A large flower display called a “silleta”
Both Frank and I have never been to South America before and we really wanted to visit. Being a same-sex family, we always do extensive research where we would be safe, where our family is legally recognized, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community are protected.
We did our research and Colombia was high on the list for LGBTQ human rights. In fact, Bogota just elected Claudia Lopez, the first openly gay woman mayor! It was a no brainer, so we decided to book our trip and visit Colombia!
Our first stop on our tour was to Bogota. You can read about it here!
There are so many great cities to visit, and the second stop on our Colombian tour was Medellin.
Once known as the most dangerous city in the world, Medellin has quickly become the most innovative city in the world. We were blown away by the beauty, the people, the city. Situated in a valley of the Andes, Medellin sprawls up the mountains with spectacular views of the city.
When travelling with kids and searching for accommodations, we think what would be best for Milo. We look for hotels that are centrally located and within walking distance to the sights. A pool is a MUST! It’s the perfect way to spend a few hours after a morning of sightseeing, we can relax for a bit while Milo splashes around!
We stayed at the Marriott Medellin, in the beautiful El Poblado neighbourhood. The hotel is surrounded by restaurants, shops, parks and shopping malls. It boasts some of the prettiest views of Medellin from the pool deck too!
One of our highlights of the trip was a coffee plantation tour. When visiting Medellin with kids, this is a perfect way to spend the day, the tour is educational and fun at the same time! We booked our tour with Medellin Day Trips. We highly recommend the half day coffee tour. The Medellin sun gets hot, so be sure to pack along cold water and wear light clothing, but we suggest long pants for the tour as you will be hiking up the mountain in the plantation.
Andres our tour guide picked us up from our hotel and a short drive later we arrived at the coffee plantation. We were greeted by the farm owners, Jose and his wife, and Andres explained to us the process of how coffee is made. He was very knowledgeable about the process, and we got to learn first hand by going up the mountain to pick the beans from the trees. This was the best part of the tour. Milo was on the hunt to pick the most beans, and he wanted to do it all day!
Throughout the tour, we got to try coffee made four different ways and were treated to a local dessert and homemade lemonade that they made. We learned so much about how coffee was made, Milo had a blast. When visiting Medellin with kids, the coffee tour is definitely a must to do!
Medellin is also known for its Shopping Malls. They are large, beautiful, and multileveled! It is a great way to spend some time out from the heat and do a little retail therapy at the same time! They often have play areas for the kids so they can be entertained while you go and shop. They also have extensive food courts, so if you have a picky eater on your hands, there are many options for food!
We were in Medellin while it was the flower festival, so in the middle of the Santafe mall was a giant flower display. It was absolutely stunning to see these displays and the smell was out of this world!
While planning our trip to Colombia, we wanted to make sure that we were in Medellin for the Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores). This is an annual festival that is held in Medellin that celebrates the Paisa culture and recognizes the thriving flower business. We reached out to Sam from Out In Colombia Travel, to help us organize this excursion and he did not disappoint. He arranged everything for us, transportation to the parade, tickets, food, drinks. We had great seats on the bleachers in the shade and had the perfect view of the parade. Milo was really into watching all people walk by and the displays and floats. Sam was very accommodating and took the needs of our five year old into consideration. Out In Colombia caters to the needs of LGBTQ travellers and will help you plan and organize your days while in Medellin, whether with your partner, or your entire family!
Another area to explore is Comuna 13. It was once the most dangerous neighbourhood in all of Medellin where guerillas, gangs and paramilitaries made their home. Today it is a vibrant community of art and music and the best way to experience Comuna 13 is doing graffiti walking tour.
Comuna 13 Love mural Street art mural Peacock mural One of the stops on the graffiti walking tour Streetart
There is a lot of walking on this tour so bring along lots of water, sunscreen/umbrella and wear comfortable shoes. If going with young kids, this may not be an ideal tour as you cannot bring strollers. This tour is a great way to learn first hand what the locals have experienced, and to be able to wander around the community and take in the panoramic views of Medellin. We highly recommend it!
In the “Old Quarter”, is a small plaza known as “Plaza Botero” It has 23 sculptures by the famed Colombian artist Fernando Botero. It’s easily accessible by subway, however we took a short taxi ride from Comuna 13. Milo really enjoyed this plaza as there’s room to run around, and lots of statues to look at (and from his perspective, laugh at!)
Just like any major city, always exercise caution with your surroundings. Keep an eye on your valuables and watch out for pick-pocketers.
There are so many things to do in Medellin with kids. We really enjoyed the city, the sights, and the people were very friendly and helpful. They would go out of their way to make sure knew where we were going, or if needed anything translated. We were really taken aback by their hospitality! We were sad to leave and hope to return one day soon!
