Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 533

But when cocaine kingpin Pablo
Escobar was snuffed out in 1993,
Medellín began to bury its sordid past,
though the notorious Mr Escobar
remains an infamous attraction (see
p.538). These days, the increasing
number of travellers who come here find
an inviting, modern city with one of
the country's best climates - year-round
temperatures average 24°C.

Catedral Metropolitana
The fortress-like cathedral (between Cra
48 & 49), four blocks from Basílica de la
Candelaria, along a pedestrian walkway,
at Plaza Bolívar , was constructed between
1875 and 1931 and claims to be the
largest church in the world built entirely
of bricks - 1.2 million, if you're counting.
A large handicraft fair is held on the first
Saturday of every month in the plaza.

5

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Pleasant green spaces, interesting
museums, a bustling centre and thriving
commercial areas make Medellín an
exciting place to explore, while top-notch
restaurants, vibrant bars and a pumping
club scene provide non-stop fun until
the early hours. The reliable metro makes
it easy to get around. El Poblado , an
upmarket area in the southeastern part of
Medellín, has the highest concentration
of lodgings, restaurants and nightlife.

Parque San Antonio
If your appetite for Botero isn't sated,
check out his Pájaro de Paz (Bird of
Peace) sculpture at Parque San Antonio ,
on Carrera 46 between calles 44 and 46.
When a guerrilla bomb destroyed the
bronze sculpture in 1996, Botero ordered
the skeleton to be left in its shattered
state and a replica of the original was
placed alongside it as an eloquent protest
against violence.

Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
Housed in an attractively restored
industrial warehouse in the Ciudad del
Río neighbourhood, the Museo de Arte
Moderno de Medellín (Cra 44 No.
19A-100; Tues-Fri 9am-5.30pm,
Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm;
COP$7000; W www.elmamm.org; metro
Poblado) features an impressive selection
of contemporary art by international
and national artists, including prolific
Medellín painter Débora Arango.

Museo de Antioquia
Medellín is the birthplace of sculptor and
painter Fernando Botero , known for his
satirical representation of all things fat
- oranges, priests, even a chubby Mona
Lisa who appears to have eaten all the
pies. Although Medellín residents felt
miffed by Botero's donation of his
extensive European art collection to
the Museo Botero in Bogotá (see p.497),
the highlight of the Museo de Antioquia
(Cra 52 No. 52-43; Mon-Sat
10am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4.30pm;
COP$10,000) is the largest collection of
his works, including painting, sculpture
and sketches. Another twenty Botero
sculptures are on display outside the
museum in the busy Plaza Botero ,
including a rotund Roman legionary.

Pueblito Paisa
The geographical limitations of so many
people living in a narrow valley have
forced residents to live in overcrowded
conditions, with many homes running up
45-degree slopes. Within the city centre
itself there's a huge shortage of open
recreational spaces. An exception is
Pueblito Paisa at C 30A No. 55-64
(daily 6am-midnight; free), a replica of
a typical Antioquian village that's situated
atop Cerro Nutibara, a hilly outcrop
downtown that offers fabulous panoramic
views of the city. At the bottom of the
hill is the Parque de las Esculturas , a
sculpture park where the imagination of
South American artists takes on abstract
form. The closest metro station is

Basílica Nuestra Señora de la
Candelaria
A few churches from the late colonial
era survive. The most important is the
Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
(Cra 50, at C51 Boyacá), whose Baroque
interior dates from 1776. Its most
impressive feature is a German pipe organ
that made its way here on the backs of
long-suffering horses.