The Best of Medellin, Colombia - Part 3 - All Secrets Revealed

Previously I focused on my favorite restaurants in The Best of Medellin, Part 1 and Part 2.   In my final installment of "The Best of Medellin" series, I move away from food and reveal the rest of my secret spots!
​

BEST GYM - SMART FIT

A brand new chain that finally offers affordable gym memberships starting at 60,000 COP.  They have several locations throughout Medellin.

Smart Fit
Address:  Numerous Locations
Poblado location:  Calle 10 #43e-60
Cost:  Starting at 60,000 COP

BEST SALSA SCHOOL - ACADEMIA BAILA LATINO

You can't understand Latin America unless you become fully immersed in the dance culture, specifically salsa.  

Colombians are born with an innate ability to salsa dance and if you want to fit in, you're gonna have to get your dancing shoes ready.  There is no room for wallflowers at the clubs here.  But if you didn't get a chance to learn how to salsa back home, don't worry, you can brush up on your skills here at Academia Baila Latino, Medellin's best salsa school.

This is where my friends and I learned our moves and had a lot of fun doing it.  They have group classes for beginners but also have private instruction when you're ready to step up your game.  Here are the top 10 salsa songs so you can practice at home.  

Insider's Tip:  They offer a free introductory group session, usually on Wednesday nights.  You get a chance to see the school, meet the instructors and decide if you feel like group lessons or going with private instruction.  Give them a call for more information and exact times.

Academia Baila Latino
Address:  Carrera 43 #25A - 233, Loma de San Julian
Telephone:  4481338
Cost:  Varies but around $25,000 COP per 1 hour class with discounts for bulk purchase

Best Salsa Club - Eslabon Prendido

Alright, so you've put in the hard work, learned a few spins and now you're ready to test out your moves.  Well then head downtown on Tuesday nights to Eslabon Prendido where the best salsa session in the city happens.  They also have one of the best live salsa bands I've ever heard.  Have a quick listen:

Be prepared to sweat off a few pounds because this place is tiny and when it fills up on Tuesday nights, gets really hot and steamy.  You won't have much room to maneuver but the salsa experience here is fantastic.  

Crowded dance floor

When you need a quick breather just head out front where there's always a crowd and lively street party going on.

Insider's Tip:  A bottle of Medellin Ron only costs $25,000 COP so no need to pre-party.

Eslabon Prendido
Address:  Calle 53 #42-55, near Parque Periodista
Cost:  Cover $7,000 COP

Best Reggaeton Club - Luxury

Photo credit: Jubril Agoro

What is reggaeton?  If you weren't familiar with it before coming to Latin America, you soon will be after arriving.  Here's my top 10 list of reggaeton jams to give you a quick introduction.

A shout out to my friend Bob who owns Luxury and has established a fun and popular club.  The DJ's spin the best reggaeton in the city and the club frequently hosts famous artists such as my friend Dwayne's favorite, Nicky Jam.  This is one of our go to spots for birthday parties or just a regular Saturday night out.  There's a great VIP section upstairs.  

Discoteca Luxury
Address:  Carrera 43G #24-15, Barrio Colombia
Cost:  Cover $10,000 COP

Best Hip Hop Club - Karma

Also located in Barrio Colombia, Karma is the best club for Hip Hop music.  Plus they serve up one of the best mojitos in town.

Karma Discoteca
Address:  Calle 25A #43B - 264, Barrio Colombia
Cost:  Cover $10,000 COP

Coolest Vibe - Cuchitril

Love this place.   Great music, fun atmosphere and just far enough away when you need to get out of Poblado.  Go here to hang out with the cool hipsters!

Cuchitril Club
Address:  Calle 10 #52-87
Cost:  Cover $10,000 COP

Best Dive Bar - Calle 9 Mas

Open air patio/dance floor

Sometimes you just want to throw on a t-shirt and have a beer with a friend.   This is the place for a chill night out.  Calle 9 bar was previously located near Parque Poblado but has moved to this new location next to Mondongo's and renamed itself Calle 9 Mas.   Great dive bar with an open air patio/dance floor.

Calle 9 Mas
Address:  Carrera 40 #10-25
Cost:  No cover

Best Shots Bar - Chupitos

Chupitos serves up some mean shots.  Most of these shots would not be allowed in the USA.  Why?  Take a look...

Chupitos
Address:  Carrera 37A #8A-99, Parque Lleras; also at La Strada
Cost:  $5,000 and up

Best place to impress - Envy rooftop at the Charlee Hotel

Located on the roof of the Charlee hotel, this venue has one of the best views in town.  The pool features a see-through glass wall on one side.  When it starts to rain, there's actually a retractable roof that extends out.

