Advise and services to the tourist

Medellín, along with its nine adjoining municipal areas, is located in the Aburrá Valley, traversed from south to north by the Medellín River. The river makes for a natural roadway corridor, which two parallel roadways and the Metro line take advantage of on either side.

Street layout in Medellín takes after typical Spanish grid, with Carreras running parallel to the river and Calles running perpendicular to it. The Laureles neighborhood takes exception to the rule with streets that run diagonally and transversally.

The El Poblado neighborhood's main axes are Avenida 43A, also called Avenida El Poblado, Avenida 34, and Transversal Inferior and Transversal Superior, all running parallel to the river. The hilly streets, Los Balsos, La 10, Los González, and El Tesoro among others, run east up the mountain away from Avenida El Poblado into the communities of this exclusive sector.

The Medellín Metro, functional since 1995, can take you quickly, safely, and comfortably to most tourist attractions in the city. And for those few occasions when the Metro route comes short of your destination, taxis available at each station can complete the job, usually at the minimum fare ($3900 -pesos- for 2010). A one-way Metro ticket has a cost of $1550 -pesos- and includes the use of the Metrocable Systems. And for greater economy you can purchase the "Tarjeta Civica".

Besides regular buses serving Medellín's neighborhoods, the city also has special bus routes covering strategic locations and needs, like the Ruta de la Salud (Health Route), Ruta Hotelera (Hotel Route), and Ruta Comercial (Shopping Route).

Medellín is served by two airports, the Olaya Herrera Airport located in the middle of the city offering regional flights, and the José María Córdova International Airport, located in nearby Rionegro, just 45 minutes or 22 miles distant from Medellín. Taxicabs rates to the international airport or vice versa, is a fixed $52,000 -pesos- for 2010.

Taxicab service is available via telephone at no additional cost. You can expect to pay about $18,000 -pesos- to travel to the most distant tourist attractions, the most distant in about 20 minutes. In any case, taxicabs are equipped with meters that will show you the amount to be paid.

A taxicab fare from the Olaya Herrera Airport to downtown or El Poblado can run you approximately $5,000 -pesos-. A more distant destination within city limits can cost about $15,000 -pesos-.

Medellín has two land transportation terminals: Terminal del Norte (North Terminal), located to the north of downtown [(574) 444-8020 – 267-7075], serviced by the Metro, and Terminal del Sur (South Terminal) [(574) 444-8020 - 361-1499] south of downtown, neighboring the Olaya Herrera Airport and near El Poblado neighborhood.

The city is equipped with a very good coin-operated public telephone network that allows local and international calls, as well as calls to mobile and cell phones.

→ Single number emergency reporting By dialing a single number, 123, anyone can get in touch with police and traffic police, fire department, military, and health services to report any and all emergencies.

→ Hours:

•Banks: Monday through Friday 8 AM to 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Some bank branches and branches at shopping malls and chain stores offer extended hours.

•Shopping: Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, usually extended to 9:00 PM at shopping malls. Sundays to 7:00 PM.

•Restaurants, bars, and cafes:Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM.

•Businesses: Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 12 noon and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

→ Other information of interest

•Electric power: 110 volts, American-type wall fixtures. Tap water is potable.

•Communications Media: local daily newspapers are El Colombiano, El Mundo, El Tiempo, and Q'hubo. Local TV channels are Teleantioquia, Telemedellín, Canal U, Cosmovisión, Canal Une, and Televida.

•Safety for the traveler:

Travelers are recommended to keep their valuables and important documents in hotel safety deposit boxes, follow common sense rules, and keep to well-referenced tourist areas recommended here, or at hotel and tourist information centers.
The city's weather allows informal summer clothing to be worn year round. If you plan to travel to a nearby town check with your hotel for climate and weather information. Informal attire is generally accepted anywhere you go.
Local currency is the Colombian peso, available in bills in the following denominations: 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and 50,000, with 100, 200, and 500-peso coins..
Credit cards are widely accepted, though not so, traveler's checks.

→ Tourist Information Service

•Subsecretaría de Turismo (Tourist Under Secretary):(574) 385-6966

•José María Córdova Airport: (574) 562-2828

•Olaya Herrera Airport: (574) 365-6100

•Land Transportation Terminals:

Terminal del Sur (574) 361-1499 - 444-8020

Terminal del Norte (574) 267-7075 – 444-8020

•Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau: (574) 261-6060

•Mayor's Office Information hot line: (574) 444-4144

•Complaints / file a grievance: (571) 606-7676, ext. 2484

or http://consultas.mincomercio.gov.co/tms/

Tourist Information Locations

• José María Córdova International Airport
Location: International Arrivals Public Concourse
Contact: 350-481-9400

• Olaya Herrera Airport
Location: Baggage Claim Area
Contact: 350-481-9401

• Plaza Mayor Medellín, Conventions and Visitors Bureau
Contact: 350-481-9403

• Pueblito Paisa
Contact: 350-481-9402

→ Tourist Police

(574) 265-5907

Our tourist police force welcomes you to our city. We would like to make the following recommendations to help make your stay as comfortable and safe as possible.

•Keep a map of the city with you at all times and be aware of security conditions at every area you plan to visit.

•Make photocopies of your passport and most important documents.

•Make use of hotel safety deposit boxes to safeguard your valuables and documents.

•Memorize the address and phone number of your hotel as well as of the places you plan to visit.

•Make your travel or transportation plans through your hotel, travel agency, or someone you trust.

•Avoid using eye-catching jewelry or accessories.

•Never lose sight of your personal objects when visiting a public place.

•Exchange your money at banks or authorized currency exchange dealers.

•Carry only Colombian pesos with you and only in the amount you will need.

•Never accept food or beverage from strangers. You could fall victim to swindlers.

•Only accept warnings or requests made by police officers.