What are the best things to do in Laureles, Medellín?
The best things to do in Laureles are simple and walkable: stroll between its two parks along Avenida Jardín, linger over breakfast at a neighborhood bakery, eat paisa food on La 70, catch a football match at Atanasio Girardot Stadium and end the day on a rooftop. It all sits within the Laureles-Estadio district, with metro stations close by.
There is a reason travelers keep talking about it: in 2023, Time Out ranked Laureles number one on its list of the world's coolest neighborhoods, praising its laid-back feel despite having a major stadium and a famous nightlife strip next door. Here is our shortlist for a first visit:
- Walk the parks: from Segundo Parque de Laureles to Primer Parque along Avenida Jardín, rebuilt as a pedestrian-friendly corridor.
- Do breakfast or brunch: bakeries, cafés and brunch spots cluster around the parks and at Baratza Mall.
- Eat paisa food on La 70: bandeja paisa or mondongo (a hearty tripe soup) on one of Medellín's best-known food strips.
- Catch a match: Atanasio Girardot is home to both Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín.
- Spend a quiet afternoon at the Biblioteca Pública Piloto: a historic public library in neighboring Carlos E. Restrepo.
- Hike Cerro El Volador: green trails about a 15-20 minute walk (or a short taxi ride) from Estadio metro station.
- Buy fruit from a street cart: a local habit Time Out singled out as part of the neighborhood's charm.
How do you explore the Laureles parks and Avenida Jardín?
Start at Segundo Parque de Laureles and walk Avenida Jardín to Primer Parque. This corridor links the two parks, with wide sidewalks, trees and gardens that the city renovated in 2021. Along the way you will pass cafés, bakeries, small shops and restaurants, and in Segundo Parque you will find a sculpture by the artist who designed the neighborhood.
A neighborhood designed for walking
Laureles does not look like the rest of Medellín. Artist and architect Pedro Nel Gómez drew its plans in 1943 around the garden-city idea: instead of the Spanish colonial grid built around a church, he laid out circular and transverse streets that curve around the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) and the parks. That is why local addresses use words like "Circular" and "Transversal".
Tip: the curves make it easy to lose your bearings, so use the two parks as landmarks.
What to see in Segundo Parque
The 2021 renovation added 170 new trees and roughly 2,900 m² of gardens to the corridor, plus a refreshed playground and new street furniture in Segundo Parque. The park is also home to Las Américas Unidas, a sculpture by Pedro Nel Gómez with 13 busts representing countries of the Americas. For more detail, read our Segundo Parque de Laureles guide.
What can you do on La 70 and around the stadium?
La 70, officially Carrera 70, is a long strip of restaurants, bars, cantinas and traditional fondas running past Atanasio Girardot Stadium on the edge of Laureles, with Estadio metro station on the same avenue. By day it is the place for a hearty paisa lunch; at night it becomes one of Medellín's most popular party streets.
Eating and going out on La 70
This is where to try Antioquia's classic dishes, such as bandeja paisa, in a setting that feels more local than touristy: families and lunch crowds by day; students, dancers and football fans at night. Things get loud after dark, so for a calmer meal go for lunch or an early dinner. Our La 70 Medellín guide has more tips.
Sports and football at Atanasio Girardot
The Atanasio Girardot sports complex packs around 50 venues, including swimming pools, a velodrome, a skating rink, indoor arenas and the stadium itself, which also hosts major concerts. It has its own stop, Estadio, on metro Line B.
Buy tickets through each club's official channels or, to skip the logistics, ask our front desk about the Medellín Football Tour: match ticket, bilingual guide and round-trip transportation, subject to the fixture calendar.
Where to have breakfast, coffee or brunch in Laureles
Mornings in Laureles are unhurried. Bakeries, cafés and brunch spots surround the parks and Avenida Jardín. Around Segundo Parque you will find options one or two minutes away on foot, and Baratza Mall, about a seven-minute walk, groups several more places to eat, work for a while or take a break.
