I recently wrote an article about the different neighbourhoods in Medellin, the second-largest city in Colombia, running through the best neighbourhoods as well as the ones you should probably avoid. But how do you decide where to stay? And, once you decide on an area, how do you figure out which hostel or hotel to stay in?
In this article, I’m going to go through the best places to stay in Medellin, Colombia and give you my top picks for hotels and hostels. Now, of course, I haven’t stayed in every single one; I stayed in just two different hostels in Medellin, but I’ve been inside a lot of them because many of them have rooftop bars or social events, especially in El Poblado.
One of the things I really loved about Medellin (also known as the city of eternal spring thanks to its year-round perfect weather) was how easy it was to mix with people from other hostels. Even if you’re not staying in a certain hostel, you’re welcomed to many of their events and have easy access to the social scene there. But, be careful, as a lot of hostels ask you to pay a fee to use certain facilities if you’re not staying there, such as the pool. Throughout my entire trip through South America, Medellin was one of the only cities where I found this vibe and I really loved it.
There are two neighbourhoods in Medellin that were featured in my last article but aren’t on this list. The first is La Candelaria (el centro/the centre), because it’s quite dangerous (it’s fine to visit there during the day, but it gets pretty sketchy at night). The other is Comuna 13, because whilst this area thrives on tourism during the day, it’s not a common place to stay overnight.
Read more about Medellin: How to Get to Medellin from Capurgana
El Poblado, South Medellín
Best for: Digital Nomads & Luxury Stays
Like I said last time, El Poblado is the most common place for tourists and remote workers to stay and live in Medellin. It’s the most popular neighbourhood in Medellin, and whilst I did have some, ahem, strong opinions on the place, I did enjoy my stay there.
In the heart of El Poblado district is the area that is more commonly referred to as “El Poblado” (think New York, New York), and its full to the brim with cute (but expensive) coffee shops, and some of the most seriously luxurious hostels I have ever seen in my life. Honestly, they are like the hostel version of a luxury hotel. Think rooftop bars, at least one outdoor swimming pool (many hostels had several), air conditioning and balconies in the rooms.
El Poblado is a great place to stay if you’re looking for a little luxury in the midst of a longer trip, but if you want to experience the real Colombia, it probably isn’t for you.
Personally I spent most of my weeks in Medellin in a hostel in Laureles, a more residential district, but half way through I moved for two nights into Los Patios, which has been voted best hostel in a bunch of different categories, including best large hostel worldwide. I had a really great experience there, but even with a huge last minute discount it was over budget for me!
Best Hostels in El Poblado Medellin
Best Hotels in El Poblado Medellín
Provenza, South Medellin
Best for: A Good Night Out (And Not Much Sleep)
Provenza lies on the border between El Poblado and La Florida, and is the place to stay if you’re looking for a bit of a wild ride. If you’re in Medellin for a party (and, let’s face it, a lot of the people I met in Medellin were), Provenza is the place for you.
The only thing I would say is that, whilst Provenza is great on a Saturday night for clubbing and live music, you do feel the after-effects the following morning, which often consists of litter on the streets and a bit of a hungover vibe in the air. It’s also not difficult to get back to a hostel in the main section of El Poblado from Provenza if you want a couple of coffee shops to hit up the next morning.
Best Hostels in Provenza Medellin
Best Hotels in Provenza Medellin
The Click Clack Hotel Medellín
Read more about Colombia: Everything You Need to Know About Capurgana
Laureles, West Medellin
Best for: Safety & Vibing With the Locals
As I previously mentioned, Laureles is where I spent the majority of my time in Medellin. I stayed in Gaston Coliving, which is a budget hostel on the border between Laureles and La America.
Laureles neighbourhood is, generally, quite a safe area and quiet (besides the main road of La Setenta). It’s a residential area with good access to public transportation, including the metro, and there’s easy access to plenty of amenities like shops, restaurants and local markets. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of El Poblado, Laureles is probably the perfect place for you.
Admittedly, this is quite niche, but I spent a lot of time dancing salsa in Medellin, and all of the cool places we found to dance were in Laureles.
Whilst Gaston Coliving was great for its price point (you can’t go wrong with a $10 hostel in Medellin), I will say that there were aspects of it that I didn’t like. The house rules were quite strict, and if you want to enter the premises after 12pm you have to ring the landlady on Whatsapp who comes and opens the door for you in her pyjamas. The first time, it’s kinda funny, but after two or three times it gets uncomfortable knowing that you are waking someone up in the middle of the night.
Best Hostels in Laureles Medellin
Best Hotels in Laureles Medellin
Hotel Boutique Laureles Medellin
La Setenta, West Medellin
Best for: Budget travellers
I’ve written that La Setenta is best for budget travellers, but what I really mean is “budget travellers who still want to experience Medellin’s nightlife”. Whilst the nightlife in El Poblado is great, it gets expensive quickly, both to stay there and in terms of cost of living. Things are much more affordable around La Setenta. Although I have said before and I still think that the nightlife is better in El Poblado, La Setenta is still great and you can stay in much more affordable accommodation close by.
There’s also much more local nightlife around here. I spent many nights at temporary bars that popped up outside of small convenience stores dancing salsa with the locals. Hiking up to Comuna 13 to grab a beer overlooking the city as the sun set and lights flickered on across the skyline. Celebrating birthdays at 24-hour panaderias (who knew that was a thing?!) and eating arepas from random street vendors on the way home.
If you stay to the north of La Setenta you also have great access to the orange metro line, which makes it really easy to get around the city and to/from El Poblado. The main issue I had in Medellin was that I’d made a bunch of friends elsewhere in Colombia and they were all staying in El Poblado, so whilst I was staying in Laureles I found myself travelling back and forth quite a bit.
If you’re looking for a bit of everything, as well as easy access to other parts of Medellin by metro (including el centro, El Poblado and Comuna 13) then you’re in the right place around La Setenta.
Best Hostels in La Setenta Medellin
Best Hotels in La Setenta Medellin
Milla de Oro, Business District in Medellin
Best for: Anyone on Business
Milla de Oro, also known as the Golden Mile, is the business district located in the Comuna of El Poblado, just south of the central area that’s more commonly referred to as El Poblado. It’s supposedly the financial hub of Medellin and characterised by fancy hotels, spas, shopping centres and offices. Some of the best restaurants around are also supposed to be in this area!
I don’t think much goes on here other than Fancy Business Meetings, but it is great if you want something a bit more up-scale and still have good links to the city. It’s within walking distance of Aguacatala metro station and it’s also pretty close to El Poblado and Provenza.