Cerro De Las Tres Cruces Hike in Medellin: The Best Outdoor Activity
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Colombia has been on my bucket list for quite some time now. Our first stop was the famous city of Medellin. The city is massive and not often considered a place for great hiking. That could be further from the truth as hills of lush green vegetation surround the city and hikes like Cerro de las Tres Cruces.
As you will soon find out, this is a great hike for most fitness levels and is an excellent workout. Two areas with gym equipment throughout the hike help make this spot even more popular.
We arrived at the trailhead by Uber as it’s easily marked on the app and most taxi drivers will know of the spot too. It’s located extremely close to El Pobaldo and Rosales neighborhoods.
When you complete this hike, you can tell that Medellin’s fitness community is thriving. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting here. It is steep but not that long, so you can take your time completing it.
How to Get to Cerro de las Tres Cruces Trail in Medellin
Cerro de las Tres Cruces (Hill of Three Crosses) is located to the west of El Poblado. This is about a 15-minute drive. The trailhead sits in the area of Medellin called Loma de Los Bernal.
The easiest way to get here is either by taxi or Uber. They are roughly the same price but the metro won’t be of any help unless you are far north or far south. It is cheaper than taking the bus if you are with a friend or two.
The price we paid from our neighborhood in Rosales was $7000 COP or $2 USD. From El Poblado, it will be closer to $12,000 COP, but it is still worth it to do it this way.
The official trailhead location is Calle 8 #88A. This might be more useful for a taxi, and if they don’t know that, just mention the name of the hike you’re doing.
Taking an Uber is actually quite easy. There is now a pin for the trailhead called Hike Tres Cruces, and most drivers will have no problem finding it.
Map of Getting from El Poblado to Cerro de las Tres Cruces trailhead
Below is the map to the Cerro de Las Tres Cruces trailhead in Medellin and directions to get there from El Poblado.
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My Experience Hiking Cerro de Las Tres Cruces in Medellin
You will see a few street vendors by the trailhead when you leave your Uber. The dirt is orangish and seems like the only possible area to start your ascent.
We went during the week and didn’t see too many people at first. This is a very popular hike so you will eventually start seeing people going up or down if you are unsure of where to start.
Right after the first setup incline, you will get to an area that sells food and drinks. There weren’t many people there, but it seemed like a good spot to sit down after your hike.
The clouds really fooled us when we were hiking on this day. It was hot and we sweat a lot. It felt good though. This hike had more of an incline than I thought but we all needed the workout.
The terrain is interesting in that there really aren’t too many flat areas (besides where they made steps). It looks like massive floods have shaped the trail.
Medellin is known as the city of eternal spring. It rains almost every day, but you never know at what time.
You really shouldn’t wait for a good day to go hiking because every day is a mystery. We waited one extra day but got lucky.
It was a perfect day out for photos, and the clouds didn’t cover too much of the skyline.
Arriving at the First Gym
There are two gyms along the Cerro de Las Tres Cruces trail in Medellin. The first one isn’t that great compared to the second one.
The gym area consists of some pullup bars and a few dip locations. If you bring your kids, there is also a mini jungle gym of sorts. We did a few pull-ups here and then moved on.
I was really eyeing some of the drinks from the stalls but we decided to push on to the top. The incline immediately starts again.
It wouldn’t have been as bad if it hadn’t been so humid, but that’s life in Medellin. The next areas had more steps than normal, which was nice.
If you wanted to go at a slower pace, this was the area to do so.
The views of Cerro de Las Tres Cruces in Medellin
Throughout this hike, I was blown away by how amazing the city looks up here. Medellin is massive and this hike gives you that perspective.
There are multiple areas around the city where you can hike to get a good view but this is the most popular one, especially amongst the fitness community.
As you continue along this path it starts to get even more steep and a little bit less orange. I kinda like the orange in these photos though.
We stopped a handful more times along this last stretch to get some great photos of the city. I never knew I would love a hike so much in a huge city, but the Cerro de Las Tres Cruces hike in Medellin has made me a changed man.
Arriving at the Tres Cruces (Three Crosses)
Cerro de Las Tres Cruces stands for the hill of three crosses. This means you will know you have reached the peak when you see three crosses.
The last section is a set of well-made stairs that leads to the overview area or a mirador.
At the top of this hike, there will be the second gym (better than the first), seats, and other relaxing areas. I’m a big proponent of eating lunch at the viewpoint of a hike so that’s what we did. We had ourselves a nice little picnic.
The second gym has better pullup bars, dip machines, and other bodybuilding-type machines. There seems to be a back way that people come from.
This area looks to have more places to buy some food and drinks.
This is a MUST when visiting Medellin and should be added to any Colombian itinerary.
More Photos of the Cerro de Las Tres Cruces area of Medellin
This city is very picturesque and I wish I had a better camera. Throughout our descent, it was nice to take some photos of daily life here in Medellin.
There were schools surrounding the towns, and kids were playing outside for what looked like recess.
It helped me sit back and appreciate the little things in life, not taking any moment for granted.
The descent was hard on the knees and I can only imagine how difficult it would be if you got caught in a rainstorm. Thankfully that wasn’t the case for us, but as soon as we returned to our Airbnb, it started raining.
We actually ended up walking home which was nice. It was only a little over a 30-minute walk for us and it was cool to see other parts of the city.
Things to Know
Completing this hike is straightforward, but there are more things to know about it, including Medellin.
Cerro de las Tres Cruces Hike Details
Link for more reviews and details on Alltrails
Related Post: 14 Amazing Hikes to Do in Colombia
Is it Safe?
Many people wonder if it’s safe to hike these trails in Medellin and throughout the country. There will always be stories of someone getting robbed and their possessions now gone.
I have never experienced this but I try my best to take the best precautions.
- Don’t flash expensive jewelry or other objects
- Hike during peak hours
- Visit during the daytime
- If it doesn’t feel safe, don’t go
Best Time to Hike Tres Cruces
Medellin is sometimes called the city of eternal spring, which means it rains heavily and often without much notice.
If there is rain in the forecast, I would suggest not visiting and coming back when the sun is out.
This is largely because the trail becomes slippery when enough rain pours down. Safety is the #1 concern when traveling, and following this tip will help with that.
Final Thoughts on the Cerro de Las Tres Cruces Hike in Medellin
With this being the first hike I have done in Colombia since arriving here, I am truly impressed. The Cerro de Las Tres Cruces should be on everyone’s list when they visit Medellin. It is a good way to break into the lifestyle here in the city. It doesn’t take too long and gives you excellent views of the orange-colored buildings you see everywhere when visiting here.
