Medellín Travel Guide

Nestled in the narrow Aburrá Valley, this northwestern city of 2 million people is the capital of Antioquia. The industrious paisas, as natives of the province are called, built the successful coffee and textile industries that have enabled Medellín to prosper; today it's the second-largest city in Colombia. Modern and affluent, Medellín has the country's only elevated train system. The city also has several interesting museums, three respected universities, and wide, tree-lined boulevards. But Medellín also has thousands of impoverished citizens whose shanties appear on the city's edges.