I was excited to be in Medellin. I had heard a lot about it. Apparently this little town of 2 million people, wedged between the mountains at 1,500m in the middle of Colombia, was the “Chiang Mai of South America” for digital nomads and remote workers.
I could definitely see the attraction. It is a pretty city. It is a green city. It is an affordable city. And the hipsters have truly arrived, with their fresh coffee, mustache waxing and intriguing street art.
Yes, Medellin has a….. colourful history, especially if you have been watching the Netflix series – Narcos. But now those times seem to be behind Medellin as the city pushes forward with tourism and trying to establish itself as an entrepreneurial start up community.
El Poblado, the Zona Rosa, is the hot spot for foreigners and remote workers. It’s a posh area, with great access, shops, restaurants and some of the best coffee in town.
Numerous co-working spaces have sprung up as well, and considering everything going for it, the nomads are coming.
I spent my first day here with some casual exploring. It was only 10 minutes walk down the hill to reach the zone, which was handy.
It was pretty quick to be in “the zone”.
I was headed to Pergamino Cafe, the number one rated coffee place in Medellin.
They have a great spot.
And the reviews were right, the coffee was amazing – velvety, smooth and rich.
Next it was time to explore.
Parque Lleras in the middle of Zona Rosa is beautiful and has free WIFI!
I kept going, heading towards Parque El Poblado.
Opposite the park is the Iglesia San Jose.
Parque El Poblado
There are markets that set up each day on the edge of the small park, with tourist knick-knacks and some unhealthy fast food. Luckily, the day I was there, there was a guy selling sugar cane juice – my favourite!
It was time to head back up the hill.
I saw a juice bar and thought I would try one of their juices. It also had a great view of the street.
The juice was ok. But I was hungry so it was time to find some lunch. As I wandered I saw a rainforest in the middle of the town, and I started to see some cool street art.
Then I spotted a taco place.
The tacos were ok.
I also walked past one of the coworking spaces called The Office.
It was such a relaxing day. I decided to try the second coffee place – Cafe Zeppelin.
The coffee was…. not great.
But the atmosphere was fantastic.
Then it was time to head home, before the storm arrived.
It was definitely time to rest my sore feet.
After the storm passed, I headed back to the Zona Rosa. The moon was out, so stunning.
After some tasty pizza, it was time to top it off with some ice cream.
