Rappelling and Abseiling in Medellin: What to Know and Where to Go 

TLDR? One of the best places to enjoy rappelling and abseiling in Medellin is with Canyoning Antioquia.

Adventure travel and extreme sports are becoming increasingly popular, and in Medellin, it’s not hard to find this type of activity. 

There are tons of places where you can try things like caving, paragliding, and even rappelling!

As an adrenaline junkie myself, the idea of rappelling down cascading waterfalls definitely caught my attention. After booking a tour, I’ve got all the details you need to go on a trip of your own. 

Check out this guide to rappelling and abseiling around Medellin!

What to Expect on a Rappelling Trip

The first thing I did was to go to Tamesis Antioquia, a town located approximately three hours from Medellin. There I found several tourist agencies offering different activities so I decided to hire one to practice rappelling. 

After walking more or less two hours through the mountains, we arrived at a wooden structure through which we would make our first descent.

First, we put on all the necessary equipment for the safety and development of this sport. That means a harness, safety hooks, a helmet, and a protective glove to avoid friction on the ziplines. 

The glove actually serves as a braking system, so you can go as fast or slow as you want.

After that, we receive some instructions from the guides and then we were off! 

The rappelling tour involved several descents. We had to hike through the forest a bit, making short descents along the way. 

Finally, we reached a huge waterfall that would be the biggest challenge: rappelling while water descends on us.

Despite it being a bit scary going down a waterfall, it wasn’t hard at all. And trust me when I say the photos came out fantastic!

Where to Try Rappelling in Medellin

Have I got you inspired yet? I don’t blame you. While my personal pick for rappelling was Canyoning Antioquia, there are a couple of places that offer the sport. 

Here’s what to know about a few of the top rappelling trips you can take from Medellin.

Aventura San Francisco

This agency is actually located in San Francisco, a town located two hours from Medellín in eastern Antioquia. 

Not only is this ideal for a weekend escape, but it’s also a great option if you’re really wanting to try some rappelling. 

Now, there are three different rappelling packages that you can pick from, each of quiche includes transportation, photos, your gear, and a professional guide. The destinations they take you to include: 

1. Las Brujas (most advanced)
2. Las Aguadas (easiest)
3. El Tagual (best for pictures)

The prices are a lot more affordable than some of the other rappel tours I’ve found and only cost me about $30 (prices subject to change). 

As part of your tour, they’ll actually pick you up in Medellin at the North Terminal of the city at Kiosk 15. From there, they’ll drive you out to your chosen falls for you to get your tour on!

Website: https://aventurasanfrancisco.co/ 

Canyoning Antioquia

Canyoning Antioquia’s office is located in Laureles, which makes it super convenient for anyone staying on La 70.  What’s cool about Canyoning Antioquia is that they actually offer full-on courses instead of just one-off tours.

The courses at this place include canyoning, rappel, and wilderness survival, so you’ve got some pretty interesting things to pick from. 

In the rappel course, however, you’ll have certified instructors who teach you how to tie and hang ropes as well as master everything from basic bouldering to vertical climes. 

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to take the theoretical exam. If you score an 80% or higher, you’ll become certified in rappelling and can start giving rappelling tours and courses of your own!

Head over to the Canyoning Antioquia office in Laureles, and become a vertical descent professional!

Website: https://www.canyoningantioquia.com/ 

Address: Calle 33A N° 70A-123, Apartamento 203, Medellín, Antioquia

Antioquia de Aventura

Antioquia de Aventura offers rappelling tours that take you out to San Francisco, San Luis, Tamesis, and San Carlos. These towns in Antioquia have waterfalls that you can go abseiling down. And, at the end of the workout, you can take a dip in the springs at the bottom. 

In Antioquia de Aventura you can hire tours to make descents on rocks or in water, also called Torrentismo or Canyoning, descending in heights from 30 to 80 meters (60 to 240 feet) depending on the mountain and the waterfall. 

This agency offers packages that include all complete equipment for rappelling. Plus, they offer guided walks and instructors to teach the techniques of the sport.

Website: http://www.antioquiadeaventura.com/ 

Papayote

Papayote is a tourism agency located in El Poblado that offers a complete rappelling tour. It’s strategically located if you are staying in the Poblado area of Medellin.

Papayote offers a complete rappelling tour that begins with a nature hike along the Cauca River canyon. The whole tour takes between eight and ten hours.

What’s more, this plan includes the orientation and guide for your tour, as well as all the necessary equipment. Better yet, it comes with a snack at the top of the mountain to descend!

You’ll also like knowing that they offer roundtrip transportation from Medellin. That makes it super easy to get to the trip and back!

Website: https://papayote.com/st_tour/rappel-y-escalada-en-tamesis/

Address: Av. El Poblado #105-17, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia

Guanabana Tours

Guanabana Tours is a group that offers two rappelling or canyoning experiences in Medellin, both just one hour and a half away by car.

On one of them, you’ll actually get to travel in a railway car through an abandoned 4-kilometer long (about eight miles) tunnel. That’s two adventures in one!

After getting your equipment and instructions for the activity, the guide will take you hiking up to the waterfall, where you’ll get to rappel 80 meters down a waterfall.

This tour includes:

• Transportation with bilingual drivers: English and Spanish
• Bilingual guides: English and Spanish
• GoPro and drone photos and videos
• Colombian lunch
• Hydration
• Risk insurance

Find the main office of Guanabana in El Poblado and book a tour that ends in an extreme drop down a waterfall in the mountains of Antioquia.

Website: https://www.guanabanatours.com/canyoning-medellin/ 

Address: Cra. 34 #8A-49, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia

Practice Rappelling in The Towns of Medellin

There are tons of amazing rappelling and abseiling destinations scattered around the countryside of Medellin. Plan your next trip or join a club and get ready to step into a new type of adventure!

If you like this blog, you might like the Casacol Instagram page to keep up with all the new articles. Anything we need to update or correct? Care to contribute? Email us at blog@casacol.co.