One of the best tours in Medellin is the Comuna 13 graffiti tour. Yes, you can take the metro and wander around, but you shouldn’t—pay the extra and do the Comuna 13 tour. I’m sharing my experience on the Comuna 13 walking tour and highlighting why you should tour Comuna 13 Medellin.
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Why Take the Comuna 13 Medellin Tour?
If you don’t take the tour, you won’t learn anything about Comuna 13.
There are other reasons, but this is the main one since what happened there is horrific. I still find it hard to wrap my head around how this incredible place was a war zone for so long. I was blown away by the story of Comuna 13 rising from utter destruction and devastation to become a beacon of hope and a place where art has created social change.
If you go on your own Comuna 13 graffiti tour, you will enjoy looking at the art and outdoor escalators. However, you probably won’t be moved to tears talking about it with a stranger on a bus months later.
The local government has worked to improve access for the city’s poorest residents. On the Comuna 13 Medellin tour, you will see some of these features. For instance, escalators climbing 1,260 feet were installed to help improve access for residents who struggle to climb up and down steep steps.
Need Transportation in Colombia?
I highly recommend booking Colombia transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and flights on their website—I love their customer service. I know them personally from my time living in Guatemala, and they genuinely care for their customers. If a delay occurs and you miss your bus, call them for help.
If you book through GottoGo, you will pay more than at the bus station, but it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Colombia.
What You’ll Learn When You Tour Comuna 13 Medellin
I don’t want to spoil the Comuna 13 tour—the story is best told by those who lived through it. However, here is a brief outline for those interested.
Comuna 13 is a former war zone home to 12,000 residents who, for a long time, were unable to leave their homes for fear of the violence awaiting them beyond the “safety” of their front doors. Although, many times, they weren’t safe in their own homes, either.
The area was once controlled by Pablo Escobar’s cartel, who protected the residents from violence. Comuna 13 had the lowest homicide rate in Medellin at one point. However, in the wake of Pablo’s death, this tactically positioned barrio went up for grabs, and gangs took over, fighting for control.
At one point, it was controlled by FARC—after Operation Orion, it fell under the control of the paramilitary. You will learn all about this in shocking detail on the Comuna 13 walking tour, including how the locals took to the streets waving white flags after a 4-day military siege.
Comuna 13’s Transformation
Comuna 13, known as San Javier because of its location, was cut off from the city center. Young people grew up and joined gangs until Alejandro Echeverri dreamed up an innovative plan to improve public transport and reconnect San Javier with central Medellin.
To quote him:
“We just had our ideas – get public transport into the poorest areas; open the spaces, build the schools and centers of learning, create jobs – and people listened. Most people’s map in a Latin American city covers only 20% of that city. We needed to connect these barrios to each other, and to the rest of Medellín.”
Alejandro Echeverri
The timing was perfect, as the paramilitary and other groups were decommissioning due to a government agreement. However, they initially had to deal with the gangs that still controlled the barrio. When these changes started to happen, it transformed the entire community’s lives.
As someone with a background in Arts for Social change, I have always known that access to culture, open spaces, and affordable public transport can change lives. Take the Comuna 13 tour, listen to the stories, learn, and be inspired.
What Happens on the Comuna 13 Walking Tour?
I won’t go into much detail because you must do this tour yourself!
If you want a general idea of what to expect, watch my video of the tour below.
As you tour Comuna 13 Medellin, you will see incredible graffiti and walk around the barrio, taking as many photos as you like.
I also watched some incredible dancers during our Comuna 13 graffiti tour.
At the bottom of the escalators is a shop selling ice lollies. Get the award-winning mango on—it’s like a party in your mouth!
The Comuna 13 walking tour ends at the Casa Kolacho building with a community workshop. Some people got a dance lesson while we practiced graffiti tags.
Quick Tip: View my full Colombia packing guide here including a downloadable checklist. And check out my Colombia Essentials shopping list here.
Toucan Cafe & Tours
The other big reason to take a Comuna 13 Medellin tour is to support local business owners. I took a Comuna 13 tour with Toucan Cafe & Tours. I’m always careful to only work with and promote companies that align with my ethics. The local guide that Toucan Cafe & Tours uses for its tour is a resident and Comuna 13 community leader.
The organization he works for, Casa Kolacho, is a local hip-hop community group—which, thanks to the support of Toucan, opened a dance community center. In the center, they offer local young people classes in dance, graffiti, rap, and anything else in the hip-hop genre. The tour ends there, so you can see where Toucan’s $25K (USD) investment has gone.
On all the tours I took with Toucan Cafe & Tours, I saw exactly where my money was going and spoke to people these tours support. I feel it’s essential to be a responsible traveler and use ethical tour companies.
There are many other Comuna 13 tour options. However, ensure you are with a local guide to get the best experience and support the community. I’ve heard good things about the Zippy Tour Comuna 13 experience. If you do free walking tours around the city, don’t forget to tip your guide! This is their only income from the tours, so be generous!
Side Note: if you have not tired of walking tours, I highly recommend the Real City Tours Free Walking Tour, which familiarizes you with downtown Medellin. This is one of the best tours in Medellin and gave us a wider understanding of the city. We received many excellent recommendations from our guide, Milo.
Wondering where to stay in Medellin? I recommend staying in either El Poblado or Laureles, and here are a few of my favorite places to stay:
Parceros Med Hostel (I stayed here for a month and loved it!)
Los Patios Hostel Boutique
Purple Monkey Hostel
El Jardín de la 10 – El Poblado
You can also read my full Where to Stay in Medellin Guide here.
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
Medellin Travel Guide Planning
🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Medellin?
Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Medellin which you can read here and you can also check out my packing list for Medellin on Amazon here.
🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Medellin?
I strongly recommend using GottoGo. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.
🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Medellin?
I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!
👩⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?
I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.
I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here
✈️ Any flight recommendations?
WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.
📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?
I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.
With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.
🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?
The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.
🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?
I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack.
Comuna 13 Tour: Final Thoughts
A Comuna 13 walking tour is one of the best tours in Medellin to learn about the local history. While Comuna 13 has a tumultuous past, seeing how far this community has come in recent years is incredible. A Comuna 13 graffiti tour is the perfect way to appreciate the area better and support the local economy.
This post was proofread by Grammarly.
