Is Medellín Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel experience

Medellin was absolutely beautiful! From the people, to the food, to all of the incredible and inexpensive experiences you can have. I stayed for 6 days at an airbnb in Poblado. Beautiful condo near everything and I walked everywhere. Including the Metro station which is safe and super organized. My biggest advice is to leave your jewelry and expensive stuff at home. Be humble, respectful, polite, and tip every service worker who takes care of you 2000-5000 COP is the norm. Place I would recommend would be the Peñón, Poblado, take the metro and just explore! Food? Please try the typical dish “bandeja paisa” absolutely delicious! And every kind of pastry you can try

Solo travel experience

I had a wonderful time in this city! I did the free City Tour which helped introduce me to a couple of people and we all had dinner together that night. I walked around a ton on my own and felt very safe. The food and people were all absolutely wonderful

Solo travel experience

I was a bit nervous traveling to Medellin by myself after reading about the safety issues. I have to say that I stayed for a month and didn’t have any issues but I was very careful and listened to the advice I received. I’m a big walker and I did feel frustrated that I couldn’t really walk around at night even in the safe neighborhoods. That was my biggest pet peeve. The other was the food is not great, especially for vegans. But other than that I think it’s a great city. I would definitely go back but probably not alone.

Solo travel experience

I go to Colombia every year and fall in love with the country every time. Colombia is literally my second home away from home where I live. I feel super safe in Colombia, the people are very sweet and welcoming, food is amazing, and definitely cheap. This was my second year and it was nice to explore and come back as a solo traveler. Lots of beautiful things to see and do and great to book through the airbnb app for things to do. You can also Uber around and take a taxi which is also cheap. I can’t wait to go back again!

Solo travel experience

I think that as a tourist/solo traveler, the best way to explore Medellin is by walking tours. I've done such tours in the city center and Comuna 13 and felt safe and confident, walking with a group and a local guide. I probably wouldn’t go there myself, as it’s easy to turn down a wrong street, and downtown Medellin is a perfect place for pickpockets.

Solo travel experience

I stayed in Poblado, a neighborhood with many other travelers. I booked a walking tour of the city center and Comuna 13 through my hostel. I learned a lot about the city and met other travelers. I was outside after dark in Poblado every night and I felt safe.

Solo travel experience

I traveled alone to Medellin and ultimately stayed there for 6 months. I loved every moment spent there. I used the metro, even at night, didn't live in touristy areas, used Uber, and partied alone. I never felt unsafe, but I met people who had bad experiences.

Solo travel experience

I was there in August, I stayed in Laureles. I walked alone at any time and I had no problems. There are less safe areas, but Poblado and Laureles are nicer ones. Uber is a great way to get around. Only 4% of Colombians speak English, so it's good to know a little Spanish. Buy a local Claro sim card, take a walking tour of the Real City right after arrival, buses are very cheap if you want to leave the city.

Medellin is safe in general but like every Latin American city you have to be careful where are you going, some neighborhoods like laureles, el poblado, Simón bolivar etc are safer while other neighborhoods don’t go if you aren’t a local, like Manrique, Castilla etc. Always be careful with your belongings, if you are traveling alone don’t say that to people and it’s better if you know some Spanish to get around. The city is safe in general but there are more tourists in the last few years which can attract people trying to get money from them

Been living here half of my life and I have never been robbed. Guided tourists here that enjoy and end up falling in love with the city and the food, the nature and the landscape, especially in el poblado that is to the hills

Solo travel experience

I loved Medellín. I stayed within walking distance from the metro station in El Poblado, which was nice. It's not the most interesting neighborhood, but I could take a solitary walk in the evenings. The downtown was fine during the day (lots to see), but I was advised to leave when the office workers started heading home. Guatapé is worth one or two days. The graffiti tour was great, and I loved taking the cable car to Parque Arvi. Language was not a problem, Uber was great for shorter distances (to the bus station etc.) and people were very friendly.

Group travel experience

I went to Medellin on a group tour and had the best time there. We took the Comuna 13 Tour, went to Guatepe, visited lots of restaurants and bars in El Poblado, participated in a bicycle food tour (Medellin has great bike paths and this was probably one of the highlights) and visited a restaurant at a viewpoint to see the city at night. I stayed at Click Clack and really enjoyed it there.