Things to do in Antioquia

Set sail for the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park on a full-day tour from Cartagena. The catamaran departs from the Muelle de la Bodeguita pier in front of the walled city. After your welcome drink, enjoy the journey to the Rosario Islands, sailing and motor sailing on the catamaran. The vessel is equipped with comfortable seats, where you can sit both in the shade and in the sun. There is a bar service on board, so you can enjoy a variety of soft drinks throughout the excursion.  Experience paradise with a stop in front of an idyllic beach of turquoise waters and white sands, where you can swim and play with fun inflatables. Practice snorkeling, if you wish, and admire the fascinating underwater life with colorful tropical fish and various types of coral. The crew will prepare a delicious lunch for you to enjoy on board while you sail back to Cartagena at the end of a relaxing day.

Discover the city of Guatapé on a guided tour from Medellín and learn about this colorful city from your guide. Board a sightseeing cruise to the breathtaking Piedra del Peñol followed by lunch. Start your morning with pickup from your accommodation in Medellín and travel to the vibrant city of Guatapé. With your guide, explore the colorful streets with their artistic tiled facades and fascinating history. Then, board a boat and sail through the reservoir. Enjoy panoramic views of Casa Museo, La Cruz, Piedras del Marial, Piedra del Peñol, and the ruins of the Pablo Escobar's vacation home. Learn about the sights from your guide. Disembark and visit the imposing Piedra del Peñol. Explore your lush surroundings with plenty of great photo opportunities, particularly if you choose to climb this impressive monument. After, regain your strength with a delicious lunch. Make one more stop at the Plaza de Zocalos and admire the colorful murals and the history behind them. After the tour, be returned to where you were picked up.

Discover the transformative graffiti art of Columna 13 on a guided tour in Medellin. Ride the metro, climb up to the houses on the mountain top with the metrocable, and take the public bus into the graffiti district for a walking tour full of art, music, food, and friendly neighborhood vibes. Start at the Poblado metro station and meet your friendly guide and group for the day. Jump on the metro train to reach Medellin's cable car the metrocable and ride all the way up to the mountaintop. Enjoy the spectacular viewing point and learn about the city's transportation system. Continue on with a bus to the graffiti district where your walking tour will begin. Let your guide lead you through the streets filled with expressive art including graffiti, oil paintings, and graffiti-printed clothes. Encounter good food, music, and dance shows in this traditional neighborhood. Learn about the meaning of the graffiti created by local artists and how this area has been transformed over time. Try some traditional Colombian street food before heading to a bar with the best views in the city for a drink to get to know your fellow travelers.

Begin your tour by visiting the site of Escobar’s former home, where he hid his family and had enemies plant bombs to kill him. Learn about the transformation of this site into a memorial park for victims of Colombia's drug war. Next, head to “la cathedral”, a jail Escobar built for himself in an agreement with the government, from which he later escaped. Afterward, visit the soccer field Escobar built, known for its visionary design, where he gave speeches in an attempt to make a foray into Colombian politics. To cap things off, make your way to the cemetery, where Escobar is buried along with his family and other members of his gang, including Griselda Blanco.  By the end of the day, leave the tour with a better understanding of the negative impact that Escobar had on the country and the lives of the Colombian people.

Head out to San Sebastián de Palmitas, just 45 minutes from Medellín, to begin your unique coffee tour. After hotel pick-up, set off for a coffee-making farm and enjoy listening to a brief history about the origin of the coffee and how it was first brought to Colombia. Take the chance to dress in the typical costume of the paisa muleteer, including hat, poncho, paruma, and the tail of a rooster. Later, move on to a coffee plantation to carry out the coffee harvest, reducing the mixture to a pulp and finally, drying it. After these activities, sit down for a refreshing drink of musilago (coffee juice) and a tea made from the coffee pulp. Savor a typical dish from the region made of banana with honey and cheese. Hear your guide explain some techniques on how to prepare and drink coffee and have a short tasting of different coffees and servings. Later, try a typical dish of the paisa muleteer consisting of rice, yuca, ground beef, boiled egg, sausage, and banana. Try preparing your coffee to your own taste with the information you have just learned from your guide. Finally, receive a pack of coffee as a gift and have the chance to buy farm products at the shop. If the option is chosen, also experience a 2-hour horseback ride through the farm to some viewpoints. All instructions will be given to inexperienced riders.

