Medellín and Its Surroundings: A Guide to Enjoy the City of Eternal Spring During the Flower Festival
By Tierra Querida
When August arrives, Medellín blossoms—both literally and symbolically. With the Flower Festival, the city reconnects with its rural roots and celebrates its talent, creativity, and resilient spirit. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore not only the Antioquian capital but also its charming surroundings—towns full of history, flavors, and breathtaking views.
Medellín: A Hub of Culture, Color, and Tradition
During the Flower Festival, Medellín becomes a city that blooms from the soul. The energy is electric—not only at the main events, but in every corner where a cumbia plays, on balconies bursting with hydrangeas, in bars with live trova music, and even on the buses where everyone sings like the ride is part of the parade. It’s a collective celebration you can breathe, dance, and taste in every street.
What You Can’t Miss (Beyond the Classics)
Beyond the iconic Silleteros Parade, Medellín offers a bouquet of parallel experiences for curious travelers. Authentic, vibrant, and memorable moments bloom throughout the city:
- Silleteros in the Neighborhoods
Many neighborhoods host their own community parades—more intimate and local, featuring traditional silleteros who keep the tradition alive right from their streets. - National Trova Festival
Improvised verses full of humor, wit, and paisa wisdom. The country’s best trovadores face off in poetic battles that will have you laughing and applauding like nowhere else. - Artistic Events at the Botanical Garden
During the festival, this green lung of the city hosts concerts, floral installations, outdoor theater, and sensory experiences surrounded by nature. - The Electronic Flower Festival
For those who prefer alternative beats, you’ll find parties in countryside houses, rooftops, and clubs in neighborhoods like Manila and Provenza. Techno, house, and global beats nestled in the mountains. - Design and Flower Fairs
Ciudad del Río, the Museum of Modern Art (MAMM), and other cultural venues turn into showcases for local design, handmade goods, conscious fashion, and floral art. - Floating Lights Festival on the Medellín River
A magical experience where water comes to life with lanterns, music, and color. Usually held at Parques del Río, this is one of the most poetic secrets of the festival.
Practical Tips for Festival-Mode Travelers
- Transport: Use the Metro and Metrocable to avoid traffic. Get a Cívica card and top it up at any station.
- Safety: Medellín is vibrant but, like any big city, keep an eye on your belongings—especially at concerts and crowded events.
- What to Wear: Pack light clothes, but also a rain jacket. In Medellín, you might get sun, fog, and rain in a single afternoon!
- Cultural Connection: Learn local words like berraco, mijito, ñapa—they’ll earn you smiles from every paisa you meet.
Taste Medellín in Bloom: Paisa and Fusion Cuisine
Medellín serves up incredible food year-round, but during the festival, flavors go all out. Between tradition and innovation, the city offers culinary experiences that are a feast for the senses:
- Bandeja Paisa
The signature dish: rice, beans, crispy pork belly, ground beef, sausage, arepa, sweet plantain, fried egg, and avocado. A full-on party on one plate! - Mondongazo in Envigado
A giant community stew pot, live music, and bold flavors. A tradition that brings locals and visitors together around the table. - Paisa Breakfast
Refried beans with arepa de chócolo, pork crackling, cheese, and frothy hot chocolate. The perfect way to start your day full of flavor and energy. - Street Snacks in the Markets
Grilled corn, solteritas, empanadas, buñuelos, stuffed arepas, mazamorra with bocadillo, and lulo juice—all served with a smile and a paisa accent.
Want to explore the best dining in town? Don’t miss:
ElCielo by Juanma: A high-end sensory journey into Colombian cuisine. (Add Tierra Querida’s article on Juan Manuel.)
OCI.Mde: Signature dishes that reinvent local flavors.
Alambique: Botanical cocktails and dishes that pay tribute to paisa roots.
Toast with Local Flavor: Try Aguardiente Antioqueño at bars like La Deriva or 37 Park, or grab a craft beer at 20Mission Cerveza.
Lesser-Known (But Unmissable) Experiences
The Trova Route in Manrique and Castilla
Working-class neighborhoods where the real kings of trova live. Discover cultural clubs and experience authentic verse battles far from the tourist scene.
Graffitour in Comuna 13—At Night
Most people go during the day, but during the Flower Festival, Comuna 13 lights up with breakdance, murals, and urban art under the stars. Go with a local guide.
Hike to Alto de San Miguel
In Medellín’s southern edge, where the Medellín River is born. Native forests, birds, and trails steeped in ecological history—ideal for a day of full disconnection.
Golden Tips to Experience the Festival (and Medellín) Like a Local
Learn Paisa Words: Parce, bacano, ñapa, una pola (beer)… they’ll open doors and hearts.
