The city of Medellín as we know it today has undergone many changes since it was founded in 1616, by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Herrera Campuzano. The city’s initial name was “San Lorenzo de Aburrá”, and was located in what is currently the Poblado comuna. In 1675 the name was changed to “Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Medellín”, and finally to “Medellín” around 1813, when it was also declared the capital of the Antioquia region.
By the time the Industrial Revolution had arrived in South America, Medellín was enjoying the benefits of both gold and coffee production. The Thousand Day’s War (which lasted from 1899 to 1902) dampened the city’s industrial development, but didn’t directly affect the region. Shortly afterwards, Medellín’s Chamber of Commerce was founded; this connected the city to other regions within the country, and even to commercial interests outside of Colombia.
At around the same time, Medellín’s famous textile trade was beginning to take shape. Coal was discovered just south of the city, and hydroelectric plants were built – these helped solidify the city’s growing status as a hub of industry. Art and literature also took root in Medellín, thanks to its prestigious universities and numerous artists’ clubs.
The 1950s saw the creation of a “Medellín Master Plan”, which expanded the city and created Colombia’s first metropolitan area. Canals were laid out, settlements were planned, and a new industrial zone was established. By 1973, the city had just over 1 million residents, and was expanding to meet neighboring cities. This led to problems with overpopulation, crime, and widespread unemployment in the 80s and 90s. As you’ll see, though, this period has not defined what Medellín is today. From: https://medellin-tours.com/the-history-of-medellin-colombia/
Arriving into Bogota, I didn’t leave the airport, just hung out at the 24 Hour Lounge until my sister arrived early in the morning. Then off we went on the short flight to Medellin.
City nestled in the valley, with lots of people living in the hills as well, beautiful views as we enter the city center. We stayed in the popular El Pablado area of the city. Very trendy area with nice restaurants, bars and hotels.
We stayed at the Somas Beat Hotel, only 2 rooms per floor, and the rooms are massive. Super cool rooftop bar and a nice little breakfast restaurant on the ground floor. First thing to order is Coffee!! Of course!
We head out for lunch before our afternoon walking tour. Just walking around we find this cool area with rows of restaurants and bars, so we take a seat at one of them. Local beer and food!
We then head out to the Metro Station for our meet point for the Tour.
Comuna 13 History & Graffiti Tour with Cable Car
Took this great tour from the metro subway station, which is always a treat! Experience the city like the locals do. We end up with a good group of folks on the tour, as we get on and off the train, our guide tells us to watch very carefully for pickpockets (As with any major city). He gives us history of the city and the areas we go through.
We take the cable car up to see the views and come back down to the bus stop, where we jump on a busy bus.
We get off at the Comuna 13 area stop and walk up to the area. Lots of political and social events happened in this area, now the area is mainly for locals to hang out and enjoy or for tourist to visit.
Graffiti in the area is worth of being called art!! The art tells the stories.
We end up at a rooftop bar all the way up the neighborhood, where we enjoy the views and a nice cold drink.
Coffee Farm Tour
The Coffee Farm tour was fun, we basically acted like we were picking the beans! We also learned how they make the coffee, what type the various types of roasts area, and that Dark roast is basically loaded with debris and bugs! We learned a little history of the origin of coffee (Africa, Middle East):
From: https://www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/history-of-coffee
Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.
As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.
Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Bonus, we learned how to make coffee in a French Press, apparently that is the ‘right’ way to make coffee.
Traditional Columbia Lunch served in a leaf! Small pouch of coffee as a parting gift!
Day trip to Guatape
This small Andean village in Antioquia, northwest Colombia, takes pride in its houses, which are painted in every color and adorned with paintings of plants, animals and references to local culture.
Guatape sits on the shores of the vast Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir, a man-made lake that adds to the town’s scenic atmosphere and is close to the giant Piedra del Peñol, a climbable granite stone that offers spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Guatape means “stones and water” in Quechua.
The town was officially founded on October 4, 1811, and has evolved politically and economically throughout the years. It was once a farming village with an economy dependent on agriculture and mining activities.
In the 1970s, a large hydroelectric complex was built nearby, including the Punchiná Dam, which helped Guatape develop and led to the formation of its stunning scenery. (From: https://colombia.travel/en/encanto/discover-watersports-hiking-and-art-in-lakeside-guatape )
We make multiple stops on our way, fresh cream and strawberries were amazing. Small village area was picturesque.
We climb the rock and arrive to beautiful views…Pictures speak for themselves. Our lunch is on a boat as we circle the ‘Rock’
Some various pictures of the city.
In the city you can see that people are generally happy, even though the city/country does have a high poverty rate. Locals seem to commute into this area to work and then head out to their homes elsewhere in the city.
We try to hit several nice roof top bars for the views & Drinks!
Some various pictures of the city.
Great Times with Family!