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TLDR? Some of the best activities for kids in Medellin involve hanging out at local shopping centers or swinging by interactive museums like Parque Explora!
Traveling with little ones is far from easy. You’ve got to worry about logistics, planning, and keeping them entertained while abroad!
The good news is that Medellin is packed with activities for kids if you’re visiting with the family.
Check out this guide to some of the best family-friendly activities to try in the City of Eternal Spring!
Traveling to Medellin with kids involves a couple of logistics to work out.
Let’s go over some of these things to make planning your trip even easier.
When it comes to buying flights to Medellin, there are a few things to know about kids.
For one thing, kids under two years of age will generally be able to fly for free. That’s because they won’t get a seat but will get to sit on your lap during the flight.
Another thing to remember is that there are sometimes taxes for children under 12 years old. There are also occasional fees if minors are traveling unaccompanied on a flight.
Besides the tickets, it’s important to note that just because you’re traveling with kids doesn’t mean that you won’t need to get them a visa.
Just like adults, little ones need may need visas to visit Medellin. In general, these are the requirements to apply for a visa for minors in Colombia:
On top of that, minors will need:
Remember that the Cancilleria in Colombia is responsible for the visa procedure. Additionally, you should know that if you already have a Colombian visa, you can apply for a visa as a beneficiary for your child.
Another thing to think about when traveling with little ones is where you’ll stay.
Luckily, there are a couple of family-friendly hotels in Medellin.
One of these is Landmark, a luxurious building with 83 rooms and bilingual staff. The hotel has baby kits and pet kits available if you need them.
Additionally, the hotel is located in the Manila neighborhood in El Poblado, a few blocks from the police station. It’s a super-safe area, so you don’t have to worry about wandering around at dark.
A couple of other perks of this particular hotel include:
Another good hotel is Loma Verde. This is just 20 minutes from Parque Lleras and is more of an apartment building than a hotel.
There’s also a nice green space outdoors where your little ones can run around. Plus, the bilingual staff is more than happy to help out with childcare if you need it.
As in any city in the world, you should pay attention to children, especially in crowded places. Kids have a habit of running off when you least expect it!
On the other hand, Medellin is quite a safe city. And most public areas have good police presence and local security guards.
In terms of getting around, kids can ride public transportation. You’ll often see them doing so, sometimes on their own with groups of friends!
Now that we’ve got the logistics out of the way, it’s time for us to get into the fun stuff.
There are literally tons of things to do in Medellin. However, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of kid-friendly activities the whole family can enjoy.
Let’s take a look!
One of the best things you can do with kids is getting outdoors. Not only is it fun for the whole family, but the little ones can burn off some energy!
Parque Arvi is one place in particular that’s great for little ones. You can get there via the metro cable, making it easily accessible.
Once you’re there, enjoy nature walks with the littles ones. Or, swing by Comfama park and let the kids climb around on the ropes courses!
Botanical gardens aren’t usually your first pick as a play place for the kids. But, this is a nice educational spot to take little ones.
With more than a thousand species of plants and flowers, the Botanical Garden is a free space where you can learn a little more about nature.
On top of that, these gardens have a butterfly house. Let the little ones walk through the garden and experience butterflies landing on their arms and noses. It’s sure to be a hit!
Located in El Poblado, this park is a space to spend a good afternoon among the green areas. There are pop-up games for kids that they can enjoy while hanging out here.
Parque lineal Ciudad del Río is also a free activity. So, if you’re looking to save a bit of money, this might not be a bad place for the kids to hang out for a while!
Zoos are always a good idea to distract children. In Colombia, they can meet species different from those of their country of origin and enjoy them closely in a safe way.
The zoo in Medellin, in particular, is a nice place to take kids. This zoo, called the Parque de Conservación, has a number of different types of animals.
There are also regular programs for kids and teenagers. With these programs, your kids can learn a bit more about the animals they’re observing.
Of course, they’ll need to speak a bit of Spanish to enjoy the tours. So, you can always just stroll through the parks on your own time if you prefer!
The shopping centers in Medellín are another of its most striking places because you can find different things to do in one place.
A couple of my favorites include:
El Tesoro is the place I’d personally recommend. The mall’s indoor park is huge, and has tons of distractions for kids.
I’ve personally gone with friends of mine and their kids. While the little ones run around, you can grab a coffee or a bite to eat at one of the nearby food kiosks. Definitely worth it!
If you like museums, you’ve got to take the kids out to Parque Explora. This place is actually great for the whole family, as there are tons of different attractions.
The idea behind this museum is sort of a mix between a science center and an aquarium. Walk through the exhibits and learn about the history of our planet in a hands on way.
Then, head over to the aquarium to check out some pretty impressive fish. I’m pretty sure both you and the kids will enjoy the day!
If you need to get the kids out of the hotel for a day, a trip to the local waterpark might be the right move. There’s one located right in the center of Medellin!
Medellin’s waterpark is called Aeroparque Juan Pablo II and is definitely a place for the kiddies. Although there are adult pools, you’ll mostly find little ones making use of the splash zone and waterslides.
There’s also the occasional local event hosted in the area. So, be sure to check out what’s going on so that you don’t miss anything!
Another waterpark that you can head to with the kids is Hacienda Napoles. This is arguably the best waterpark in all of Antioquia!
Hacienda Napoles combines a zoo with regular water attractions like slides and pools. There’s also a safari you can go on, which takes you around to see all the different animals in the park.
There are other activities, too, such as ziplines. Just note that you’ll need to pay extra for these activities.
Still, even if you go for the most expensive tickets, they’re not expensive. As of 2022, the cost was around $30 USD per ticket (Subject to change).
If your children are soccer fans, Medellín has a great stadium. If you’re lucky and visit the city during the scheduling of a match, you can take advantage of an additional experience with Colombian football!
In addition to this, the parks in Medellín have green areas where you can carry a ball and set up your own family game.
Just make sure that you don’t get in the way of groups already using the cancha. Sometimes pick-up games get going, and these can get a bit too intense for youngsters!
Shopping malls are your best option for going to the movies. Most malls have either Cine Colombia, Cinemark, or Royal Films in them.
Don’t forget the popcorn! Pick up kids’ sizes complete with a soda, or just grab a large one to share with the family.
The best part about catching a movie is that you don’t have to worry about the language. Cinemas in Colombia run both subbed and dubbed movies, so you can pick one of the subtitled movies to watch it in English.
You can enjoy Medellín solo or with friends. But, experiencing it with the family is something you won’t soon forget.
Now you are ready to enjoy activities for kids in Medellín, whether it’s outdoor activities or strolling the halls of museums you go for!
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