THE TOUR
I have written this review twice already. Each time it got lost. I’m glad because my attempts are a reminder of just how Important to the world, are some of these communities.
Also this third attempt had minimal spoilers whilst the other two were filled to the brim with spoilers. Which means don’t miss this extraordinary experience.
The tour took us to Comuna 13 and Comuna 3. Both are incredible in their own right and not to be missed.
My review focuses primarily on Comuna 3 because I consider it active history that can, if you allow, benefit you and your tribe in some way.
Here goes.
These days when community spirit and working together is at least sometimes for sound bites and financial gain, the people of Comuna 3 shows us what true commitment to each other looks like. I know that sounds like a cliche but it really is true. Year after year they work together to better their community from its infrastructure to its soul. Though the history, past and living , is a great deal deeper, I am reminded of the poem The Bridge Builder, which describes, albeit inadequately, the resiliency and drive of the community.
The Bridge Builder
BY WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!” END
Within the first few steps and minutes of visiting Comuna 3, one could and likely will easily say ‘ oh it’s so pretty, so beautiful.’ But when you begin to feast on the tales and digest the art depicting those tales you too may never again look at graffiti the same way. And, you may be pressed to echo the words of Rupi who said:
“…When your spirit has crushed mountains
from now on I will say things like you are resilient or you are extraordinary
Not because I don’t think your pretty
But because you are so much more than that.”
– Rupi Kaur
The saying ‘it’s hard to describe’ truly fits the mold here. Colombia is a wonderful place to visit. Medellin is a university in and of itself. Comuna 3 is an impetus for change. It offers up critical life lessons that we should all take back and implement/incorporate in our own communities and personal lives to the extent needed.
I believe that the more you travel, the more you understand. The more you understand, the more tolerance you gain. The more tolerance you gain, the less war you’ll make.
This one, if you let it, encourages change at the cellular level. This one is not to be missed!
OUR GUIDES
Our tour company was Medellin Day Tours. We give them a rating of 10 out of 5. I know I know! But they are just so amazingly good! Our tour guides were Erika and Laura and we give them a rating of 100 out of 5! I know! But they were SPECTACULAR!! The scale of one to five cannot is just not enough to describe our experience. We visited with our elderly mother. These ladies assisted her throughout even bringing a chair for her to rest on the way. The took us to a pharmacy when my Mom needed medicine! Above and beyond! As her needs changed during the day, they adjusted the tour and schedule to fit without any of us losing out on the experience. This we greatly appreciated. Their knowledge and spirits are boundless. The deep love for what they do is completely evident. What’s more Laura is a resident of Comuna 3! Talk about getting the info from those who know. Everyone was extraordinarily accommodating, knowledgeable, and upbeat. These are the best tour guides I’ve ever had and I’m talking across many travels.
Lastly, I found articles on tours suitable for the elderly! Well Medellin Day Trips fits the mold for the young and the old!
Thank you Erika, Laura, Sarah and Andres!

My wife and I had an unforgettable experience on the coffee and chocolate tour. Our tour guide, Sara, was excellent — incredibly knowledgeable, super fun and energetic, and extremely hospitable. We tried raw coffee beans and cocoa seeds, saw the process of roasting and preparing each, and were able to enjoy what we made and bring some home. During the process, we met the amazing family who runs the farm and enjoyed a wonderful homemade lunch at their home. These experiences are not available at home or anywhere close — it was truly special and unique to get this kind of view into the production of two commonly consumed goods, as well as a look at life for the amazing people who produce/grow them.
A major highlight was learning what kind of diseases the plants undergo in the wild, and then what is done with the diseased fruits — something not commonly discussed in museums or even commercial production plants. Kudos to Sara for sharing the insider intel!
An 8-hour day tour sounded daunting at first, but by the end we were sad it was over. Thank you!!

Andres of Medellin Day Trips was our wonderful private guide on this adventurous day…he picked us up at the hotel in a very confortable car and brought us to a unique place in the surrounding mountains of Medellín. We had a private atv (quad) tour and it was great. Professional equipment, beautiful scenery and challenging but safe parcours. The 3 of us loved it! Don’t doubt a moment if you are thinking of booking this experience!