Photo credit: Envy website

Poolside

Be ready to drop some pesos if you go though.  Cocktails run $22,000 COP, and a pitcher of mojitos including tip...a whopping $100,000 COP.

Expensive pitcher of mojitos

Insider's Tip:  On Wednesday evenings, there's live music and a it's good spot for a mellow night out.

Envy Rooftop
Address:  Calle 9A #37-16, top of the Charlee Hotel
Cost:  Cocktails $22,000 COP and up.  Sometimes a $10,000 cover.

Best Beer and Brewery - Tres Cordilleras Brewery

When we first arrived in Medellin, almost every Thursday night you could find us at Tres Cordilleras, Medellin's premier micro brewery.  For only $20,000 COP you get to try 5 of their specialty beers and keep your mug as well.  The best time to go is the last Thursday of the month when there's a live band. The atmosphere is casual and a great alternative to the club scene if you want to meet people.  

Tres Cordilleras
Address:  Calle 30 #44-176 
Cost:  $20,000 for 5 beers and a mug

Best movie theater - Santa Fe Centro Commercial

VIP, the only way to watch movies

In Colombia you get to choose your seats beforehand and there are 2 sections, general and preferred. The preferred seats are usually just higher up, offering a better view of the screen.  But at Santa Fe, the preferred seats resemble the first class section in a plane.  They offer wide leather seats, more legroom and a side table for your drinks and snacks.  

Cine Colombia, Centro Commercial Santa Fe
Address:  Carrera 43A #7sur-170
Cost:  $10,000 COP and up

Best Sandwich Shop - The Flip Flop Sandwich Shop

So I said I was done with my restaurants list but I fibbed, I have one last restaurant to mention.  This place opened up after I published the previous lists so I wasn't able to try it until earlier this year.  After receiving rave reviews from my friends I finally had a chance to stop by. 

The buffalo chicken sandwich

Friendly owner Chris (photo credit: Flip Flop fb page)

I had the famous buffalo chicken sandwich and was not disappointed.  The grilled chicken breast was cooked perfectly, nice and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the middle.  Their secret buffalo sauce has just the right amount of kick.  The shop is owned by the friendly Chris Cajoleas who is always helpful with tips about Medellin.   If you're just arriving, I suggest stopping by for a delicious sandwich and a chat with Chris for some insider tips. 

The Flip Flop Sandwich Shop
Address:  Carrera 36 #8A-92
Cost:  $5000 - $15,000 COP

Best place to live outside of El Poblado - Envigado

Just south of Poblado is the city of Envigado.  If you want a more authentic living experience, check out this area.  I spent a few months living next to Parque Envigado and really loved the vibe in that neighborhood.  Additionally, the cost of living is a lot less than Poblado.

Parque Envigado

BEST COFFEE SHOP - VELVET

This cafe is a great spot to post up for a few hours to do some work.  The coffee is superb and you'll usually find a few other entrepreneurs and ex-pats mixed in with the trendy locals.

Velvet Cafe
Address:  Carrera 37 #8A - 46
Cost:  $2,000 COP and up

Best place to study Spanish - EAFIT University

EAFIT is a private university close to Poblado that offers a great Spanish program for international students.  You have the option of the semi-intensive program (2 hours a day for 1 month) or an intensive program (4 hours a day for 2 weeks).  Both courses cost the same amount.  The campus is really pretty and reminds me a lot of the Stanford campus just on a smaller scale. 

I highly recommend this program because of the small class size, usually less than 10 students.  Also you can get paired with a language partner to practice your conversation skills.  Additionally you get full access to all the facilities on campus including the great pool, gym and library.

My favorite place to do laps on a sunny Medellin day

EAFIT University
Address:  Carrera 49 #7S-50
Cost:  $910,000 COP plus cost of textbooks, gym membership extra

I hope you enjoyed this post!  If you missed the previous posts on Medellin, find out which are my favorite restaurants in the Best of Medellin Part 1 and Part 2.  

You may also be interested in cheap ways to get to the Medellin Airport.
And also how to get a refund on your Colombian 16% IVA tax.

---

About the Author:  

Joseph is an avid traveler, food junkie and thrill seeker who's goal is to share inspiring photos and stories from around our beautiful world.

---

Follow:

If you enjoyed this post, follow me on Facebook & Twitter for the latest updates:

---

Share:

---

Facebook comments:

---

Web comments: