Arvi Park in Medellin: Breath of Fresh Air
Medellin is more than just tall brick buildings. This city is massive but once you arrive here you will soon understand how it is different than many others. The city is full of life and by that I mean nature. Right outside of Medellin in the mountainside is a popular national park called Arvi Park or Parque Arvi.
Getting to this park is an adventure on its own. The easiest way is to get on the metro and then get onto multiple cable cars that lead you straight to the park’s entrance. With a picturesque view of the whole journey up, you won’t want to miss out on this. Expect to spend more time here than in other popular parks in Medellin like Cerro Tres Cruces and Cerro El Volador. Here are the park hours:
In this guide, I will review some of the main details about Arvi Park and the trail that we chose: the Ancestral Trail plus more!
How to get to Arvi Park in Medellin
The easiest way to get to Arvi Park in Medellin is by taking the metro and then hopping on the cable cars. Not only is this the easiest way, but it is also an experience in itself.
Some travelers get on cable cars by themselves just to do it. It gives you great views of the city. The cable cars are mainly here to help give the people living in the upper towns a cheap way to get down to the lower areas for work.
The cost to get on the metro and go anywhere throughout the city (including cable cars) is around $2900 COP ($0.71 USD).
You might have to first get on the bus that takes you to the metro system but that price is included as well. Once you leave the metro station then you will have to pay again.
Below is the map of the Metro lines. You will most likely be going north. Get on the Line A Metro towards Niquia. Get off at the Acevedo stop.
You will then want to transfer to the Line K cable car to Santa Domingo. All of this will cost you $2900 COP. If you want to take the cable car to Parque Arvi, it will be an additional $11,000 COP each way.
Related Post: 9 Amazing Hikes in Medellin
Getting to the Ancestral Trailhead in Arvi Park
Once inside the park, you will first come across the market. This is a great place to grab any water or snacks that you still may need for your hike.
After this, you will want to walk around the information desk and go past the restaurant. This is where you will begin your journey. Most trails start to the left, but in this one, you will have to take a right and start walking.
You will be staying on this road for a while and probably won’t see many people. There are houses and some shops along the way.
We used alltrails for this one but you can also download Maps.me or Wikiloc. These have offline options which can be helpful when traveling.
Once you get to what appears to be a dead-end, the entrance will be to your right. You will see a large wooden gate and a sign stating that it is the Ancestral Trail.
This trail is very popular for biking (as you will see why) and also has some of the best views of Medellin.
This park absolutely has to be added to any itinerary in Colombia because of its beauty and the experience on the cable cars.
Related Post: 17 Unique Hikes in Colombia
My Experience Hiking the Ancestral Trail in Arvi Park
When we got to the trail we saw nobody besides a couple of people on motorbikes. The trail was first made up of a lot of random cobblestones. It was very flat and rocky but that was quite alright. The weather was perfect for a stroll in the park and we wouldn’t let anything stop that.
After about 15 minutes, the trail begins to change, as does the scenery. It starts to feel like we are going through the dense mossy forest in some faraway land. The air is crisp and the vegetation looks healthy. We stumbled upon a nice picnic area where you could sit down and eat if you’d like.
Cable Cars and Views of Medellin
After a short 10 minutes or so past the area above you will then see the first cable car hover over. It’s a wild feeling but there are even better views of them ahead.
As you keep walking the areas to your right start to become more open and you begin to see farmhouses.
Once you take your second left you will begin to see the cable cars again but this time with the backdrop of the city below.
We threw the drone up around this area and got some insane-looking shots. It’s an interesting feeling being so high up and away from the city. It also looks down at it and pictures the craziness. Past this area, you will come across more farmhouses and even some cows!
End of the Trail + Medellin View
After walking past many farmhouses you will come to a crossroads. Stay on the straight path and not to the right with fenced sides because that is more farmland. We got told to turn around. As you keep going you will see more dirt paths that you can either take a left or right on. This is where the view of Medellin is.
One unique thing about Arvi Park is that it is much higher up in the mountains than any other Medellin park. Everything below looks so small, but at the same time, you know it’s a massive city.
After taking in the city below, you will want to go through the blue gate pictured above. We were on the trail for another 10-15 minutes before hitting the road again. You can walk past some blocks that will bring you back to where you began your hike on the Ancestral Trail in Arvi Park.
Right before this section, you will see what looks to be a clay building to your left. It looked to have some writing on it but we weren’t too sure of what it actually was. Keep along this road for another 20 minutes and you will be back at the main area of Arvi Park.
Things to Know When Visiting Arvi Park and Hiking Ancestral Trail
Ancestral Trail Hike Details (Arvi Park)
- Distance: This is a 2.7-mile point-to-point trail. If you walk to the trailhead like us, it will add on even more.
- Duration: It should take no more than 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete this trail. This all depends on how long you sit for lunch and how often you take in the beauty of this park.
- Difficulty: This hike is rated as easy on alltrails. I completely agree with this rating as the majority of this hike is on flat land.
- Incline: The elevation gain is around 472 feet or 143 meters. This elevation gain is spread far along the trail that you will barely notice it.
- Guide: A guide is not needed for this hike and is easily accessible by the public.
If you’re looking for places to stay, check out the best hostels in Medellin!
What Other Trails Are There?
There are a bunch of hikes to choose from when visiting this park! But it can often be confusing…so I suggest downloading and offline maps like mapsme that will have all the trails.
Here are a few other trails that we thought about doing before we decided on Ancestral trail:
Be careful while hiking on these trails because they are popular for mountain biking. If you enjoy mountain biking yourself, I suggest checking out some of these trails!
Comfama Parque Arvi is a popular section of the park that features ziplining and classes for all to join. Overall, I enjoyed my day here and will return the next time I’m in town to check out the other trails.
Arvi Park Hours:
I don’t want you to make the same mistake that we did and arrive at the park when it’s closed. So here are the hours they are open to help plan your trip better.
- Monday – Closed
- Tuesday – 9 am to 6 pm
- Wednesday – 9 am to 6 pm
- Thursday – 9 am to 6 pm
- Friday – 9 am to 6 pm
- Saturday – 9 am to 6 pm
- Sunday – 8:30 am to 6 pm
Entrance Fee
There is no entrance fee when visiting the park. That said, most people reading this will need to take the metro and then the cable car to access it.
The metro will cost around $2900 COP, and the cable cars will cost $11,000 COP each way. This comes out to be around $6 or $7 USD.
Final Thoughts
This is a great place to get away from the city for a little bit. It’s easy to get to and the trails are suitable for all fitness levels. If you are looking for some intense and challenging hikes then maybe this isn’t the place for you. We went on a Tuesday but I’m sure the weekends can get very crowded. There are multiple other fun activities to do here as well like paragliding and mountain biking.
