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Colombia Sojourns—
Safe for Savvy New Yorkers
Like the story of blind men describing an elephant (one felt the tail and called it a snake, the other, a leg, and reported a tree trunk), New York City is not a one-definition-fits-all kind of town. There’s the Upper East Side and then there’s the South Bronx. And so it is in Colombia. Medellín (pronounced Med-eh-yeen) has evolved into an exciting tourist attraction with culture, fine food, friendly residents, and luxe accommodations. Due to its year-round 75-degree sunny weather it’s known as the city of “Eternal Spring.” The days of Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel, and gun running are long gone.
Hotels
Hotel Poblado Plaza, located in the most exclusive area of Medellín, earns high points for safety, service, fine dining, comfort, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, solarium and gym, and easy access to nearby points of interest. It is not often you meet a hotel owner like Sylvia Posada Restrepo. She’s not only warm and charming, but possesses a deep passion for her guests and the Medellín milieu.
Intercontinental Hotel, also in “El Poblado,” offers a Semi-Olympic-sized heated pool, tennis courts, 9-hole mini-golf, and spa with sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. La Brasserie, one of a handful of the hotel’s culinary delights, serves up a scrumptious breakfast buffet. Save room for dinner at Fogon de Piedra. Specialties include grilled mozzarella atop beef tenderloin with pesto noodles, house oven pizzas, salad bar and dessert bar.
Hotel Mariscal Robledo, located in Santa Fe de Antioquia, one hour west of Medellín, has been restored to the luster of its previous life as a colonial mansion. This gem is so inexpensive it should be illegal. Off-season deals run for only $75 per night with all meals included and children under 4 stay for free. There are 2 pools, a Turkish bath, gardens, and antiques shop. Aside from the romantic verandas and views of the city, mountains, and pools, the appeal is the magical trip back in time to cobblestone streets. The town was restored to the culture of 1597 including horse-drawn carriages, colonial churches and old-time street signs.
Art
Plaza de las Escultura, better known as Botero Plaza, displays 23 over-sized sculptures donated by the celebrated Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. His plumped-up stylings are so riveting it’s easy to forget that this Plaza is Medellín’s equivalent of Times Square. Use your head and stay alert for pickpockets as you would in Rome, Paris or Barcelona. Before leaving the square, be sure to visit Museo de Antioquia which houses 108 Botero paintings.
Museo de Arte Moderno boasts a must-see collection of paintings by prolific Colombian artist, Débora Arango, who donated 233 pieces in 1986. Though highly controversial, her stark paintings of nudes and depictions of social conflict earned her high praise and respect. Her work is provocative and emotional with style elements reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo.
Restaurants
Plaza Mayor Restaurant, located within Hotel Poblado Plaza, serves exquisite international food in an elegant, classical atmosphere. During the Peruvian festival, the restaurant served up tomato soup with thin ribbons of cheese accompanied by sweet banana bread. Next came succulent shrimp followed by an entrée of dark meat chicken with a light cilantro and oregano sauce and side of finely chopped strips of carrots and onions served over yellow rice.
En Casa de Oliva Restaurante is a quaint, ornately decorated eatery that’ll leave you sated. Appetizers include a cornmeal cake (arepa) stuffed with cheese and meat, potato fried dough with refried beans, and bread pockets holding fried plantain and cheese. One entrée—pork and beef Chorizo (sausage) served with yellow rice—arrives at the table adorned with standing fried plantains and wrapped in a large green leaf held in place with a toothpick and mini sombrero. For dessert, be sure to order the melt-in-your-mouth raspberry cheesecake.
Other Attractions
The Medellín Metro is made up of cable cars running along fixed cords. Also referred to as a gondola lift system, it works more like a ski lift above the Alps than a metropolitan trolley car. It was designed to reach the least developed suburban areas of Medellín and it’s the first cable-propelled public transit system. Because the city sits in a deep valley many locations are on steep hills and were previously unreachable by mass transit. A worker’s commute that took 2 hours can now be reached in 15 minutes. And it only costs a quarter. Uniformed guards are at every stop and most speak English. No eating or drinking is allowed—Colombians are proud of their six-million dollar system and keep the cable cars clean. Be sure to bring your Flip camera and videotape the aerial view of the entire city.
The Aquarium in Explora Park contains 153,236 gallons of water, 4000 specimens of fish (kids will love finding Nemo and Dory), and 400 species of sea life including amphibians, reptiles and arthropods from Colombian oceans and rivers. Young ones will enjoy the park’s interactive science exhibits, 3D movies, and outdoor games.
Medellín Botanical Garden is located in the middle of the busy city and provides biking, hiking, canoeing and horseback riding. The grounds are made up of 40 acres, rich with exotic flora including the national flower, the Cattleya trianae orchid, and the national tree, the Wax palm.
“José Jerónimo Triana” Orquideorama is an arresting sight. Built next to the Medellín Botanical Gardens, this imposing wood and steel structure was designed to mimic the shape of the national orchid flower. The 14 hexagonal pieces create a honeycomb that stretches more than fifty feet high. The award-winning venue was named after a Bogota-born botanist who also inspired the name for the national flower. The awe-inspiring venue is used for cultural, musical, and social events.
Transportation
American Airlines (aa.org) is your best bet. They have frequent flights from JFK to Medellín’s José María Córdova International Airport (MDE). AA’s website rates high for ease of navigation and online check-in is a snap. The majority of flights run on time, boarding goes smoothly, service is efficient and planes have clean washrooms and comfortable seating. Ask about passes to AA’s Admirals Club to make your airport waiting time most comfy.
Upcoming Medellín 2011 Events
March: International Orchids Exhibition
April: Eurocine, Medellín Film Festival
June: Medellín International Festival of Poetry, and the Annual Tango Festival
July: International Jazz Fest, and Colombiamoda—the largest fashion show in Latin America
August: Medellín Flower Fair, 10 days of gaiety including music, art, and orchids
September: Book Fair celebrating national and international writers
November: International Horse Fair with thousands of equestrian activities
December: Medellín Christmas Lighting is the big kahuna of annual events. It’s a display of otherworldly proportions. A tradition for over 50 years, it’s an extravaganza of 14 million lights, choreographed dance, live music and a party down ’tude throughout the city. The public utility provider EPM (like our ConEd) sponsors the event every year along with the Mayor’s office, Proexport Colombia, and Medellin Convention and Visitors Bureau. Picture NYC’s July 4th fireworks, but bigger, brighter and a month long. Every night whooping and hollering can be heard for miles. While joyful emotions explode, fountains shoot up against a Technicolor sky. Do not miss this.
The article can also be viewed on the Resident magazine website. See photos.