Nature · Medellín

Parque Arví

Forest park in northeastern Medellín, with guided and self-guided trails. You take the metro to Acevedo and then Metrocable Lines K and L; it's open Wednesday to Monday and closed on Tuesdays.

Hours: Visitor services Wednesday to Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed Tuesdays for maintenance. Metrocable Line L runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (8:30 a.m. on Sundays and public holidays) and doesn't run on Tuesdays (checked 2026-10-12).
Price level: $$$$$
Duration: All day
Address: Road to Piedras Blancas, Medellín

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Parque Arví is a 1,761-hectare ecotourism park in northeastern Medellín, with native forest and plantation areas. It's a protected forest reserve and marks the shift from city to countryside. Clean air, trails, lookouts and a lot of biodiversity.

You get there on the Parque Arví Metrocable, with views over the forest on the way up. Inside there are more than 50 kilometers of trails through forests, rivers, waterfalls and archaeological sites more than 1,500 years old.

There's guided hiking, birdwatching, picnics, night activities and rural tourism with local communities. Entry is free in many areas; some services and guided tours have a fee, with a different rate for foreigners.

The area also has Parque Comfama and Parque Comfenalco, which charge admission but are safe and well equipped, with picnic areas, games and family activities.

What to see

Guided walks on the trails, leaving the El Tambo Interpretation Center every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m.
Self-guided trails and the 8K hiking route.
The 4.6 km ride on Metrocable Line L over the forest, about 15 minutes.
The Mercado Arví, with food on offer.
The Comfama and Comfenalco parks, inside the Arví area (paid separately).

Getting there

Metro and Metrocable: Acevedo station (Line A), Line K to Santo Domingo and transfer to Line L (Cable Arví); about 20 minutes (Corporación Parque Arví).
Bus: Trasancoop's El Tambo route from the corner of La Placita de Flórez, from 6:00 a.m., every 30 minutes (Corporación Parque Arví).
Car: take the road to Santa Elena to the El Silletero roadhouse and from there to the El Tambo area; also via Las Palmas or the Medellín-Bogotá highway (Corporación Parque Arví).

Tips

Wear comfortable clothes and bring a warm layer: it's cold up high.
Go up on the Parque Arví Metrocable.
Don't go on a Tuesday: the park and Metrocable Line L are closed.
You can bring food; leave your trash at the recycling points or take it back down.
You're not allowed to get into creeks, pools or other water sources.
Guided walks last 1 to 4 hours depending on the trail.
The park recommends coming by public transportation: the parking lots are private and almost all open only on weekends.