You do not need a list: Time Out's 2023 write-up praised the area's countless coffee shops. Wander Avenida Jardín and the streets around Primer Parque and follow your nose, from neighborhood bakeries selling pandebono (cheese bread) to specialty coffee bars.
These are some of Living by Armóniko's partners near the park, with guest perks when you show your room card:
- La Hojaldrería (bakery and brunch), 1 min walk: 10% off all-day brunch.
- La Pampa (grill), 2 min walk, on Segundo Parque itself: complimentary starter or dessert.
- Le Brunch, Baratza Mall 3rd floor, 7 min walk: 15% off all-day brunch.
- Oasis (healthy food), Baratza Mall 1st floor: 15% off.
Hotel guests get an à la carte breakfast included at Botswana Café Bar on the second floor until 10 a.m.; later in the day you can come back for specialty coffee or brunch. See the full list on our Laureles partners and guest perks page.
Slow-paced things to do: library, nature and wellness
Laureles also does quiet well. In neighboring Carlos E. Restrepo, within the same district, stands the Biblioteca Pública Piloto; to the north, in Robledo, Cerro El Volador offers wooded trails; and about five minutes on foot from Segundo Parque, hotel partner Samaar Yoga offers yoga, pilates and sauna at exclusive guest rates.
Biblioteca Pública Piloto
The Biblioteca Pública Piloto was created through a 1952 agreement with UNESCO. It was the world's second pilot public library, after one in India, and was meant as a model for public libraries across Latin America. It is at Carrera 64 #50-32 and makes a good rainy-afternoon plan.
Cerro El Volador
According to the city, it is Medellín's largest metropolitan nature park, at about 103 hectares, and it is protected as an urban reserve and national cultural heritage site for its archaeological and natural value. It has an open-air butterfly garden, a hummingbird garden and more than 100 bird species. Go in daylight, ideally with company, and check opening hours on the official Cerro El Volador page (in Spanish).
How should you plan a full day in Laureles?
A good day in Laureles alternates walking and slow breaks: breakfast near the park, a stroll down Avenida Jardín, a paisa lunch, a calm afternoon at the library or on Cerro El Volador, sunset on a rooftop and a night on La 70 or at the stadium. Everything is walkable or a short metro or taxi ride away.
| Time | Plan | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Breakfast at a bakery or café near Segundo Parque | Try pandebono with a tinto (black coffee); hotel guests get breakfast at Botswana until 10 a.m. |
| Late morning | Walk from Segundo Parque to Primer Parque on Avenida Jardín | Look for Las Américas Unidas and try fruit from a street cart |
| Lunch | Paisa food on La 70 | Bandeja paisa or mondongo; calmer at midday |
| Afternoon | Biblioteca Pública Piloto or Cerro El Volador | If it rains, the library is your best shelter; hike the hill in daylight and with company |
| Sunset | A café or terrace around Segundo Parque, or Rocoto Rooftop | Rocoto: Peruvian food on the hotel's fifth floor |
| Night | Bars on La 70 or a match at Atanasio Girardot | Check the fixture calendar and take a taxi or ride-hailing app at night |
Laureles as your base for Medellín
Laureles works well as a base because it is residential and calm but well connected: Estadio and Floresta stations on metro Line B serve the district, and from Segundo Parque it is about 9 minutes to the stadium, about 10 to Plaza Mayor and about 20 to El Poblado and Provenza.
Before heading out, read our guide to getting around Medellín from Laureles. Our hotel location and what's nearby in Laureles page has the map and directions.
Staying right on Segundo Parque
Living by Armóniko is a boutique hotel in Laureles with 14 apartment-style suites, all with an equipped kitchen and a private balcony, directly across from Segundo Parque. That puts the neighborhood on your doorstep: breakfast downstairs at Botswana Café Bar, a walk along Avenida Jardín, and Rocoto Rooftop on the fifth floor to end the day. If you arrive before check-in (3:00 p.m.) or leave after check-out (12:00 p.m.), you can store your luggage and keep exploring. A fun footnote: in Time Out's 2023 guide, the "perfect day" in Laureles started at Living by Armóniko.
