Hi Jodi, I have to say I was in Medellin for the last 2 weeks, solo female. I stayed in 2 areas. Near Eafit and in Laureles. I really like the Laureles area. It’s vibrant and I met plenty of friendly people. I probably looked opposite the Colombian women (usually wear a tshit and jeans, high top sneakers, minimal makeup) and didn’t constantly get harassed. When I got cat calls, it wasn’t aggressive.

@gigigriffis getting followed sounds very scary. Sorry some of you had bad experiences and glad you’re ok…

I only went into El Centro with a group via the Real Medellin walking tour. I wouldn’t recommend going to that area alone, but the tour was cool.

Overall, I felt safe, though uneasy once in Laureles on a Sunday afternoon, no less. It was surprisingly desolate (most businesses are closed) and I was wandering in the general area of Buddha Hostel Laureles. It seemed like an upscale area, nice apartments, but I noticed a few really shady dudes around. They looked like they were on the hunt for someone to rob. Maybe because it was an expensive area? Not sure.
Also, felt I was on display as the line at the Metrocables. I could tell people were looking at things like my ipod shuffle, earrings. Not necessarily to steal them, but it was uncomfortable. I would recommend riding the metrocables, but keep it as plain as possible.

In Laureles, I stayed near Parroquia San Joaquín. I never felt unsafe in that area, walking around Carrera 70 or taking the metro at Estadio. Near Eafit, I never felt unsafe anywhere in the area (restaurants/bars/supermarkets just aren’t as accessible as Laureles).

I really liked Medellin, didn’t have any negative experiences. So easy to take the comfy bus from MDE for $3. Don’t bother with a cab. Found it very cheap compared to Panama. Nice, delicious food at El Atrio in Laureles (not the usual fried stuff) for around $4-5, beer $1 or less.
I would go back.
Hope you have positive experiences!

@Brandon Thanks for taking the time to share your experience living in MDE. Sounds like a pretty cool city. I have heard from a couple other people about Laureles area of town, sounds promising. Glad to hear the weather is solid, that was a selling point when I was looking into it.

What was the name of your 1v1 instructor? Recommend him/her?

Do you remember the name of the immersion schools?

Having been here for a bit over a month now, I can see what @wanderingdev and @gigigriffis were talking about. I’m actually living in an apartment with a local who works as a therapist for victims of sexual abuse, and she said it’s a huge problem here. If you’re a female traveling here, prepare to at least hear some catcalls. I have a local that is teaching me Spanish, and even when we were walking down the street together people were making comments at her.

That being said, I do really like it here. The (Colombian) food leaves a lot to be desired in the flavor department (I will never understand the appeal of arepas), but there are plenty of affordable non-Colombian restaurants that are good. There’s a great community of expats that’s very well connected so it’s easy to meet people and share ideas; and there’s a ton to see and experience throughout the city, as well as some awesome day trips.

Hey! A US/Colombian friend of mine has three free rooms in a 4 room apartment in Laureles. They are free from today on and cost between 250$ and 400$ / month. In case anyone is interested please send me a PM. I saw the flat yesterday and really liked it.

Hi @Jodie_Taylor @Brandon,

Would you guys mind linking to the AirBnBs you found? My wife and I are going back there in a few days and will be looking for a place for a couple months while I work on a mapping project. I haven’t done a lot of searching yet, but I know the city and would like to stay in Laureles.
Maybe meet up while we’re all in town.

FYI, I recommend Zeppelin Cafe and Revolution Cafe for coffee near the 2nd and 1st Laureles Parks, respectively.

How’s your Spanish?

I’ll be arriving in Medellin October 2nd and staying for a few months in Laureles as well, about a block from the university. Also not a lady so my experience may not be relevant, but we’ll see what happens!

I appreciate everyones input, thanks for your messages. It’s funny as my friend I’m going with posted on another group and got nothing but positive messages so I wasn’t really expecting such varied responses, but it’s all good to know. After debating it we decided to stay in a share house of Westerners in Laureles as it suited our budget more and had a huge list of glowing reviews, even from solo women. I did look at accommodation in Pablado but there wasn’t much available for November unfortunately. We booked to stay for 1 month, if we feel unhappy after that we will just leave and go elsewhere, I can only hope our experience is positive!

If anyone else if going to be in Medellin from November onwards feel free to shoot me a message so we can hang out!

Thanks for everyones input.

I spent two and a half months in Medellin this time last year with my wife.

I’m in agreement with @wanderingdev and @gigigriffis, I’m not sure Medellin is ready for solo women travelers or women only travel groups.

But if you are going to go, I would definitely stay in Poblado. It’s more expensive, but the locals are more likely to take care of you there. We made some good friends there. We booked there for the peace of mind (we hadn’t ever been to Colombia before), and the sheer number of other tourists walking around that area make it feel a lot safer.

We joined internations (gross) while we were there because we saw they were taking a day trip to Rionegro to ride some horses (which was amazing if they’re doing it again). We met some awesome Colombian women through internations that my wife stays in touch with. Talking to them is kind of what won us over on Colombia, because talking to them you could see how hard Colombians were trying to change Colombia and fix the problems the others have brought up.

There are definitely places you can find if you want to once you’re in country that will be cheaper, you just have to meet the right people.

i will say, i never really felt in danger. it was mostly that most of the culture as it relates to women is the complete opposite of anything i would find acceptable. plus it was stupid expensive. on par with living in the US without the advantages. so many better options for a fraction of the price.

just to back @gigigriffis up, she’s not the only one that didn’t like medellin. i quit my job because i hated being there so much and couldn’t wait to escape. unless you have local connections, airbnb is probably your best bet for short-term. just make sure to negotiate.

Ah cool. Yeah for sure would be interesting to hear some more in a couple of weeks. Hope things go smoothly for you x

Oh really, funny you should say that as I was really keen to stay in Laureles over Pobaldo! More research required indeed. Thanks for the advice x

Hi Jodie,

If you haven’t already booked, I’d consider re-routing to Mexico or somewhere else in Latin America. Medellin is the only place in the world I’ve felt truly and daily unsafe as a woman. I had men try to follow me home, block my way into my apartment, scream at me at coffee shops, and try to grab me in line at the bank. I asked a lot of other women about their experiences as well and it sounds like harassment is pretty commonplace.

If you are set on going, I wish you well, but thought I’d let you know my experience because I seriously wish someone had cautioned me. I’ve been all over the world, to every continent, including quite a few places in Latin America and I’ve never ever had such a bad experience anywhere else.