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© 2007 Medellin Travel Guide - All Rights Reserved
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Join our Travel Forum. You will find the latest visitor photos and discussions for travel to Medellin, Colombia.
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Last Updated:11/14/08
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Are your friends asking you, "Why in the world are you are going to Medellin Colombia?"
Travel Warnings -TIP-If you can be seen by a helicopter, you are probably in a safe area. Think about it!
While many are concerned about the travel warnings of visiting Colombia, many more people are finding that over all, Colombia is a very safe place to visit if you don’t go to the wrong places. The urban cities of Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla are quite safe. Just like any major metropolitan city, there are places in the inner cities and barrios (communas) to stay away from but overall the homicide rates have been dropping in Medellin dramatically in the past decade.
If you live or stay in the more upscale Poblado area of the city, you will feel as safe as any neighborhood in the US. Travel into El Centro during the day and on the weekends is an event not to miss but it is not advised to enter El Centro after dark. Even the locals avoid going there at night. If you do go, make sure you are in a group that can take care of themselves. Best to avoid the outlying barrios unless you are with a local that is known in that area. Not much to see or do there anyway!
If in doubt, take a couple of hours and do your own research. Some sites still show Colombia has the highest homicide rates. Some show it in 3rd place but almost all say most of the murder and kidnappings occur in the more rural areas. In the major metropolitan cities, the murder, kidnapping and overall crime rates are way below many other countries. Guess one mans data is another mans gospel. Let me put it another way. I'd rather be in Medellin any day of the week than Rio, Caracas, Washington DC, Lousiana, Detroit, New York, Sao Paulo and many other cities I have visited around the world.
It is not recommended to travel to the provinces of Caqueta, Putumayo, Meta and Choco or to the rural areas of Antioquia, Cauca, Narino, and Norte de Santander - please consult the Ministry of Foreign affairs or State Department of your home country for current travel warnings and advisories.
In 2005, the US dropped its travel advisory about going to Colombia.
U.S. Drops Advisory Against
Traveling to Colombia
May 6, 2005 (Bloomberg News) -- The U.S. State Department lifted an advisory against its citizens traveling to Colombia as security improves in the South American nation.
The State Department still warns "of the dangers of travel to Colombia'' but wording from previous listings that urged U.S. citizens "against travel'' to the country has been removed, the department said on its Web site.
"Violence has decreased markedly in most urban centers, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena,'' the advisory said. Still, "no one can be considered immune on the basis of occupation, nationality or any other factor.''
President Alvaro Uribe's effort to rid the nation of the violence from Colombia's four decade civil war, which pits guerrillas against the government and paramilitary groups, has resulted in a 30 percent drop in homicides to 20,000 and a 50 percent decline in kidnappings.
Since 2000, 32 Americans were kidnapped in Colombia, including four in 2004, the State Department said.
The Colombian peso has strengthened almost 24 percent against the U.S. dollar since Uribe took office in August 2002. The government's benchmark 10 percent bond due in 2012 rose to 109.40 pesos from 80.25 pesos, cutting the yield to 8.151 percent from 12.733 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helen Murphy in Bogotá at Ext. 224 or hmurphy1@bloomberg.net <mailto:hmurphy1@bloomberg.net>
Today, a mere travel “Warning” exists for Colombia but is mainly intended for the rural areas that are the strongholds of the FARC. (See other countries below)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
This information is current as of today,
COLOMBIA
June 04, 2007
This Travel Warning updates ongoing security concerns in Colombia and reminds American citizens of those concerns. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued January 18, 2006.
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. Violence by narcoterrorist groups and other criminals continues to affect all parts of the country, urban and rural.
Violence has continued to decrease markedly in most urban areas, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. The level of violence in Cali, Buenaventura, and the surrounding areas remains high, largely as a result of the illicit drug trade. Many rural areas of Colombia remain extremely dangerous due to the presence of narcoterrorists and Colombian government operations against them.
Terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other criminal organizations, continue to kidnap civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one can be considered immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. The FARC have held three American official contractors hostage since February 2003(recently rescued). Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.
U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but only by air. They are not allowed to use inter or intra city bus transportation. They also are not permitted to travel by road outside of urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.
Travel Warnings -TIP-If you can be seen by a helicopter, you are probably in a safe area. Think about it!
While many are concerned about the travel warnings of visiting Colombia, many more people are finding that over all, Colombia is a very safe place to visit if you don’t go to the wrong places. The urban cities of Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla are quite safe. Just like any major metropolitan city, there are places in the inner cities and barrios (communas) to stay away from but overall the homicide rates have been dropping in Medellin dramatically in the past decade.
If you live or stay in the more upscale Poblado area of the city, you will feel as safe as any neighborhood in the US. Travel into El Centro during the day and on the weekends is an event not to miss but it is not advised to enter El Centro after dark. Even the locals avoid going there at night. If you do go, make sure you are in a group that can take care of themselves. Best to avoid the outlying barrios unless you are with a local that is known in that area. Not much to see or do there anyway!
