Viewpoints and Rooftops with a View
Viewpoints, rooftops, and terraces to see Medellín from above.
- 17 places
- 10 zones
- 6 categories
- average
Top ratedCerro de las Tres Cruces MedellínBelén / AltavistaCerro de las Tres Cruces is Medellín's default walk: a short but demanding climb in the south-west of the city, inside the Altavista district.
Top ratedParque Natural Cerro El VoladorRobledo / San GermánCerro El Volador is the largest metropolitan regional nature park inside Medellín's urban area: 103 hectares rising to 1,628 metres in the centre-west of the city, in Comuna 7.
Pueblito PaisaNutibaraPueblito Paisa crowns Cerro Nutibara with a replica of an Antioquian village square: church, town hall, school and balconied houses around a fountain. It is not a new set — it was built with elements and materials from the old town of El Peñol, which went under when the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir filled — and that provenance is what gives the ensemble its meaning.
Mirador de San FelixBelloSan Félix is Bello's high district, about forty minutes by car from Medellín, and its viewpoint is one of the best panoramas in the metropolitan area: from there the Aburrá valley reads whole, with the city spread out below.- Top ratedAmbar VioletazulNorte del ValleViewpoint restaurant in Pueblo Viejo with panoramic views over the Aburrá Valley, evening bonfires and signature cuisine; one of the highest-rated places in the area.
- Santuario De La CruzNorte del ValleThe Santuario de la Cruz crowns a hill in the El Cabuyal hamlet, in Copacabana, with a metal structure some twenty-five metres tall that is visible from the valley.
- Top ratedAlto de La CruzCaldasAlto de la Cruz is Caldas' short climb: about thirty minutes on foot from the main square, on a moderate path with steep stretches that tops out at 2,168 metres.
- Top ratedMirador comuna 13Las Independencias, San JavierThe Comuna 13 viewpoint sits at the top of the Las Independencias hillside, where the escalator climb ends. From there the western side of the Aburrá valley opens out below, with the neighbourhood's rooftops in the foreground.
- Os MiradorAsomadera / LoretoOs Mirador sits in the upper Las Palmas area, the road climbing from Medellín towards the east, and its argument is the same as every place on that road: the city seen from above, lit up.
- Refugio NakawéNorte del ValleNakawé sits in the Peñas Blancas hamlet, in the upper part of La Estrella, and its format is closer to a country retreat than a conventional restaurant: tables spread outdoors, vegetation all around, and the picnic as its organising idea.
- La MesetaBelloLa Meseta is Bello's go-to viewpoint: a high, open esplanade from which you see the whole town and, turning round, a good part of Medellín.
- Mirador las palmas No2Vía Las PalmasThe Las Palmas road climbs from Medellín towards eastern Antioquia and the airport, and along the way it leaves several public viewpoints leaning out over the valley. This is one of the most used.
- Los MeandrosNorte del ValleLos Meandros sits on the northern motorway at kilometre 25, in the La Matica hamlet of Girardota, and its name comes from what you see from there: the meanders of the river opening out across the valley.
- El Zarzal EstaderoVía Las PalmasGrill-bar with a viewpoint at km 13 of the Vía Las Palmas, famous for its clear view over Medellín and its flame-grilled meats.
- Monteluna MiradorSanta ElenaMonteluna combines viewpoint and table: you go up for the view and end up eating, which is exactly what it proposes.
- La Palma Mirador GastropubBelloLa Palma sits on the climb to San Félix, less than five kilometres from Bello, on the stretch where the road starts to open out over the valley. That is its calling card: the view, with Medellín in the distance and hillside all around.
- Morro de la virgen Barbosa AntioquiaNorte del ValleMorro de la Virgen is Barbosa's go-to viewpoint: a short hill you climb in about twenty minutes on a well-marked path, with the whole town laid out below.
Before you go
Medellín is best enjoyed from above, and this collection brings together the places where the view is the main course: free viewpoints, hills with trails, Pueblito Paisa on Nutibara hill, and also restaurants, bars and roadside spots built precisely to look out over the valley, on the Las Palmas road, in Santa Elena, in San Félix or high up in the southern towns.
The difference lies in the kind of plan you want. If you want to walk and spend nothing, hills like El Volador or Las Tres Cruces and the Comuna 13 lookout are perfect, as long as you go in daylight. If you would rather sit down with something to eat or drink as the afternoon fades, restaurants with a view such as Ambar Violetazul or Monteluna, or a bar such as Os Mirador in Buenos Aires, do the job, at prices from $$ to $$$.
Because it is close to the equator, the sun sets in Medellín at roughly the same time all year, towards the end of the afternoon, so sunset is easy to plan. Arrive a little early to watch the light change and stay to see the city lit up. Check the sky before setting off, since afternoon mist can hide the view, and bring a layer for when the sun goes down.
