Is Medellín safe for solo female travelers?

Medellin, Colombia is considerably safer than it was several years ago, with improvements in security and a keen interest in tourism. That said, as with any big city, it is important to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings; avoid deserted areas especially at night. Local people are generally friendly and are happy to provide assistance if needed. Particular caution should be taken when using public transportation and in less touristy areas, where the risk of pickpocketing and petty theft can be higher.

Safety rating

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How safe is Medellín for female travelers?

Travel safety index

4.1 /5

based on 23 experiences from female travelers

Family travel

Had a beautiful time in Medellin! Mind you if you’re coming from the states, $1 is about $4000 colombian pesos so money does go far! Stayed in a Marriott hotel in Sabaneta. So many different things to do, enjoyed my special bonding time with my little family. Definitely recommend!

Posted: September 30, 2024Experienced: August, 2024
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Offir

Offir

United States

Solo travel

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

Posted: June 26, 2024
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Olivia

Olivia

United States

Solo travel

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

Posted: June 5, 2024Experienced: February, 2023
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Solo travel

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.

Posted: May 29, 2024
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Chrissy

Chrissy

United States

Solo travel

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!

Posted: January 21, 2024
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How safe is Medellín for women?

Local safety index

3.3 /5

Based on 11 local experiences

Local crime index

2.7 /5

Based on 11 local experiences

Medellin is a farely safe city. We have a saying here “No des papaya” that means, dont put yourself in situations that can be dangerous. Keep your personal items with you always, dont walk around with your phone on your hand and be aware of your space and you will be fine.

Posted: August 18, 2025
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rossanny

rossanny

All depends about the place you are. But I live in bello with my son and it’s very safe. Well, I don’t go out at night to much, but I haven’t been robe, or anything bad in almost 8 years living here.

Posted: April 11, 2025
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It is a city with incredible people, you can walk around calmly, people help you with everything when you ask. They really like to welcome foreigners, it is a city that generally captivates you with its warmth.

Posted: January 22, 2025
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Natalia

Natalia

Medellín is pretty safe as long as you stay in the good neighborhood, don't walk alone late at night and have an eye open at all times. Don't drink excessively cause you need all your instincts on point. Also don't be extra friendly with cab or Uber drivers.

Posted: January 13, 2025
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Medellin is mostly a safe city, just as any other city you should be aware of your surroundings, preferably don’t walk alone after dark, and avoid some parts like downtown, the best way to get around is the metro and public buses, there’s uber and other transportation apps. If you like night life el poblado and la 10 (10 street) are the best and most touristic places to go but you should be specially aware in this area because of people trying to take advantage from crowded areas and foreigners. Other than that I feel pretty safe during the day, there’s a lot of places to visit like museums, theaters, parks and shopping malls :) There are also little towns near Medellin you can visit by bus and are not expensive, some are Guatape, Jardin, San Rafael (beautiful rivers) and Santafe de Antioquia. Feel safe to ask for directions or anything you might need, Colombians are very friendly and always willing to help, some of us speak english too :)

Posted: September 10, 2024
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Safety in Colombia