If in doubt, take a couple of hours and do your own research. Some sites still show Colombia has the highest homicide rates. Some show it in 3rd place but almost all say most of the murder and kidnappings occur in the more rural areas. In the major metropolitan cities, the murder, kidnapping and overall crime rates are way below many other countries. Guess one mans data is another mans gospel. Let me put it another way. I'd rather be in Medellin any day of the week than Rio, Caracas, Washington DC, Lousiana, Detroit, New York, Sao Paulo and many other cities I have visited around the world.
It is not recommended to travel to the provinces of Caqueta, Putumayo, Meta and Choco or to the rural areas of Antioquia, Cauca, Narino, and Norte de Santander - please consult the Ministry of Foreign affairs or State Department of your home country for current travel warnings and advisories.
In 2005, the US dropped its travel advisory about going to Colombia.
U.S. Drops Advisory Against
Traveling to Colombia
May 6, 2005 (Bloomberg News) -- The U.S. State Department lifted an advisory against its citizens traveling to Colombia as security improves in the South American nation.
The State Department still warns "of the dangers of travel to Colombia'' but wording from previous listings that urged U.S. citizens "against travel'' to the country has been removed, the department said on its Web site.
"Violence has decreased markedly in most urban centers, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena,'' the advisory said. Still, "no one can be considered immune on the basis of occupation, nationality or any other factor.''
President Alvaro Uribe's effort to rid the nation of the violence from Colombia's four decade civil war, which pits guerrillas against the government and paramilitary groups, has resulted in a 30 percent drop in homicides to 20,000 and a 50 percent decline in kidnappings.
Since 2000, 32 Americans were kidnapped in Colombia, including four in 2004, the State Department said.
The Colombian peso has strengthened almost 24 percent against the U.S. dollar since Uribe took office in August 2002. The government's benchmark 10 percent bond due in 2012 rose to 109.40 pesos from 80.25 pesos, cutting the yield to 8.151 percent from 12.733 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helen Murphy in Bogotá at Ext. 224 or hmurphy1@bloomberg.net <mailto:hmurphy1@bloomberg.net>
Today, a mere travel “Warning” exists for Colombia but is mainly intended for the rural areas that are the strongholds of the FARC. (See other countries below)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
This information is current as of today,
COLOMBIA
June 04, 2007
This Travel Warning updates ongoing security concerns in Colombia and reminds American citizens of those concerns. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued January 18, 2006.
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. Violence by narcoterrorist groups and other criminals continues to affect all parts of the country, urban and rural.
Violence has continued to decrease markedly in most urban areas, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. The level of violence in Cali, Buenaventura, and the surrounding areas remains high, largely as a result of the illicit drug trade. Many rural areas of Colombia remain extremely dangerous due to the presence of narcoterrorists and Colombian government operations against them.
Terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other criminal organizations, continue to kidnap civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one can be considered immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. The FARC have held three American official contractors hostage since February 2003(recently rescued). Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.
U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but only by air. They are not allowed to use inter or intra city bus transportation. They also are not permitted to travel by road outside of urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.
Photo Courtesy of:
http://www.cocaine.org/colombia/pablo-escobar.html
Visit their site for a summary of Pablo Escobars life and death..
http://www.cocaine.org/colombia/pablo-escobar.html
Visit their site for a summary of Pablo Escobars life and death..
Above is a "safety map" of Colombia. The map offers a very general picture of where it is safe to travel and where it is not. The red areas are generally considered unsafe. The darker the red, the more unsafe.
The situation has improved during the past few years and is NOT accurately reflected in this map which has been in general use, for the past 5 years. Always get up-do-date information if you are traveling off the beaten track. Stay in areas where you can be seen by a helicopter.
The border area with Panama is considered unsafe. You can still go to Capurgana, but you have to go by plane (from Medellin for example) and stay in the village - don't even think of traveling of the beaten track here, too much guerrilla and paramilitary activity.
The whole region east of the mountains is still considered unsafe, except for Iquitos (which is at the southern tip of Colombia).
The road between Cali and Popayan is unsafe: do not take night buses as there are many robberies on this road.
Generally, the cities in Colombia are safe, but the countryside can be unsafe. Don't travel to the countryside without getting up-do-date information about the area where you are going.
A very astute Colombian Anthropologist once told me, "Anywhere in Colomia is safe so long as you can be seen by a helicopter!" Think about it!!
The situation has improved during the past few years and is NOT accurately reflected in this map which has been in general use, for the past 5 years. Always get up-do-date information if you are traveling off the beaten track. Stay in areas where you can be seen by a helicopter.
The border area with Panama is considered unsafe. You can still go to Capurgana, but you have to go by plane (from Medellin for example) and stay in the village - don't even think of traveling of the beaten track here, too much guerrilla and paramilitary activity.
The whole region east of the mountains is still considered unsafe, except for Iquitos (which is at the southern tip of Colombia).
The road between Cali and Popayan is unsafe: do not take night buses as there are many robberies on this road.
Generally, the cities in Colombia are safe, but the countryside can be unsafe. Don't travel to the countryside without getting up-do-date information about the area where you are going.
A very astute Colombian Anthropologist once told me, "Anywhere in Colomia is safe so long as you can be seen by a helicopter!" Think about it!!
Safe Travel in Colombia
