Medellin has a young, diverse, fun-loving population with a large group of extreme sports enthusiasts forming a welcoming, vibrant community. The city has produced international stars in skating, skateboarding, and BMX, while the surrounding mountains and rivers are perfect for mountain biking, rock climbing, rafting, canyoning, and paragliding.
In this article, I will give an insight into how you can enjoy and experience extreme sports in Medellin and the beautiful nearby towns of Antioquia.
Downhill Mountain Biking
The areas around Medellin have spectacular landscapes with steep hills, ridges, forested slopes, rivers, and waterfalls. You can enjoy a challenging, exciting, and memorable day cycling in the mountains of Medellin. The region has an excellent variety of terrain suitable for all difficulties; there are short technical sections and long, fast-paced descents. The amazing weather and beautiful landscapes make it a memorable, challenging activity.
If you want a challenge, then Sueltele offers an excellent full day of downhill cycling with English-speaking guides and pick up from Medellin. The route includes steep downhill tracks with vertical drops of up to 1,500 meters. Along the way, you will face berms, jumps, and rock gardens with lunch and well-earned beers provided.
An exhausting, challenging, and unforgettable way to enjoy extreme sports in Medellin.
Rock Climbing
One of the iconic symbols of Antioquia is the giant rock known as la piedra del Peñol in the nearby town of Guatape. The region is also filled with spectacular waterfalls, and from anywhere in the city, you will be surrounded by high natural peaks.
Rock climbing is popular in the city and can be a great option if you want to learn the basics or challenge yourself on some tricky ascents.
You can first give it a go, learn the basics, or polish up your skills at one of the indoor climbing centers. El Muro in Laureles was founded 20 years ago by Gerson Areiza, who wanted to bring climbing to a new audience. The tallest wall is 8 meters, with day passes and equipment rental available. Altitud Aventura is another option in Medellin, with day passes from less than US$10.
Once you are ready to hit the mountain, you will find some excellent options around Medellin. You can head to Guatape to tackle la piedra with a guide who can take you on ascents of varying difficulties, but I would recommend heading to La Peña Abejorral.
La Peña is a park with over 100 routes set in the beautiful mountainside with a range of climbing spots. There are 5 different zones with shade from the sun at different times of the day. You can stay at the climbers’ hostel La Peña Abejorral where you can book a guide, enjoy some great home-cooked food, and an ice-cold beer. They have private rooms, shared dorms, and cabins.
Skateboarding
Medellin is a vibrant hub for skateboarding in Colombia, with skaters such as David Gonzalez, Jazmin Alvarez, ‘El Barbas’, and Sebastian Lopez making a big impact internationally. Just last year, the skateboarding legend was in town, hitting up some local parks.
The culture developed informally, but good parks have popped up across the city to complement the popular street spots. Atanasio Giradot has a park next to Estadio metro station and at the end of the la 70 in Laureles, which has ramps, banks, rails, pyramids, and is popular day and night. Viga Envigado is a similar park in the south, while La Piñuela in Aranjuez has a nice bowl.
There is also a really nice covered skate park under the 4 Sur bridge linking Poblado to Belen. The park is pretty new and well-maintained. I have enjoyed some high-level competitions at the spot, while the park outside is always full of people relaxing in the sun with some food and drinks. Conveniently located next to Poblado, this is a great place to enjoy extreme sports in Medellin.
White Water Rafting
Rafting can be a fun, exciting activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Antioquia is a great spot for white water rafting as rivers run through jungle, canyons, and mountains with calm and thrilling, quicker stretches.
There are tours available with pickup, lunch, equipment, and return, leaving from Medellin to the rivers all around the region. Rio Calderas is around 90 minutes from Medellin with class 3-4 rapids (intermediate to somewhat advanced), Rio Verde is around 3 hours with class 3-4, while Rio Sumana is just over 2 hours with class 4-5 rapids. The difficulty can depend on the weather and how high the water level is.
You can find many tour operators departing from Medellin, such as Medellín Rafting, Antioquia de Aventura, NatureScape Antioquia, Guanabana Tours, and Expedition Colombia. The companies offer single and multi-day excursions. If you are looking for extreme sports in Medellin and love the idea of exploring the surrounding nature, this is a great choice.
Paragliding
Paragliding is an amazing, exciting experience with incredible views over the Aburrá Valley and across the city. You can find take-off spots within an hour of the city, and you can do tandem flights with an experienced instructor. The thrilling take-off, followed by the peace and tranquility of soaring high above Medellin, as long as you aren’t scared of heights!
The most popular location is San Felix and Estadero in Bello, which is under an hour from the heart of Medellin. They have good operators, generally good conditions, it is close to the city and easily accessible. Other options would be Cocorna, which is 2 hours from Medellin but has a more peaceful, greener experience with waterfalls. Jerico is also an option if you are visitng the town with views over the coffee farms of the region.
A 15-minute flight will cost around US$50 with operators offering round-trip transport to Medellin. You can also rent a GoPro if you want to record the experience.
Morning flights offer more reliable flying conditions, while rain and wind can cause flights to be canceled. Make sure you have a certified and experienced tandem pilot, plus bring sun protection and potentially warmer clothes, as the takeoff spot can be a little cooler.
Highly recommended, with generally excellent weather conditions and very reasonably priced when compared with other countries.
Inline Skating
Skating is hugely popular in Medellin, and there is a big, friendly community of skaters who take over the city at night. Grounds such as InGravity Roller organize massive events where hundreds of skaters of all ages take over the roads. They have organizers who close the streets, play music, and help participants.
If you visit Ingravity Roller, you can join their WhatsApp group for details of upcoming events. On Wednesday, they have events which cross from Laureles to downtown, and all over the city. You will see a huge convoy of attractive, athletic young people having a great time and taking over the streets. There are viral videos of skaters heading across the Madre Laura Bridge in the North of the city at speed, with amazing views that look like Rainbow Road from Mario Kart.
There are also clubs for speed skating and teaching beginners. A fun way to make friends and join a vibrant community if you are interested in extreme sports in Medellin.
