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El Poblado, which translates to The Village, is the 14th commune, or district, in the city of Medellín, Colombia.
Introduction to El Poblado
On March 2, 1616, Spaniard Francisco de Herrera Campuzano founded a small indigenous village in what is now El Poblado. It was called San Lorenzo de Aburrá, and it was the first settlement in what is now Medellín. In 1646, the settlement was transferred to the present-day El Centro. The city of Medellín wasn’t officially founded until November 2, 1675, by Miguel de Aguinaga (1634-1693).
By 1845, El Poblado had a plaza and streets, and many estates were located there. The estates would eventually give names to some of its 22 neighborhoods, such as Provenza and Patio Bonito. Wealthy families built their rural villas there in the early 20th century, and the area became more urban in the 1950s. The entertainment district was established in the 1970s.
Today, El Poblado continues to be Medellín’s premier entertainment district. Most people associate it with the abundance of nightlife and entertainment, but it also contains a few quiet neighborhoods, parks, shopping, and other attractions. It’s where you’ll find many of the city’s best hotels, hostels, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Getting to El Poblado
El Poblado is a bit far from El Centro. The Poblado metro stop is about a 20 minute walk from Provenza or Parque Lleras. At night, it might be safer to take a taxi from the metro. During the day, it’s perfectly safe to walk. Also, if you aren’t staying in the area, when leaving the bars at night, it may be very difficult to find a taxi, especially if it’s raining.
Safety in El Poblado
Since El Poblado is frequented by tourists from all over the world, you can expect a lot of beggars, street pushers, and prostitutes. It’s the only blemish on the area besides the noise into the wee hours of the night. The beggars are often kids or families asking for money and will follow you for blocks if you don’t put your foot down. The street pushers are disguised as salesmen selling watches or sunglasses, but they’ll follow you and whisper stuff like “coca, marijuana”. You can spot the prostitutes walking up and down the streets. While it’s annoying to be approached by these characters, I’ve never felt unsafe in the area.
Parque El Poblado
Parque El Poblado is the historic heart of El Poblado. It’s a nice little park with places to sit and relax. The park has a small monument to mark the founding of the very first village in what is now Medellín in 1616.
Church of San José
On one corner of the park is the Church of San José (Iglesia San José del Poblado). The original church on the site was built in 1616. The current church opened in 1876 and was rebuilt in the 1920s due to deterioration of the building. It was designed in the Romanesque style by architect Horacio Mario Rodríguez Márquez.
The interior of the Church of San José is worth stopping in to see. It features beautiful stained glass windows made in Cali and several religious statues. The vaulting, main altar, and pulpit were designed by Belgian architect Augustin Goovaerts (1885-1939), who also designed the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture in the city center.
Parque Lleras
Parque Lleras is the Zona Rosa, or entertainment zone, of El Poblado. If you’re looking for a good time, this small park is the place to be at night, especially on weekends. Up and down the crowded streets there are plenty of bars and clubs to choose from with music for just about any taste. The restaurants around Parque Lleras, unfortunately, haven’t been that great in my experience.
During the day, Parque Lleras is much quieter, as you would expect. There isn’t much in the way of tourism and it’s much more tame without all the traffic and noise. You might find a few street vendors selling crafts or sombreros, but that’s about it.
Provenza
From Carrera 37 to Carrera 33 is Provenza, a small upscale neighborhood full of excellent restaurants, hotels, and boutique shops. The restaurants serve anything from traditional Colombian food to international fare. My favorite places to eat in the city are situated in Provenza.
I prefer Provenza to Parque Lleras any time of day. It’s more enjoyable overall and there’s a lot more life there during the day. Some of the streets are even pedestrianized with restaurants and cafés setting up tables right on the street.
In addition to the street life, there’s also a creek running right through the heart of Provenza. It’s surrounded by a lush forest, and something very pleasing to see while walking through such a busy area of the city.
Virgin of the Mystic Rose
Near the Santafé Mall is the Virgin of the Mystic Rose (Virgen Rosa Mística). This small shrine with a statue of the Virgin in the center is an important place of pilgrimage for local Catholics. It’s loaded with candles and devotional plaques left by people giving thanks for having their prayers answered. Vendors line up outside to sell religious trinkets and souvenirs.
While it seems like a peaceful place, the Virgin of the Mystic Rose has a dark history. During the 1980s and 1990s, it’s said that hitmen, especially those from Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel, would visit the shrine to pray before carrying out an assassination. This gained it the nickname Virgin of the Assassins (Virgen de los Sicarios).
Santa María de los Ángeles
Santa María de los Ángeles is a quiet upscale residential neighborhood in the El Poblado district. Other than Inflexión Memorial Park, it contains very little of interest.
Parque Santa María de los Ángeles
First, a couple blocks from Inflexión Memorial Park is Parque Santa María de los Ángeles. It’s considered the lungs of the neighborhood and has a peaceful atmosphere.
The park is popular with locals. During the day, you’ll find children playing, people reading or having a chat, and others walking their dogs. Trees provide plenty of shade, and there are lots of benches to sit and listen to the birds sing.
Santa María de los Ángeles Church
Across the street from the park is the small historic church, Santa María de los Ángeles (Parroquia Santa María de los Ángeles), for which the neighborhood is named. Unfortunately, when I walked by, its colonial façade was covered by a canopy set up out front for an event.
El Castillo Museum
El Castillo is a mansion uphill from the Santa María de los Ángeles neighborhood. It was built in the 1930s by a rich Colombian doctor who was trained in France and fell in love with the castles of the country. Unfortunately, the owner died less than a year into construction. Over the next 11 years, his widow finished the building in his memory. She then sold it in 1943 to Colombian businessman Diego Echevarría and his German wife, Benedikta Zur Nieden, who lived there until 1971.
The mansion was converted to the private El Castillo Museum (Museo El Castillo) in 1972. It contains the original furnishings and art collected by the family that lived there. Tours of the mansion cost COP$24,000 for adults and COP$18,000 for children, while adult admission to the gardens only is COP$20,000 for adults and COP$15,000 for children (as of October 2024). Tours are available daily except Tuesdays, while the garden is open daily.
A guided tour of the house is required and no photos are allowed inside, but you can take them from the terraces. The tour takes about an hour to complete, and the guide does a fantastic job of explaining just about every piece of art and about the lives of the people who lived in the mansion. It’s full of priceless artwork and porcelain statues as well as books and rare furniture.
The Grounds
Stepping onto the grounds of the mansion, you immediately feel as if you’ve been transported to Europe. The perfectly manicured gardens and fountains make for a perfect getaway from the bustling city outside.
A few people brought their own picnic baskets and were passing the time away on the grass for a romantic afternoon. Preparations for a wedding were also underway, as the mansion is also an important venue for special events.
Transportation Museum
A sign leads you to a small building on the grounds that calls itself a transportation museum. There’s not much inside except for some offices and several license plates from around Colombia and the USA.
More Info…
Read this excellent article posted on Tellanto.com for more information on what to do in El Poblado, including help finding tourist and student accommodation or where to study in the neighborhood.
