The Best Views of Medellín

Intro: Best Medellin Views

Medellín has a problem: great weather and no beach. So, what is there to do during these nice afternoons? I’ve assembled a list of the most popular and best Medellín views.

All year, the Medellin sunset is 6:30pm. As it’s a city in a valley, this means it’s dark by sunset.

This is what 6:34pm looks like:

Most viewpoints or hiking trails close at 5:30pm, so be sure to go up with enough time to explore, relax, and call the Uber to arrive before 5:30pm if they need to drive past any security gates.

Unless otherwise noted, if it’s purely a lookout point it is most busy during the evening time starting at 4pm. If there’s somewhat of a hike, then the busier times are on Saturday and Sunday mornings until about noon. During the week for hiking, morning or afternoon, they will be mostly empty, but that doesn’t mean dangerous. Most parks have at least a few security guards roaming around, though you should take caution and not wear a valuable watch or bring an expensive camera, though in all likelihood, even if you did, you’d be just fine. Wear running shoes just in case! Only kidding.

Finally, you can also search ‘metrocable’ stations which are public transit of the barrios which tend to be on the hillside with epci views of the city. For example, estación aurora, was recommended me by a taxi driver in barrio Robledo.

This post is work in progress. Those viewpoints at top and with photos I have been to. Those towards the bottom, or with a smaller size heading, or simple notes, I am planning to go to in the future roughly in the order they are on this blog post of Medellin best views.

Looking for the best hikes in Medellín? Follow the Medellin Hike Club.

Transversal de la Montaña

Minutes from El Poblado: 22

Google Reviews: 55

A small lookout on the side of the road, not too far from Poblado. If you happen to have a motorcycle it’s best because there is almost no parking here for cars. And to be brutally honest, for Medellin, the view isn’t spectacular.

I would say reserve this one for a date as it can be romantic and not too crowded and there isn’t anything to do besides look at the view.

A bit further down there is a short bridge, but it has an unobstructed view of Medellin. However, the available parking is dangerous as it’s on a hill and in between two sharp corners. Here is the bridge:

Further down there are a few good Medellin restaurants, including The Mayorista, which has live horse shows. You’ll also find a horse riding school frequented by a lot of famous Colombians.

Parque Natural Cerro El Volador

Minutes from El Poblado: 25

Google Reviews: 6,245

Max Incline: 9-degrees (not steep)

While arrived my Uber driver says ‘no hay mucha vista aca por los arboles’/there’s not much of a view because of the trees. Boy, was he wrong! He didn’t find the secret stairs that I did.

He stopped here (which is still, admittedly, beautiful):

The walk up from the upper parking lot is only about 15-minutes. When you see the building in the middle of the road going left and right, go left. Then go up the 166 stairs. What I found up there was surprising.

First of all, there was almost no one. You felt alone. Silence. Clear skys. And, GREAT VIEWS!

That’s why I came here after all. It’s one of the only lookout points in the middle of the city. That means 360-degree views.

There was a security guard at the top. I saw two other guards walking around, plus I saw two police on a motorcycle.

The hike itself is easy, even an American can do it.

If you don’t go up the stairs, you can simply walk around the viewpoint, which has it’s own less-awesome, but still nice lookout points, manual exercise machines, and water fountains with dog bowls.

There are also two exits to the road directly from here. You’ll notice them. They are stairs downwards as far as the eye can see. They both lead to the main road where you can wave down a taxi driver. That’ll give you a longer, more difficult hike.

Please note there is no cellular data on the hill. That means, no calling Uber on your way down. I was discouraged to find that the cellular data still was not connecting from the upper parking lot so I continued down, but luckily, it clicks on only about 10 meters from that upper parking lot.

I had to walk down regardless, because it was 5:30 and the Uber was not allowed up. I’m glad I did because otherwise I may not have noticed an equally epic viewpoint right above the lower parking lot. That means you can go to the viewpoint 24/7!

Enjoying my article on the best Medellin views? You might also like my blog post on the best Medellín coffee shops and coworking spaces.

Uva Popular 1

Minutes from El Poblado: 29

Google Reviews: 79

“Uva” in Medellin is a large public park or structure. There are 14 in Medellin and they are all free. Hurray, Medellin, for building these. In the rich parts of town (like the one in front of El Tesoro Shopping Mall), no one is there most times. In the poor barrios (like above), it’s full of kids playing. This one was a concrete observation deck with one basketball court and one gringo.

Pico Salto del Angel

Minutes from El Poblado: 45

Google Reviews: 153

Max Incline: 33-degrees (medium steep; only short portions)

More of a hike than simply a view, but with options to go a little further for waterfalls.

Set the Uber location to La Catedral, Envigado. Local entrance is 10mil; foreigners are 30mil.

It’s an easy 20-minute hike to the viewpoint, a little further to the waterfall. I went at 3pm on a Sunday and it was mostly empty. Note: ask your Uber driver to wait for you before he takes you up. Bus service is not frequent and there are no taxi’s nearby. It cost me 30mil ($9) to arrive there and I paid the taxi drive another 50mil to wait one hour.

