fast, even when it’s full, and a lunch will set you back less than $10 and leave you feeling very satisfied.  The small rooms, tables and chairs just add to the eclectic atmosphere of the establishment and it’s one of Medellin true dining experiences.

In a city not renowned for it’s food, this is one place where they have got it right, and sticking to tradition has rightfully earned them the reputation as the best local food in the city.

Calle 8 # 42 -71 Reservations: 266 5505 (reservations not required, just walk in)

Monday to Friday 12:00PM to 3:30PM (Lunch Only)

Luxury Medellin Real Estate, Medellin Property Listings, Real Estate Advice and Consultancy

Call or Email now for an Expert Consultation www.luhorealestate.com Email: info@luhorealestate.com

Office: (+57 4) 312 5827 - Mobile: (+57) 314 728 9411 - USA: (305) 600 0776

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