Medellin is a really exciting place, but as with any capital city, your spending can quickly add up if you don’t keep an eye on it, especially when you’re travelling on a backpacker’s budget. So, without further ado, here are some ideas of cheap things to do in Medellin.
Take the Metrocable to Avri Park
This one’s worth it for the Metro ride alone.
Medellin is a steep city, built in the foothills of a load of mountains. It can be pretty hard to get around on foot, or even by car. So, to make it easier for the residents to travel, someone had the great idea of installing cable cars.
Within Medellin’s Metro system, there are a handful of gondola lines. If you’re looking for a cheap activity, hitch a ride to Avri Park.
You can take line A to Acevedo, then change onto line K for three stops to Santo Domingo, and then take line L to Avri Park. The journey from Santo Domingo to Parque Avri is about 20 minutes over the mountains, through the countryside, so get your camera ready.
Then, when you get to Avri Park there are loads of walks you can do. Plus, a little street food market, craft market and coffee shop.
Walk around Jardin Botanico
If you’re feeling a bit flustered the Jardin Botanico is a great place to cool down. And, it’s completely free.
You will have to show your ID to get in, but there is no charge for entering. Inside the gardens, there are shaded walking paths, botanical plants, a butterfly house, a cafe and a lake that is home to turtles and iguanas.
Sometimes there are talks, presentations and theatre displays so check the schedule to make sure you don’t miss out.
Casa de Memoria
Casa de Memoria, the Memory Museum, is a free museum that documents the violence and loss of life at the end of the 20th century, in Medellin.
In 2006 the victims of the armed violence came together to create a place for open and reflective conversation. This museum is free to enter, and it is a great place to learn more about the gang violence in Medellin, throughout the 80s-90s.
Free walking tour
If you do one free thing in Medellin, make sure it is a walking tour.
There are so many different types of walking tours available and they are all completely free, the only note is that you are encouraged to leave a tip.
We did the Communa 13 walking tour, which went into the history of the area and how it became the popular tourist attraction that it is today. The tour also included a trip on the escalators to get to the top of the neighbourhood, just in time to watch the sunset over the city.
Other free walking tours you can look into are history tours, graffiti tours, cable car tours and foodie tours. If you’re going to book one, go for the morning or evening slot. The tours take around 2 hours and no one wants to be doing that at midday.
You can book your walking tour slot through Guru Walks or Zippy Tours.
Ride the Encicla bikes
Medellin has a great public bike scheme. And, they’re free for the first hour.
All you need to do is put your details in and then a bike will unlock, available for you to use. This is a great way to see more of the city and get some exercise in at the same time.
Just be vigilant, the Medellin traffic rules are in a world of their own.
Go to the modern art museum
The modern art museum is a great cheap trip.
Tickets are only a couple of pounds and there are 4 floors of art to walk around, as well as a roof garden and a bar with some great views over the city.
If you want to make a full day of it, the museum also has a cinema. Here they show creative, indie and artsy movies. Many of these movies are English audio with Spanish subtitles so the films are perfectly traveller-friendly. The tickets for the cinema will set you back another few quid, but this is nothing compared to the cost in the UK these days!
Got any other ideas of cheap things to do in Medellin?
If you’ve found other exciting, cheap things to do in Medellin, let us know in the comments. We’re always on the hunt for budget-friendly ideas.
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