TLDR? There are tons of great malls around the city, but El Tesoro is the best mall in Medellin.
There’s nothing like some good, old-fashioned retail therapy for making you feel better. And, with the plethora of malls scattered around Medellin, you’ll definitely find some shopping opportunities.
Whether you’ve had a hard day on the digital nomad grind or are just ready to refresh your wardrobe, the shopping around Medellin can’t be beat.
Don’t believe me? Check out these malls and you’ll quickly see what I mean.
In fact, this mall is a bit more like a park than it is a shopping center!
El Tesoro is home to more than 400 shops as well as a mini rollercoaster and a couple of other amusement park rides. The rides are really for kids, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t tried them myself!
The shops you’ll find in El Tesoro cover pretty much anything you could need, including:
Men’s and women’s clothing stores
Kids’ and teen clothing shops
Footwear
Sporting goods
Furniture
Stationary
Jewelry
Lingerie
Home decor
Opticians
Travel agencies
You’ll also find a food court that’s full of great eats. And, if you need to get some coworking done? There’s actually a space called Nómadas right there in the mall where you can connect to wi-fi and drink some coffee.
Another perk of this mall is that it has tons of American stores. I felt transported straight back to my hometown’s mall when I walked in and found all my favorite brands, such as:
American Eagle
H&M
Starbucks
Converse
Levi’s
Nike
The mall is situated a little way out of town, up in the hills of El Poblado rather than in the bustling Parque Lleras area. Still, don’t let that put you off. It’s a great day to get in some much-needed retail therapy!
Santafe is a close runner up to El Poblado. It’s a huge shopping mall that boasts nearly 100 more shops than El Tesoro does!
Like most malls in Medellin, it’s an open-air mall. However, the roof actually can be pulled back or rolled over to adjust for the weather. That makes it the perfect place to hang out on one of Medellin’s rainier days!
The mall features Cine Colombia, which is arguably the best movie theater chain in Medellin. Plus, there are tons of stores such as:
Grocery stores
Banks
Fashion stores
Shoe shops
Home decor
Furniture stores
Pharmacies
Mattress stores
Opticians
Where this mall really shines is in its food court. There are more than 60 different restaurants in the food court where you can sit down to some great grub.
Like El Tesoro, you’ll find a number of American shops in this mall, including:
Forever 21
Nike
Victoria’s Secret
American Eagle
Converse
Dunkin’ Donuts
Many tourists and digital nomads in Medellin really enjoy Santafe. That’s because it’s centrally located and is pretty handy to the metro. If you’re planning to get around Medellin by public transport, this is a good mall to check out.
Oviedo is an older, smaller mall in the El Poblado area. The mall has just over 300 shops. That’s a little less than Santafe and El Tesoro, but don’t let that put you off!
Just like Santafe, this mall is home to a Cine Colombia location. It’s pretty convenient if you’re wanting to catch a movie from time to time.
They offer movies in Spanish, but also show English movies with Spanish subtitles. That’s great if you’re wanting to watch a new flick and learn Spanish at the same time!
In terms of shops, there are plenty of stores for you to check out. You’ll find:
Footwear
Fashion
Home decor
Furniture
Sporting goods
Jewelry
Kids’ and teens’ clothes
Banks
Travel agencies
Lingerie
Restaurants
This is definitely a place I like to sneak off to if I’m in the mood for some guilty pleasure. They’ve got 40 different fast food restaurants, one of which is McDonald’s. That’ll transport you straight back home.
Oviedo is pretty close to the Aguacatala metro station, just like the Santafe mall is. In fact, you can actually walk from this mall to Santafe if you’re wanting to keep checking out new shops!
In terms of American brands, things are a bit limited at this mall. You’ll mostly find restaurants like Subway and McDonald’s as opposed to shoe and clothing shops.
Enter Monterrey Mall, a giant mall selling technology products! The Monterrey mall features more than 300 stores all offering gadgets and gizmos such as:
Computer parts (my saving grace)
Computers
Cell phones
Cameras
Video game devices
Printers
Tablets
Scanners
If you need to wind down after picking up some new tech, you can head over to the mall’s movie theater or work out your frustration at the gym.
There’s also a bowling alley, which is a pretty fun place to hang out on an afternoon.
Still, the absolute best thing about this mall is its location. It’s located just 15-minutes from Parque Lleras.
Okay, I’ve talked about quite a few Poblado malls. But what about those in the Laureles part of town?
Fear not! There are malls for you too.
One such mall is Viva Laureles. Even though this is on the smaller side, it’s still got 90 different stores for you to check out.
In fact, that can actually be a bit of a relief for those who find the screeds of shops in El Tesoro a bit much to take in.
The mall has a smaller food court with just 15 different fast-food restaurants. In terms of stores, you’ll find mostly clothing shops.
It’s not the most convenient mall in the city since it’s not close to any metros. Still, it can be a fun place to hang out if you’re bored in Laureles at any point.
It’s not just Viva Laureles that you’ll find in the Laureles sector of town. You can also check out Unicentro.
Unicentro has a big Exito in it, which is really why I love it. Even if it’s a bit pricier than some other malls, Exito is by far my favorite shopping center (think Walmart vibes).
Aside from the big shopping center, you’ll also find a movie theater and a kids’ play place. Or, for those who want to get some exercise, you can head over to Smart Fit gym.
In terms of the shopping, there are plenty of stores for you to check out. A few of the shops you can find in the mall include:
Jewelry
Footwear
Banks
Kids’ and adults’ clothes
Travel agencies
Opticians
Stationary
Furniture
The little ones can have fun playing in the play place in the mall, while you’ll have plenty of stores to shop til you drop.
Oh, and don’t let me forget. Unicentro is just a ten-minute walk from the Fatima metro station, so it’s easy to reach by public transport.
Even though Envigado is a bit farther away from the Poblado thoroughfare, it’s a fantastic mall. In fact, this is one of the newer malls in the whole city.
You can get to the mall by taking the metro. Just like Santafe and Oviedo, this mall is a 15-minute walk from the Aguacatala station.
Still, I wouldn’t recommend getting off there. If you get off at the Envigado metro station, you’ll only have to walk for about five minutes to reach the mall. That’s much more worthwhile!
The mall features tons of restaurants as well as every kind of shop you can imagine, including:
Grocery stores
Furniture
Home improvements
Fashion shops
Sporting goods
Footwear
Eyewear
Children’s stores
Jewelry
ATMs
Apart from the stores and restaurants, you’ll also find a movie theater. This theater happens to be home to an IMAX screen so you can get a surround-sound experience!
Plus, let’s not forget the kids’ outdoor area. There you’ll find a Ferris wheel and small rides that the little ones can play on.
There are some truly epic malls scattered around Medellin. Whether you shop til you drop at Viva Envigado or you grab some American grub at El Tesoro, you’re bound to find a place you love.
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