Accessible by the fantastically scenic Metrocable Linea L from the Santo Domingo interchange (COP$4850 one way, 15 minutes), Parque Arví is a big chunk of countryside in Santa Elena, popular with city residents, particularly on weekends. Inside the boundaries of the 17.61-sq-km reserve are hiking trails running through the pine and eucalyptus forest and past lakes and lookout points, canopy lines, and a mariposario (butterfly enclosure). Attractions are spread out so it's best to arrive early.
Parque Arví
Medellín
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.6 MILES
Also known as El Peñon de Guatapé, thanks to the fierce rivalry between the towns it straddles, this 200m-high granite monolith rises from near the edge…
4.46 MILES
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8.39 MILES
Once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellín, the Comuna 13, which clings to the mountainside above the San Javier metro station, has…
5.02 MILES
In the grand art deco Palacio Municipal, Colombia's second-oldest museum (Museo Nacional in Bogotá is the oldest) houses one of the country's most…
Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
6.3 MILES
Set around a refurbished industrial building in Ciudad del Río, 'El MAMM' showcases changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The large new wing houses…
5.54 MILES
Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, Colombia's favorite designer of monuments, has a number of pieces around Medellín, but the most impressive work is this one in…
4.21 MILES
Located in the house where the artist lived and worked, this fine museum has an extensive collection of pieces by prolific local painter Pedro Nel Gómez …
4.98 MILES
This public space in front of the Museo de Antioquia is home to 23 large, curvaceous bronze sculptures by renowned local artist Fernando Botero, including…
Nearby Medellín attractions
4.21 MILES
Located in the house where the artist lived and worked, this fine museum has an extensive collection of pieces by prolific local painter Pedro Nel Gómez …
4.3 MILES
One of Medellín's nicest green spaces, the botanic gardens cover 14 hectares, showcase 600 species of trees and plants, and include a lake, a herbarium…
4.44 MILES
Young travelers will enjoy this expansive science museum, which features a fine aquarium full of species from Colombian waterways as well as an…
4.46 MILES
This harrowing museum dedicated to the urban conflict in Medellín is a must-visit for travelers wanting to fully understand the city (and Colombia). There…
4.53 MILES
The densely populated neighborhood of Moravia was once Medellín's municipal rubbish dump with an open-air mountain of trash surrounded by a large shanty…
4.65 MILES
Overlooking Parque de Bolívar, Medellín's neo-Romanesque cathedral was completed in 1931. Its spacious but dim interior has Spanish stained-glass windows.
4.75 MILES
On the campus of the Universidad de Antioquia, this museum has an interesting collection of pre-Columbian pottery, as well as galleries devoted to art and…
4.92 MILES
This landmark church on Av Oriental has immense stained-glass panels that light up the facade in the evenings.