This was our second tour with Medellin Day Trips. We also did the Guatape Tour and we loved our tour guide Henry so much that we requested him for this tour as well and Andres the owner was happy to accommodate us. Henry used to live in the US for many years so his English is perfect and he is just overall a great person. We were very blessed to have him for both of our tours.
The Comuna 13 Tour is one we will never forget. Not only is the graffiti amazing, but the history behind the area that Henry shared with us is truly remarkable. During the tour, Henry took amazing pictures of us while telling us all about the Comuna and what a transformation it has undergone over the past eight years. If you are worried about feeling unsafe here, don’t be, these people are very appreciative of tourists and the help they provide the economy here.
The highlight of our entire trip was getting to meet one of the graffiti artists and seeing his workspace. Henry has a great relationship with the artists Chota13 who has a number of amazing pieces of work throughout Comuna 13. We were able to buy some of his reprints at a very fair price and he was even nice enough to sign them for us. It was an amazing experience and I don’t think it would have happened without Henry!
The rest of the tour included a delicious mango ice cream stick, a very cool cable car ride and a trip to Botero Square. All of these activities were great and we could not have asked for a better guide than Henry.
If you are considering this tour, take the leap and book it and you will not be disappointed. Request Henry as your guide if possible, he really made our experience memorable.

My sister and I had a blast! Andres and his colleague were very accommodating and knowledgable with every question we asked. The horses are well maintained and seemed happy. We enjoyed the scenic routes away from the busyness.You will not regret this experience!

Had a very enjoyable day on this tour. Our guide and driver, Diego, is a great guy, he’s very knowledgeable about the region, quite kind and accommodating.
Paragliding was a blast. The pilots are well trained, safety orientated, and fun. When we landed I wanted to do it again.
Want to climb Peñón de Guatapé, visit the most colorful town in Colombia and fly like a bird over two waterfalls? Then this is the tour for you.

This was a great tour from the beginning. Diego was professional and very knowledgeable from the time he picked us up. He give us many tips about living in Colombia and places to visit. We went about 45 minutes to the ATV place. I have been ATVing in many different countries and places but this by far has been the most amazing time I’ve ever had. We went to the mountains and we rode through the terrain and we even went in some water. Make sure you bring clothes that you don’t like because it will get very dusty and maybe even a little wet with your shoes. The tour guide just Jesenia was also amazing she was very nice and she made sure that we knew how to ride the ATV and she always made sure to check on us. She took us to many places to take pictures and we got to see a lot of the beautiful mountain views and we also got to ride through many different hills which is very very fun. Jesenia was very nice and very good at what she does. She is also a good camera woman and knows a lot of good places.Diego took his driving to Guatape after this. Diego was very flexible he catered the tour to our every need. We walked through the amazing island and saw all the beautiful sites and he even took us to a place that had authentic Colombian food. He was very very knowledgeable about all the history.He then took us to the Guatape rock he waited for us while we climbed the rock in and then we were able to see the beautiful views. Diego was by far the most professional and knowledgeable tour guide and he even spoke good English to Americans that knew barely any Spanish.

We spent the day with Daniel. He was funny, well spoken, and friendly. We started the day at Comuna 13. The graffiti was stunning. The outdoor elevators were fascinating. Daniel seemed to know everyone and we were able to meet one of the most famous artists of the area.
Next, we went to a small farmers market outside of Medellin where we tried many delicious fresh fruits and we were able to take some to go as well!
Finally we traveled to Piedra Del Penol and Guatape. That climb to the top of Penol, ugh! But Daniel never rushed us and we eventually made it. The scenery was breathtaking and well worth the climb!! We ate a late lunch in Guatape and enjoyed the colors and artwork of Guatape.
Overall it was one of the best day trips we’ve ever had and I would highly recommend it.

