One of the most appealing factors of Colombia’s second largest city Medellin is its accessibility to public transportation, and the metro system is its star player.
Not only does the modern mass transportation of the metro rail make it incredibly easy to get around such a large city, for hardly any cost (approximately $1 per ride), but the individual stations also leave travelers at tourist destinations and a multitude of activities from the moment they get off the train.
You can literally walk off the metro and find yourself in the midst of some of the greatest Paisa (Medellin citizen) culture.
Colombia Reports’ top five metro station picks are:
1. Universidad
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The Universidad (University) stop perhaps offers the most options for those who want to be entertained immediately after departing the station with access to the city’s botanic gardens which are free of charge, the planetarium, the interactive science museum Parque Explora (Explorer Park), the University of Antioquia, the pleasant open space of Parque de los Deseos (Park of Desires) which often plays free movies, among a plethora of street stands with food and artisan items.
2. Parque Berrio
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The Berrio Park station presents travelers with some of the most well known Medellin imagery. Statues made by the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero are scattered throughout the park along side the eye-capturing checkered building of the city’s cultural center.
3. Estadio
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For a more active stop, visit the Stadium station. After walking down the steps of the metro stop into an open plaza with a more calm atmosphere than the city’s center, visitors can head to one of Medellin’s large stadiums with free activities including running tracks, swimming pools, and skate parks. Estadio also offers close access to Calle 70, a street with some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.
4. San Antonio
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Right smack in the center of the city, San Antonio is the transfer stop between the metro’s two main lines. For shoppers, it is a haven of discounted knockoffs in every direction. This lively stop leads visitors along different street malls full of food and almost any item imaginable from fancy wedding dresses to blow-up pool toys. One of the street malls also connects to the Parque Berrio stop so that travelers walking between the two can get their fair share of shopping as well as culture.
5. Niquia
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Sometimes the city life of Medellin can be a bit overwhelming. Head to Niquia for a more calm, or “tranquila,” stop. In the most northern stop of the mass transport system, there will be much less people roaming about and more open space for visitors to sit, breathe, and relax a bit. There are several sports arenas and open areas for people to enjoy soccer, rollerblading, biking and more. Niquia also has several playgrounds and skate parks, making it a perfect station for travelers to get off and simply hang out.
There are two main metro lines (A and B) in Medellin’s mass transportation system with a total of 26 stops (current as of September 2012). Several stops provide access to transfer lines with bus terminals and cable carts leading travelers further up into the hills that surround the city.