The nice thing about this hike is that, unlike the more popular Tres Cruces, the path is shaded.

Be careful, though. If I wasn’t with a friend, I would have most likely gotten lost. There are a lot of paths you could follow.

El Mirador de Yeyo

this one looks good, chill. I will go soon. Wanna come with me?

Bosque de Pinos

Minutes from El Poblado: 31

Google Reviews: 8

Max Incline: ?

• Interesting instagram photo opp with cool forest
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/F7BiCVyutTi2saHE6
• Also: Vista del Orgullo Medellin

Medellin sin me | 41min | 20

• Large grassy spot in hills
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/hJwQtQfZ5YeC75xV9
• I saw horses and donkeys

Segundo Mirador De Las Palmas

Minutes from El Poblado: 16

Google Reviews: 5,591

This lookout requires no hiking, although the view is just ok because trees are blocking most of it. It is one of the more popular ones and you’ll find people there every night of the week. There will also be vendors selling food and beverage. It’s a bit difficult to get a taxi or Uber because of it’s awkward location. I recommend you pay your Uber driver and extra 20-30k ($7) to wait for 30 minutes or so.

You are reading my blog on the best Medellin views. Next up: best dining in Medellin with views.

Mirador Las Palmas | 15min | 1,018

This one doesn’t have much of a view, but it’s walkable from the Segundo Mirador de Las Palmas

Mirador de San Felix | 44min | 2,118

I have been asking people what their favorite lookout point is and this one comes up most frequently.

Mountain Park

Minutes from El Poblado: 18

Google Reviews: 1,430

Free or small entrance fee i think but lots of things to do, eating and drinking

Suggested video from the dannybooboo YouTube channel:

Pueblito Paisa

Minutes from El Poblado: 11

Google Reviews: 60,803

The fantastically popular Pueblita Paisa has food, drink, and a nice and large lookout point. I first came here in 2018 with my Spanish school. Below is a picture of me eating chicharron in front of the mock Paisa town.

This article is about the best views in Medellin. You might also like the best bars and clubs in Medellín.

ManantialeStunt | 35min | 5

• Moto wheelies
• Small
• Just view

Camino Real La Ayurá | 30min | 516

a view from a forest, plus a waterfall

Potrerito cerca de la quebrada | 47min | 6

 seems decent, natural, waterfall

La Meseta | 34min | 470

Looks like a hilltop with lots of ppl, tents set up

Suggested video from the dannybooboo YouTube channel:

El Picacho

Minutes from El Poblado: 50

Google Reviews: 2,700

My Uber driver told me about this when I asked him for the best view in Medellin. It’s way up there and has a few lookout points, including Ecopark El Picacho.

There are 323 steps to the top. The famous rock in Colombia, El Peñol in Guatape, has 740 steps.

It will be hard to get a taxi or Uber up there so I recommend you have yours just wait for you. Ours said he’d wait up to 2 hours. Realistically, you’ll need 30 minutes. For a ride to and from The Belmonte Penthouse, plus the wait, I paid him 150k pesos or about $34 with the current 4,400 exchange rate and he may have been happy with even 100k payment in total.

Monseñor Félix Henao Botero proposed the construction of El Picacho lookout in Medellín, Colombia in 1936.

Mirador el Cielo Medellin | 22min | 3,787

• 4k reviews
• Looks to be a park with photos

Cerro Quitasol | 90min | 197

@Caro_osorno recommended as the best

La Montaña Que Piensa | 27min | 1,710

Commerical, resto

Mirador de San Pedro | 39min | 32

Seems natural, not commercial

Torre de Incendios | 57min | 44

“Fire Tower”

Little hiking, bikers, cars; nearby Mirador altos de Enciso

Mirador de Santa Elena | 44min | 509

Santa Elena is a somewhat famous town near Medellin

Capilla Del Rosario Café | 27min | 27

Unsure, maybe this is a cafe

Mirador El Cristo | 32min | 473

Minutes from El Poblado: 32

Google Reviews: 473

Mirador el Cristo is located in the barrios, which are Colombian ghettos, but they’re safe, especially in public zones like this. Unfortunately, this one is not spectacular. In fact, one of the worst views, especially for how far it is from Poblado.

If you’re going here, I’ll make a different suggestion. Go to the estación aurora metro cable, which is the public gondola you see below photo, and ride it down to Laureles, which is about 20 minutes, has great views, lets you ride over the barrios but close enough to see people on the street, and costs about a dollar.

Mirador La Torre Eléctrica | 50min | 4

Looks like a short hike to get up thre, nice view

La Pm | 38min | 10

• Way far out
• Has a funny sign
• google labels it as observation deck

El Mirador de Los Pinos | 44min | 13

way far south in La Estrella

Mirador Villa Linda | 44min | 7

• Pretty far away
• Seems like just a place to sit, very natural, on the side of the freeway
• Just a little higher: RANCHO ALTO -MIRADOR, GRILL, BAR

Cruz el mirador del Manzanillo | 37min | 7

Doesn’t look that spectualar

Mirador altos de Enciso | 55min | 6

Potentially sketchy hike no one around; nearby Torre de Incendios

Conclusion: Best Medellin Views