We heard wonderful things about the town of “Jardin” but this tour was beyond our expectations!!!! First of all, we had an amazing English speaking guide (Andres) who accompanied us in a “private” car from Medellin, picking us up at our hotel. Andres engaged us in conversation during the 3+ trip, providing an educational context for our excursion as well as happily stopping for photos as requested. We felt like “royalty” The countryside drive was breathtaking and “Jardin” has to be one of the most picturesque towns in Colombia, with amazing gift shops and sights. Andres took us to a local coffee plantation where organic coffee is grown and harvested by hand. The family owners greeted us in their home and provided us with a delicious home-cooked lunch with everything coming from their garden and plantation. The owner explained the coffee growing and harvesting process and gave us opportunities to pick our own beans! We finished our tour and visit with home-brewed cup of Colombian coffee of course! This all- inclusive day is well worth the extra dollars you may pay! Don’t miss this day in Paisa paradise! We are so glad we didn’t!!

We had so much fun! Diego lead me and my three friends throughout the whole day. He was super accommodating and knowledgeable about everything! Despite a mini downpour during our horseback ride, Diego helped us dry off and gave us jackets to warm up, he even offered to take us back to our hotel to change before heading to the coffee farm. Once at the farm, the family who runs it was so friendly, the food was amazing, and everyone was so well informed about the process of making coffee — walking us through it and answering all of our questions. Plus, they let us practice our Espanol and were so patient. The coffee was phenomenal, we definitely bought our fair share to bring back to the States! We highly recommend this tour, you’ll have an amazing time!!

This was absolutely the best tour my 28-year old son and I had while in Medellín. The beauty of the view from the plantation run by Antonio and his wife blew us away. They were also incredibly kind and genuinely happy and proud to show us (and let us participate in) the whole coffee process, end to end. They served us coffee on their balcony (prepared in different ways) while explaining their operation. The 1/2 day tour was perfect, allowing plenty of time to to enjoy the coffee plantation and still leave time for 2 other activities in the day. Andres was super helpful with translation and our short-notice arrangements, even setting us up with a driver for our eventual departure 3 days later. He was entertaining and provided interesting insight about local culture and history while driving us through 30 minutes of phenomenally beautiful countryside. Medellin Day Trips is very flexible too; they’ll combine tours to suit to your interests, and they have multi-tour discounts. Can’t wait to come back with my wife next time.

Wow! Not only was Andres a communicative and helpful guide about much more than coffee, but he welcomed us into the homes of two local coffee farmers like we were family. If you travel to Medellin, I highly recommend taking this tour with Andres!

My friends and I spent a couple of days in Medellin and had Andres as our tour guide. He’s been an amazing guide, very friendly, knowledgeable and keen to make our holiday a memorable experience. My favourite experience of all was paragliding in San Felix. This was an activity that was’t necesarily part of our innitial plans, but Andres recommended it and helped us organise. It was for sure a great idea! It was simply amazing, flying over Medellin area and admiring the breathtakening views. I’ve never done paragliding before but it was so well organised that I felt completely safe and enjoyed every single moment of it. Andres also helped us get a very good price for the experience and a Go Pro camera to film the flight. They gave us the memory card at the end. If you love high point views and admiring landscapes this is defifititely an experience that you shouldn’t miss. After paragliding we had lunch in a traditional restaurant and played tejo (the Colombian national sport). The trip as a whole was also very informative. Andres is Colombian and was borned and raised in Medellin. He knows all the insights about Colombian culture, customs and history and is always ready to share an interesting story. I can definitely say that we’ve learned a lot and had a veritable imersion into the Colombian culture. Thank you Andres for being such a great guide, would definitely love to come back to Colombia and do the other trips that you were telling us about! Xx

Andres was recommended by a friend and we were super happy with the tour. He was very punctual and gave us the graffiti tour in the Comuna 13, also took us to tranvía market. He seem to know the city very well and during the whole tour was giving us information. He has very good energy and its willing to give an extra mile to help you and make sure you have a good time. I highly recommend do a tour with him

I went horse riding and guatape with the guide called Andres. He is really nice and the trip is well organized! I will definitely recommend this company to the visitors come to Medellin cause they responded email really fast and provided me with all the infos I needed.