Vol. III · No. 04
Field notes from people who actually live in Medellín — no listicles, no SEO bait.
El Cuaderno
Sunday, May 31, 2026
The El Poblado neighborhood map: Lleras, Provenza, Manila, Astorga, Patio Bonito
On a map they're all 'El Poblado'. On the ground they couldn't feel more different. The honest character of each sub-neighborhood — where to wake up, where to go out, and where to never book a stay if you sleep light.
Sundays in El Poblado: Ciclovía, slow coffee, and the soccer nobody told you about
From 7am to 1pm the avenida shuts down for bikes and runners. Where to enter, where to exit, where to get arepas after. Plus the indoor fútbol you can drop into and the brunch routine that doesn't require a reservation.
Christmas in Medellín: the Alumbrados Navideños local's guide
Fifteen million lights, six weeks of season, three viewing routes that all the postcards show — and one that almost no tourist knows about, that's better than the official one. Plus what to eat on a chilly December night.
Money in Medellín: cash, cards, Nequi, and the ATM rule that saves you 100,000 COP a year
You'll need less cash than you think. Visa works almost everywhere; Nequi runs the under-the-counter economy. The one ATM rule that pays for itself, the tipping conventions nobody explains, and what to do with leftover pesos on the last day.
Guatapé in a day: the right way to do it
Skip the 8am Airbnb tour. Here's how to leave Medellín at 9, do El Peñol without the line, eat trout by the reservoir, and be back in El Poblado for dinner. With or without a driver.
Comuna 13: what to expect, what to skip, and why it's still worth it
It is the most visited tourist site in Medellín for a reason. It is also the most over-narrated. How to engage without turning a neighborhood into a theme park.
Is Medellín safe? Here's what eight years of operating in El Poblado has taught us
Yes, with caveats — and the caveats are not what your aunt thinks. The two things that actually happen, the four she's wrong about, and where the real line is at night.
Three days in Medellín: the itinerary we'd actually give a friend
Day one: arrive, decompress, walk Provenza without trying to optimize it. Day two: Metrocable + Comuna 13 done right. Day three: Guatapé or the Coffee Triangle. Specific timing, what to skip, where to eat.
Provenza without the Provenza problem
How to spend a Saturday on the most-photographed street in Medellín and still leave liking it. Where to sit, what to skip, and the back-block places that locals quietly prefer.
Five panaderías that get the cheese pandebono right
It's a small standard, but it's the standard. None of these are on the tourist track and four of them are walking distance from our apartments.
Metro Line P opens its third station — what changes for El Poblado
The cable car extension to the eastern hills is now operational. Here's how to use it, what it costs, and the one thing nobody tells you about the timing.
Stop apologizing for Pablo Escobar tours. Just don't take them.
An open letter from someone who grew up here. We don't need explanations — we need you to walk past the cartel-merch shops and into the actual city.
A walking route from Patio Bonito to El Tesoro that doesn't kill you
Yes, it's uphill. No, you don't need a guide. Three hours, seven stops, ends with arepas and a view.
The bandeja paisa, ranked by stomach capacity
We sent four staff members to seven restaurants. We have findings, regrets, and a chiropractor recommendation.
Festival de las Flores 2026 — what's actually worth your time
Eleven days, 80 events. Here are the four you should clear your calendar for, and the two everyone says to attend that you can safely skip.
Coffee shops where you can actually work
Wifi, plugs, no terrible Spotify playlist. Six places, all within a kilometer of our apartments.
New short-term rental regulations passed — what hosts need to know
We sat with three lawyers and the local DIAN office. The headline: registration is now mandatory but it's surprisingly simple.
Trying every empanada at Mercado del Río so you don't have to
There are 23. We ate 23. The winner is not what you'd expect, and the cheapest one is in the top three.
Day trips by chiva: Guatapé, Santa Fe, and the one nobody mentions
We don't book the standard tour. Here's the route we send guests on instead — same destinations, half the cost, no pan flute soundtrack.
April calendar — what's on and what to book this week
Tango at Salón Málaga, a poetry reading in Provenza, three plaza concerts, and the salsa night that fills up by Thursday.
How to order a tinto, properly
Three words, one gesture, and the small etiquette that separates you from someone who definitely just got off the plane.
Yes, Medellín has changed. No, it isn't ruined.
A response to every think-piece written in the last two years by people who spent eight days here.
What to pack — and what to leave at home
Twelve months in, three rainy seasons in. The list is shorter than you think and the weather app is wrong about half the time.
El Poblado airport shuttle launches — first ride is free
A new direct van service from JMC, every 30 minutes, 35,000 COP. Our review after riding it twice in one day.