Respect the Metro: It’s a symbol of civic pride. Don’t eat, don’t sneak in, always give up your seat.
Don’t Underestimate the Weather: Despite the spring-like feel, surprise rain is real. Carry a small umbrella or rain jacket.
Travel with Joy and Respect: The city will welcome you warmly if you come with an open heart.
Nearby Destinations to Live the Paisa Experience
Santa Elena: Where the Silleteros Are Born
Just 40 minutes from Medellín, this village is the cradle of the silletero tradition and the heart of the Flower Festival.
How to Get There:
Bus from Medellín’s Terminal (approx. COP $10,000)
Guided tour from COP $70,000
Private car via Las Palmas or Variante
Recommended Plans:
Visit a traditional silletera farm, meet floral artisans, and craft your own silleta.
Walk the trails of Parque Arví, surrounded by misty forests.
Enjoy fresh trout, mazamorra, arepa de maíz pelao, and hot chocolate.
Ideal Time: Half-day to full day
Adventure Type: Cultural, rural, ecotourism
Guatapé and El Peñol: Colorful Town, Lake Views
Two hours from Medellín, Guatapé is one of Colombia’s most visited towns, famous for its vibrant facades and the majestic El Peñol Rock.
How to Get There:
Bus from Terminal Norte (COP $17,000 – approx. 2h)
Day tour with boat ride, lunch, and guide from COP $120,000
Private car via Marinilla – El Peñol
Recommended Plans:
Climb the 740 steps of El Peñol Rock (entry: COP $25,000)
Walk along the boardwalk and take a boat ride on the reservoir
Explore the zócalos, colorful tiles that tell the town’s stories
Enjoy fried fish or a Guatapé-style bandeja
Ideal Time: Full day or overnight
Adventure Type: Landscape, photography, active tourism
Jardín: The Town Everyone Falls in Love With
Located in the southwest of Antioquia, Jardín is one of Colombia’s most beautiful towns. Cobblestone streets, flowered balconies, and a peaceful atmosphere make it ideal to disconnect.
How to Get There:
Bus from Terminal Sur (COP $35,000 – approx. 3.5h)
Private car via Bolombolo – Andes
Recommended Plans:
Visit the Cristo Rey viewpoint by chiva or on foot
Ride the cable car to a panoramic mountain view
Hike or take a tour to the Cueva del Esplendor, a waterfall inside a cave
Try local coffee, guava sweets, and stay in boutique lodges
Ideal Time: At least 2 days
Adventure Type: Nature, hiking, origin coffee
San Rafael: For Those Who Seek Water and Jungle
A hidden paradise perfect for swimming in crystal-clear rivers and unplugging from urban noise.
How to Get There:
From Guatapé by motorbike, tuk-tuk, or jeep (45 min)
Bus from Terminal Norte (route via Guatapé)
Recommended Plans:
Trek to El Tambo waterfall or the Arenal River
Go tubing or swim in natural pools
Stay in eco-lodges surrounded by lush nature
Ideal Time: At least one night
Adventure Type: Rivers, waterfalls, active ecotourism
Santa Fe de Antioquia: A Journey to the Colonial Past
A heritage town ideal for history, architecture, and the warm paisa climate.
How to Get There:
Bus from Terminal Norte (COP $15,000 – approx. 1.5h)
Private car via the Túnel de Occidente (toll included)
Recommended Plans:
Cross the Puente de Occidente, a 19th-century engineering marvel
Visit the Juan del Corral Museum and colonial churches
Explore the historic center by bike or on foot
Try tamales, empanadas, and tamarind juice
Ideal Time: 1 to 2 days
Adventure Type: History, culture, slow travel
Other Nearby Spots:
El Retiro and La Ceja: Peaceful towns with great cuisine and eco-hiking.
San Carlos: Rafting, waterfalls, and extreme ecotourism.
Jericó: Birthplace of Colombia’s first saint—a key destination for spirituality and art.
How to Get to Medellín
By Air: José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) in Rionegro, 40 minutes from the city
By Land: North and South Terminals connect to the rest of the country
Getting Around: Metro, Metrocable, integrated buses, taxis, and Uber
Medellín Blooms, Antioquia Thrives
Traveling through Medellín and its surroundings during this season is a full-on sensory journey—flowers, mountains, accents, and flavors all around you.
From Tierra Querida, we invite you to experience it with open eyes and an open heart. Because Colombia isn’t just visited—it’s felt.
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📍 Tierra Querida
Connecting Colombia to the world—through tourism, culture, and emotion.
