Medellin Enjoys Glorious Revival

There was a time not so long ago when Medellin in Colombia would not have made anyone’s family travel hot list. That was then.

This vibrant city experienced a booming renaissance in recent years, thanks in part to the spirit of young artists and designers whose works inject creativity and beauty into its neighborhoods.

Next year True Colombia Travel will give visitors a firsthand look at the city’s transformation into a hub of art and design and the new generation of artists behind it with its True Graffiti experience. True Colombia Travel, a locally led tour company, collaborates with community art collectives to promote the art of Medellin’s youth to international visitors. The custom-made True Graffiti experience, for example, explores the art and design scene in Medellin’s barrios, or neighborhoods, and is curated and led by Klan Ghetto Popular, a locally run youth collective that offers free classes in graffiti, breakdance and poetry to at-risk youth.

Grafitti in Medellin. Photo: Marcia Lima | Dreamstime.com

The graffiti excursion takes travelers through the streets of Comunas 1 and 3, neighborhoods rarely visited by tourists — with KGP’s artists as guides. The tour spotlights the neighborhood’s graffiti and murals, and the guides share their own stories of growing up in Medellín amid its changing social fabric — and how art plays a pivotal role in redefining the city and their futures.

Guests enjoy a traditional lunch with a local family in the sectors of Santo Domingo and Popular 1, and dive deeper into the spirit of KGP with a stenciling lesson and a private break-dancing and hip-hop show.

True Colombia Travel specializes in offering fully customized cultural, culinary and environmental tours throughout the rural and urban regions of Colombia. Owned and operated by locals passionate about their community, the company’s team is made up of bilingual artists, nature lovers and world travelers committed to sharing Colombia’s secrets with visitors in a respectful and responsible way.

Welcoming families, groups, solo travelers and adventurers of all ages, True Colombia Travel creates personalized itineraries designed to showcase the people, heritage, culture and natural treasures that make Colombia an exciting and promising destination.

The company’s cultural tours are available in all corners of Colombia, from the jungles of Puerto Berrio and the streets of Santa Fe de Antioquia to the caves of Puerto Triunfo and the wild Pacific Coast.