Parque Arví and the Medellín Metrocable

The route, line by line

Take the metro to Acevedo station on line A, then the K line cable car up to Santo Domingo Savio. That first leg is included in your metro fare, and it is not a tourist ride: it is public transport, and you are floating over the rooftops of the north-eastern hillside. At Santo Domingo you change to the L line, which crosses an entire forested mountain to the park entrance. The L line is a separate, considerably more expensive ticket.

How long it actually takes

Acevedo to Arví is about 35 to 40 minutes in the cabins if there is no queue, and there is almost always a queue after 10am on weekends. Add the metro ride from El Poblado or Laureles and you are looking at roughly ninety minutes each way. With time at the top, Arví is a solid half day. Do not stack it on the same day as Comuna 13 if you want to enjoy either.

What is actually up there

Arví is a nature reserve, not an attraction park: signposted trails, a farmers market right outside the station and a handful of simple restaurants. Short trails you walk on your own; the long ones go with a park guide. The market — cheeses, jams, fruit, corn arepas — is worth the trip even if you never walk a trail. It is cold up there and it rains more than in the city, so bring a jacket and closed shoes even if you left Medellín in a t-shirt.

The mistakes people keep making

Going after midday, when the fog has closed in and the queues are long. Wearing flip-flops. Bringing only a card — cash rules up there. And the big one: the L line normally does not operate on Mondays unless it is a public holiday, which ruins more trips than anything else on this list.

How we handle it

The Metrocable is worth riding as public transport, so we do not replace it. What we do is drive you to the station, wait, and pick you up — or build a day that pairs the historic centre in the morning with Arví afterwards. Travelling with kids, with older parents or with luggage in the mix, a private transfer to Acevedo removes the awkward part without taking away the good one.

Frequently asked questions