We did some really neat activities and met some wonderful people on this week long journey to Medellin. In this installment I want to tell you about one of our activities.

The first activity we signed up for was our free walking tour of Medellin. That’s right, I said “free!” This tour is presented by Real City Tours and it was most excellent. We recommend that you take it early in your stay to give you context. We also recommend that you take the morning tour as it will give you time to expand your exploration of the down town (el Centro) area and provide extra time for shopping.

Real City Tours employ local guides who work only for tips. On their website they explain who they are, “Let us share with you our love and passion for our city! All of our walking tours in Medellin are run by locals (born and raised in Medellin) who are eager to share their stories and experience with you. Rather than guides, we are story tellers. We go beyond showing you the sights to offer you a different perspective, always aiming to be honest and open-.”

Our guide, I mean Story Teller, German (pronounced Hermon), met us at a down town Metro Station. Our group of twenty was from Canada, Columbia, Holland, Italy, and the U.S. (Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, and Florida). German’s love of his hometown and passion for history was quite evident (ex-school teacher) as he began with the story and time line of Columbia and in particular Medellin. He also immediately impressed us with his ability to remember each of our names and something about us. We began our tour at the governmental buildings and progressed to the public library where more of the history, especially the last few decades, was explained.

We then headed a few blocks east, passing on our way through the Parque de las Luces. We turned north on Avenida Carabobo, a large pedestrian only street that is filled with merchants and senses overload. Many of the side streets have been closed off by merchants selling hats, clothes, and everything you can possibly imagine. This huge maze of stalls is El Hueco “The Hole” where shopping is a real adventure and the prices can be right if you bargain hard. It’s a very interesting place and we found some great souvenirs to take home.

I’m not going to give away the entire itinerary, as I want you to experience it for yourselves. However, we spent four of some of the most intriguing hours with German as we explored his city with him. We went into some of the grittiest parts and learned many of the gory details of its history. Having said that, we never felt unsafe and came away with a great sense of appreciation for the transformation of Medellin and the perseverance of its people. Thank you German – thank you Real City Tours!

Trip Advisor Reviews (6,614) Excellent 5,557 # 3 of 369 Tours in Medellin