Medellin’s Villa Hermosa Park paints a charming picture of what the city’s many neighborhood parks are like, especially on a Sunday afternoon.
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The first impression of Villa Hermosa park on the weekend is busy and chaotic, yet friendly and relaxed. The park is vibrant and brimming with families enjoying the colorful park on their time away from work and everyday stress in the Villa Hermosa neighborhood.
Parque Villa Hermosa hosts the standard Colombian food stands that are stationed in most parks. Vendors sell the ubiquitous Colombian snack staples such as kettlecorn, meat filled empanadas, arepas and coffee.
The setting is obviously kid-friendly during the day on weekends, with children playing on various jungle gyms, engaged in horse back rides around the park’s perimeter and loading up on sweets and other treats.
The Sacred Family Catholic church towers over the park square, with couples casually hanging out on benches. Groups of archetypal older men quietly playing cards on concrete tables balance out the horde of children that occupy the park during the day.
The park also boasts a variety of greenery and trees for visitors to enjoy on a number of park benches, probably more serenly during a weekday than weekend.
It is important to note that despite Parque Villa Hermosa’s welcoming and friendly vibe during the day, it is located in the center of the Comuna 8 neighborhood. Unfortunately, the area has witnessed a recent increase in gang violence. Although most of the crime and violence that occurs in the Comuna is further up the mountain outside the park area, visitors should be wary of visiting the park at night.