Discover Guatapé on a day trip from Medellin. Take in views from the top of Piedra del Penol, discover the Zócalos area on a guided tour, try traditional, locally made Colombian food, and enjoy a boat ride of the Penol-Guatapé hydroelectric reservoir. Enjoy the green landscapes and rolling hills and mountains as you journey from Medellin to Guatapé. Ascend 742 steps, as you make your way up to the top of the Piedra del Penol for sweeping views of the area. Explore the colorful Zócalos of Guatapé on a guided tour and enjoy 1 hour of free time to explore on your own. Enjoy a typical Colombian dish made by natives of the small pueblo. Tour a large section of the Penol-Guatapé hydroelectric reservoir on a boat cruise and enjoy the beautiful surrounding landscapes.

In Colombia, people live soccer as if it were more than a sport — and Medellín is the best city in the country to see the excitement fans feel for it. Experience the complete football culture as you master the songs, pre-game, paint your faces, and cheer on the home team, surrounded by dedicated fans. To make the experience as real as possible, go with the locals and feel the excitement of the crowds. Have fun talking to the guides who also love football and know teams from all around the world. Learn about the football culture, the social things involved in the sport, and the history of the clubs and players. Watch the game the safest way possible, from a place in the stand where the most enthusiastic fans sit. Enjoy an experience in groups of around 25 people to have a real-life look into Colombian football while meeting people from different places.

Discover the natural landscapes of Colombia on this guided excursion. Visit Santa Catalina, and bathe yourself in the purifying mud of the volcano. As the minivan leaves town, hear some curious facts about Cartagena's history and some tips to ensure a better experience at the mud volcano. The trip to Santa Catalina, another beautiful Colombian city and the location of the volcano, lasts around 45 minutes. Upon arrival at the volcanic zone, be greeted by the owner of a small nearby restaurant. Then, prepare for a unique experience as you climb the 50 steps that surround the volcano; remember to wear old clothing as the mud can be rough on delicate materials. Immerse yourself in the volcanic mud, reaping the health benefits for your skin from the millions of minerals. Some people say afterward, you'll appear 10 years younger. Inside the volcano, you can float thanks to the high number of minerals present. There will be some locals around offering massages for an extra price of 2 USD. Outside of the volcano, pay to get your photo taken for another 2 USD. When the soaking is over, head to the lake for a shower.  Before continuing back to the city, enjoy a typical snack in a rustic restaurant. Get dropped off at your hotel.

Experience clear blue waters, white sand, and awesome corals on a day tour to the Corales del Rosario National Park. Discover the group of islands on the coast of Colombia, a perfect natural environment to have fun and relax. Start the day from the meeting point and after a speedboat ride, explore the fortress on Bocachica island. Continue to a relaxing private island where beach chairs and umbrellas await you. Spend time in the sun and have a seafood cocktail or lemonade in one of the most beautiful places you will visit. Afterward, continue to Cholon to enjoy a mini party in the water with music, drinks, and people from other boats. Finally, stop at Playa Blanca in Barú Island, where there will be a more private space waiting for you away from the main concentration of boats and vendors. Here, eat a typical island lunch and spend the rest of the day on the beach, relaxing and swimming, before returning to Cartagena.

Learn all about Pablo Escobar's life on a 4-hour guided, private tour in Medellín including three main stops: Inflexion Memorial Park, La Catedral jail, and a cable car ride to enjoy a panoramic view of the West side of the city for unforgettable photo opportunities. Hear interesting anecdotes as a knowledgeable guide presents Pablo Escobar's history on a sightseeing tour of the most famous locations linked to the drug lord, and how he affected Medellín and Colombia as a whole. Start your tour by visiting the Inflexion Memorial Park, built in 2019 on top of the lot of the old Monaco Building, a former property of the drug lord, to commemorate the 46,612 victims who were killed during his rule.  Take a moment to walk through the moving space while your guide tells you facts of that time. Next, make your way to La Catedral, a personal prison Pablo Escobar built for himself — and where he spent five years — on top of a hill overlooking the city. It is said that he could choose who guarded him, and that the prison was built more to keep his enemies out than to keep him in. Drive on to visit the cemetery where Pablo Escobar is buried, as well as the neighborhood in which he spent his teenage years, and the house where he died. End your tour with a spectacular panoramic view of the West side of the city on a cable car ride before being dropped back off at your hotel.