Cycling in Medellin: Exploring the City on A Medellin Bike Tour

Medellin Bike Tour: My Experience

This guided tour paired us with a knowledgeable guide who not only led us through safe cycling routes but also shared insights about Medellin and the city’s history and culture.

Having a guide is invaluable in a city with Medellin’s complex history and diverse geography.

The bike route weaves through various parts of the city, offering a comprehensive taste of what makes Medellin special:

• Authentic neighborhoods where we witness daily Paisa life beyond tourist zones
• Urban parks and plazas showcasing Medellin’s commitment to public spaces
• Impressive art telling stories of the city’s cultural identity
• Strategic viewpoints offering panoramic vistas of the valley (perfect for photos!)
• Local food stop where we sampled snacks and beverage

We had enough time to cover significant ground without feeling rushed at any particular stop.

The Medellin Bike Tour was not just about biking. The conversations with our guide were engaging, and not restricted to anything particular.

Itinerary of our Medellin Bike Tour

There are quite a few stops on this tour. The tour typically lasts around 4 hours. Ours ran a bit longer.

By the time our tour ended, back where we started, at the Green Bike tour office in the Laureles neighborhood, I was amazed at how many places we had covered in the past 4.5 hours.

It was a bit humid that morning, but we kept ourselves hydrated with the water bottles provided at the beginning of the tour.

Pueblito Paisa: The Only Uphill Ride

Our first stop was Pueblito Paisa, perched on a hill. This place was built as a replica of the original colorful towns around Medellin, like Guatape or Jardin. It has colorful buildings that house souvenir shops, restaurants, fast food, and a church.

The e-bike advantage: This part of the route requires an uphill ride and was the only part of the tour where it needed some extra effort. However, since I chose an e-bike, it was not a difficult ride for me at all.

Our guide built in plenty of breaks on the ascent, as not everyone was on an e-bike, and the regular bikes, though in great condition, do require more effort.

After exploring Pueblito Paisa, we navigated through various neighborhoods of Medellin and local parks.

Snacks Break

We took a snack break at a local cafe. All the participants grabbed a seat, and before long, we were chatting about all sorts of things and really connecting as a group.

We had Colombian cheese breads with drinks. I went for a Colombian coffee, but you can opt for a local beer if you prefer.

Parque del Rio, Parque de los Pies Descalzos and Around

We rode to Parque del Río, a beautifully landscaped, picturesque park that spans both sides of the Medellin River and is connected by a bridge.

It is the perfect spot for panoramic views of Medellin, the surrounding hills, and nearby buildings.

The park is decorated in December, for Christmas and New Year, and we could already see preparations underway months in advance.

Next, we rode through Parque de los Pies Descalzos, near the EPM buildings (Empresas Publicas de Medellín), which manage the city’s public utilities.

Our guide introduced us to the city’s free bike-share system. You will see blue stations all over Medellin, which anyone can use with a registered Civica card, the same one used for the Medellin Metro.

Alpujarra and Parque de las Luces

Things get busier as you approach the city center. In La Alpujarra, the administrative heart of Medellin, we parked our bikes and explored on our own.

There’s an old and non-functional train station displaying historic photos of Medellin, and the outdoor plaza around the municipal buildings features impressive statues depicting the city’s and Colombia’s history.

Weekday traffic is brisk, so we were careful crossing, but bike-specific traffic lights make it safe to get across.

Our guide cautioned us to take it slow in this area, as pedestrians occasionally wander into the bike lanes.

Comparatively, the Parque de las Luces was a joyride for us, with less people and no cars.

Centro, Plaza Botero: Busiest Part of the Route

This was the busiest stretch of our route, so we rode slowly beneath the Metro lines near the city center.

Street vendors, pedestrians, other cyclists, and carts kept us extra vigilant, but we stayed together as a group and everything went smoothly.

It’s a great place to see the everyday life of Paisas up close, at transfer stations, around administrative buildings, and in the street markets.

We finished this leg at Plaza Botero, but we could not walk around because it was partially closed for a planned concert. However, it was not a loss for our group, since we had all been there before.

Estadio, the Largest Sports Complex of the City: The Last Stop

Our final stop was Estadio, before we looped back to our starting point in Laureles.

In addition to hosting the city’s two football clubs, it is home to a sports complex built for the South American Games.

We wandered through the complex, checking out facilities for gymnastics, basketball and skating.

Back to the Starting Point

We caught a glimpse of Carrera 70 (Street 70) in Laureles, which has a great mix of restaurants, before returning to our starting point.

I returned to Carrera 70 later in the week, this time with Pubali, for a Local Food Tour.

All of us were content with what we had explored over the last 4.5 to 5 hours, although a bit tired. I was happy to discover the city in an active way.