I love the Medellin Metro.  I live near the Floresta station, and in just a short ride I can reach most of the major neighborhoods in Medellin.  The metro in Medellin runs from North to South on line A, and from Centre to West on line B.

The metro was built in 1995 by a Spanish company working in conjunction with the state of Antioquia.  While this urban train was built a while back the trains are all very clean, and some are very new.  Paisas are very proud of their metro and keep it very clean, and graffiti free.

I’ve traveled by metro and metro cable to all of the stops.  From La Estrella to Niquia, to Parque Arvi to San Javier.  My favorite stop on the metro system is Parque Berrio.  There’s always crowds gathered in the square, playing music, talking, getting their shoes shined, drinking coffee or aguardiente.  Next to the Prado station, Parque Berrio is one of the most dangerous stops on the Medellin Metro.  I don’t recommend hanging out at the town square past sun down, though I’ve seen people mugged,  or pick-pocketed in plain daylight.

Traveling by metro is a great way to discover the whole city.  It is also a great way to understand the Paisa culture.  If you are a foreigner you can really see what the Paisas wear.  For example most men wear pants all of the time.  It’s very rare to find someone wearing shorts, even on very hot days.  Sandals or flip-flops on men are a fashion faux pas.  I have seen many a gringo on the metro being stared at because they were wearing beach clothes.  Medellin is not on the beach, and is considered a fashion capital in Colombia, dress accordingly.  You can really tell that women in Medellin go to great lengths to look good.  It’s very unusual to see a young woman without makeup, a nice hairdo and fashionable clothes.  Vanity is considered a virtue in Medellin.  Many foreign girl friends here in Medellin have mentioned how intimidating it is to go out in Medellin due to the fact that all of the girls are always looking very good, all of the time.

One of my favorite things about the metro is the lady whose voice you hear over the speakers before every stop.  Her voice sounds very nice and her accent is sexy!

Here’s some information I found line about the Medellin Metro:

The Medellín Metro (Spanish: Metro de Medellín) is an urban train that crosses the Metropolitan Area of Medellín from North to South and from Centre to West. As one of the first experiences of modern mass transportation in Colombia and the only metro system in the country, the Medellín Metro is a product of the urban planning of the Antioquia Department.

The city of Medellín and its urban complex (ten cities in the Aburrá Valley), had a relatively recent industrial development that started in the 1930s. The streetcar (tranvía) at the beginning of the 20th Century can be considered as predecessor of the 21st century Medellín Metro. The company known in Spanish as Empresa de Transporte Masivo del Valle de Aburrá – Metro de Medellín Ltda was created on May 31, 1979.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medell%C3%ADn_Metro

Most Innovative City in the World

View from Cisneros Metro Station

View from Cisneros Metro Station

Cisneros Metro Station

Cisneros Metro Station

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San Antonio Line B

San Antonio Line B

Inside the Medellin Metro

Inside the Medellin Metro

About the Medellin Buzz

The Medellin Buzz is lighthearted news and current event source for English as a Second Language learners in Medellin, Colombia.  The Medellin Buzz is written in a way that is easy to understand.