With kids · Medellín · Colombia
Medellín with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Medellín is easy with children thanks to its mild climate, Metrocable rides and free parks. Parque Explora, the botanical garden and Arví's forests are highlights, and Guatapé's rock climb suits older kids. Top picks: Parque Explora, Jardín Botánico de Medellín and Metrocable ride. Families usually base themselves in El Poblado.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- El Poblado
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- August and December
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Aranjuez
1.Parque Explora
A large interactive science museum with hands-on rooms, a freshwater aquarium focused on Amazon and Colombian species, and a vivarium of reptiles and amphibians. It is one of the best indoor options with children.
Allow at least half a day and visit on a weekday to avoid school-holiday crowds.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Garden · Aranjuez
2.Jardín Botánico de Medellín
The city's free botanical garden next to the university metro station has orchid collections, a lake with turtles and iguanas, a butterfly house and the Orquideorama, a wooden canopy structure that hosts events and the orchid show.
Combine it with Parque Explora and the Planetarium, which are across the road.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
Experience · Santo Domingo
3.Metrocable ride
Medellín's cable cars, integrated into the Metro, carry residents up to hillside neighbourhoods. Line K from Acevedo station climbs to Santo Domingo Savio with views over the whole valley, and Line L continues over forest to Parque Arví.
Ride outside weekday rush hours; combining Line K with Line L to Arví makes a half-day outing.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
Nature · Santa Elena
4.Parque Arví
A large nature reserve in the hills east of the city, with cloud forest trails, picnic areas, a market of local produce and pre-Hispanic paths. It is reached by Metrocable Line L, which glides over the forest from Santo Domingo.
Bring a light jacket; it is noticeably cooler and often misty at Arví compared with the valley.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
Park · Centro
5.Parque de los Pies Descalzos
The Barefoot Park, beside the EPM headquarters, invites visitors to take off their shoes and walk through sand, water channels and a bamboo grove. It is a free, relaxing stop near the Museo del Agua.
Bring a small towel; children love paddling in the water features.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Belén
6.Cerro Nutibara and Pueblito Paisa
A small hill in the middle of the city topped by Pueblito Paisa, a replica of a traditional Antioquian village square with a church, shops and cafés. The terraces give a 360-degree view over the valley, and a sculpture park lines the road up.
Come at sunset and stay to watch the city lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
Rainy-day ideas
- Parque Explora — Allow at least half a day and visit on a weekday to avoid school-holiday crowds.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, luxury and food lovers
El Poblado
El Poblado climbs the southeastern slope of the valley and is where most visitors stay, with the widest choice of hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars. The streets around Parque Lleras are the city's best-known nightlife zone, and malls such as El Tesoro and Santafé are nearby. Poblado Metro station on Line A connects to downtown in about 15 minutes.
- Good
- Most hotels and restaurants in the city; Green, walkable streets; Easy for first-timers
- Watch out
- Steep hills; Prices higher than elsewhere; Parque Lleras is noisy and has a seedy side late at night
- Nearby
- Parque Lleras, Provenza, Museo El Castillo, Poblado Metro station
Family travel tips
- Ride the Metrocable outside rush hour for a calmer, more spacious experience.
- Parque Explora, the Planetarium and the Jardín Botánico are side by side near Universidad station.
- El Poblado's streets are steep; a carrier is easier than a stroller.
- Plan cable-car rides early in the day, when queues at Acevedo and Santo Domingo are shorter.
- Bring layers for hill trips to Arví and Santa Elena, which are much cooler.
Day trips for families
- Guatapé and El Peñol (About 2 hours by bus) — El Peñol is a huge granite monolith with a 700-step staircase to the top, looking over the islands and inlets of the Guatapé reservoir.
- Santa Elena flower farms (About 45 minutes by road) — In the hills east of the city, the silleteros farming families grow the flowers for the Feria de las Flores and carry them on wooden frames (silletas).
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–August and December–February. August and December are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Medellín good for kids?
Medellín is easy with children thanks to its mild climate, Metrocable rides and free parks. Parque Explora, the botanical garden and Arví's forests are highlights, and Guatapé's rock climb suits older kids.
+What can kids do in Medellín?
Parque Explora, Jardín Botánico de Medellín, Metrocable ride, Parque Arví and Parque de los Pies Descalzos.
+Where should families stay in Medellín?
El Poblado: Upscale, leafy hillside district of hotels, malls and the Parque Lleras nightlife.