With so much to do and see around the city and its natural surroundings, it is important to know the ways remote workers get around Medellin. This city has a truly incredible transport system - it is one of the most modern and comprehensive public transit networks in Latin America, integrating subway, tram, cable car and bus networks to connect the entire city.
Prices are generally affordable and discounts are provided for low-income earners and other concessions. The vast and accessible nature of the city’s public transport system has gained Medellin international accolades and gives a huge advantage to the many remote workers looking to get around town safely and affordably.
Below are some of the main ways remote workers get around Medellin.
Before you embark on your journey, it will be important for you to get a Civica Card as soon as you can in Medellin. These cards are rechargeable and provide discounts to those staying in the city for more than a few days. Medellin’s emphasis on protecting the environment means these reusable cards are meant to replace the more expensive and polluting paper tickets.
You can get your Civica Card during work hours Monday-Friday at the San Antonio, San Javier, Niquia and Itagui stations around the city. At the Puntos de Atencion al Cliente (PACs) located at these stations, you can ask for a Civica Card to be issued to you. For this process it is important you present your ID or your Passport. The process is free, quick and usually has no complications. Once you have your Civica Card you can start to ride the city’s public transport network, with tickets costing from 2355COP to 4150COP depending on the number of interchanges you make on different modes of transport during a particular journey. Your Civica Card will bear your name, is not transferable and can be recharged at any metro station.
The city’s Metro is likely to be the easiest way for remote workers to get around Medellin. The network has a total of 27 stations and 2 lines which run through all four main cardinal points of the city. Major interchange stations include San Antonio, Hospital, Prado, Industriales and San Javier. Remote workers will appreciate that the system is clean, easy to use and generally safe out of peak hours. During congested periods, the metro can become dangerously overcrowded and is not recommended around the center of the city. To ride, simply validate your card before entering the station area.
The city’s famous cable car lines are some of the best ways for remote ways for remote workers to get around Medellin’s suburbs and steeper areas. Perhaps the most popular line is that serving the vast Arvi Park located in the northeast of the city. Yet Medellin’s MetroCable also provides access to some of the city’s most authentic neighborhoods, including Santo Domingo in the north. In the neighborhood of La Sierra to the east of the city, you’ll find some of Medellin’s best street art in this once-dangerous area. Equally, the San Javier to Aurora line in the west of the city offers panoramic views of the famous Comuna 13.
This is the city’s integrated bus system and provides a convenient way for remote workers in Medellin to get around the downtown and southwestern areas of the city. It is much like the transmilenio service in Bogota and is mainly made up of long buses on dedicated lanes serving specific stations. Main interchange sites along the MetroPlus lines include Industriales and the quaint neighborhood of Prado in central Medellin. The two MetroPlus lines will be really useful for remote workers living in the Belen area.
The city’s only Tram line feels modern, safe and clean and is one of the best ways for remote workers to get around eastern Medellin. The A-T Tram line connects San Antonio with the main eastern neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Miraflores and Oriente before connecting with MetroCable line H up to Villa Sierra.
Medellin has an extensive private bus network connecting neighborhoods and villages towards the outskirts of the city with the main neighborhoods in the downtown areas. Private buses in Medellin will usually have a destination posted on the front of the vehicle and will usually only accept cash, so make sure to have small change. There are plenty of buses around the city and this is a popular way to get around due to low fares. Of course, this system is less intuitive and more difficult to navigate for first-time visitors.
For more information about living in Medellin as a remote worker, check out our complete Medellin guide.