Parque Berrío

Parque Berrío was Medellín's main square from colonial times. The city market was held there, and in 1895 it took the name of Pedro Justo Berrío, the politician who governed Antioquia between 1864 and 1873 and pushed for the Antioquia Railway. His statue, made in Rome by the Italian Giovanni Anderlini, has stood in the middle of the park on a Carrara marble pedestal since that same year.

On the east side is the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, the oldest church in the city. In the 1920s the old mansions around it were torn down and banks went up, and the park became Medellín's financial center; it's still surrounded by office buildings, and from there you can see the Coltejer tower.

On the corner by the Banco de la República is La Gorda, the woman's torso Fernando Botero gave Medellín in 1987, the first work he donated to his city. At the entrance to the metro station are Pedro Nel Gómez's murals, which in 1956 decorated the lobby of the old Banco de la República building and became an open-air corridor when it was demolished.

It's a place to watch downtown in motion: office workers, vendors, people waiting for mass and the metro passing overhead. Since February 23, 2026 the park has been under construction: floors, green areas, lighting and the metro station are being replaced, and the murals restored. The city expects to finish in the first quarter of 2027.

What to see

• The statue of Pedro Justo Berrío.
• The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria.
• La Gorda, by Fernando Botero.
• Pedro Nel Gómez's murals at the entrance to the metro station.

Getting there

• Metro: Parque Berrío station (Line A); the park is right below the station.
• On foot: Plaza Botero and the Museo de Antioquia are two blocks west.
• Taxi: ask for Parque Berrío, across from the Basílica de la Candelaria.

Tips

• Go during the day and on a weekday, when downtown is full of people.
• Keep your phone put away and don't wear chains or watches on show; downtown has opportunistic theft.
• Combine it with Plaza Botero, two blocks away.
• While the work lasts, some areas may be fenced off with shade cloth.