LIFE IN MEDELLÍN
TRANSPORTATION, SPORTS AND HEALTH
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF THE ETERNAL SPRING (LA ETERNA PRIMAVERA)
Medellín is the capital of Antioquia and the second most populated city in the country. It is a mountainous city full of warmth not only in the atmosphere but also in all its inhabitants. It is a green city that loves its fauna and flora, both innovative and commercial. Here sports are encouraged and a wide range of entertainment is offered to all inhabitants and visitors.
The paisa capital seduces and captivates for its diversity, and for offering the possibility to escape from the everyday life and visit wonderful places like viewpoints, parks, museums and much more in just one step to find quality of life.
A place you will definitely love. Don’t let others tell you about it, come and experience it for yourself.
Medellín, the ideal place for you!
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIVING IN THE CITY
TRANSPORTATION
The
Integrated Transportation System of Medellínis composed of different means of transportation available for you to move around the city such as the Metro, Metro cable, Metroplús, Tranvía and buses that circulate around the city from north to south and from east to west.
To access the system you must acquire your Cívica Card which can be requested at the Customer Service Points – called PAC in Spanish located at the Niquía, San Antonio, Itagüí and San Javier Metro stations. For further information you can also contact the Student Welfare office or the International Relations Office of your host institution.
This card can be recharged at the system’s stations, at some authorized external points that you can find here ,
or in the Bancolombia app, the Nequi app or the Cívica app.
The cost of Metro tickets varies depending on the type of integration you make between transportation systems and range from $2,580 COP to $4,565 COP except for the metro cable to Parque Arví whose general fare is $11,150 COP.
It is worth noting that the buses not integrated to the system still operate through cash payment, so it is always advisable to have some cash with you. The cost of the ticket is $ 2,550 COP.
If you prefer taking a taxi, we recommend the most recognized companies in the city listed below. Try to order it by phone instead of taking it on the street:
- Coopebombas
- Tax individual
- Flota Bernal
- Tax Andaluz
Payment is in cash and the minimum fare is $6,000 COP.
There are also independent transportation platforms such as Uber, DiDi, InDriver, Beat, and Cabify, among others, but we remind you that these are not accredited in Colombia, so if you choose to use their service, it will be under your own responsibility as it has no government security controls.
Finally, the city also has the public bicycle system EnCicla which is a proposal to promote sustainable mobility in the city.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS
Medellín is a favorable destination for different sports disciplines. The paisa capital has a wonderful infrastructure with hundreds of public sports venues throughout the city available for you and aiming at promoting sports, recreation and physical activity.
Between neighborhood scenarios, sports units and the Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex, the city offers you different spaces such as courts and tracks for different disciplines, outdoor gyms, swimming pools, aquatic complex, ludotekas, skate park, velodrome, skating rink, and baseball and softball diamond, among others. Many of them include complementary areas such as bleachers, offices, bathrooms, dressing rooms, green areas and trails.
It is important to mention that these spaces are administered by the Instituto de Deportes y Recreación – INDER, so to access them it is important that you learn about the schedules and conditions of use. You can do that by visiting their website. There you will also find all the programs that may be of interest to you.
Another of the most representative activities of the city is the Ciclovía, which consists of the habilitation of roads and public spaces in the city for physical activities, such as cycling, skating, walking, or jogging. This initiative increases the number of places and times for physical activity. For information on schedules and routes, go to the following link.
Finally, do not forget to check the range of sports of the University Welfare of your institution, since many of them have their own spaces for physical activities or otherwise have agreements with gyms or other spaces.
HEALTH CARE
As previously mentioned, one of the most important things when visiting a country for a considerable period of time is to make sure you have access to health services, so the most logical thing to do is to purchase a comprehensive international health insurance.
Responsibility does not end there, because in this matter there are several important issues to consider, for example, getting some information about the functioning of the health system of the country you are visiting, and also taking some preventive measures in order to ensure good care in case you need it.
As a first step, we recommend you to be very well informed about the functioning of your policy. Whether your insurance works on a reimbursement basis, or you have to pay a voucher in order to receive care, it is essential that you save a significant amount for this purpose in your budget.
Be sure to inform the educational institution you visit and people you trust about any medical conditions, allergies or illnesses that require permanent medicines or special attention, and share your insurance contact information with them so they know where to contact you in case of an emergency.
Identify the clinics and hospitals closest to the places you frequent such as your home and university so you know where to turn in case of an emergency.
See a directory of emergency contacts below.
In the case of academic visits, some HEI offer additional medical insurance providers for additional protection.
Finally, we recommend to check with the University Welfare Section of your institution as some campuses have some complementary services.
MDE NEWS
SAPIENCIA - Alcaldía de Medellín
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