Medellín: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Medellín is a city of 2 million people in Colombia (Antioquia), 1,528 m (5,013 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Jose Maria Córdova International Airport (MDE), 19 km (12 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 2,864+ places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Medellín runs from about 11 h 48 min a day in late December to 12 h 31 min in late June (computed for 6.25° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Medellín is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Jose Maria Córdova International Airport (MDE), 19 km (12 mi) from the centre, whose 11,286-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH, 4 km).
Flights to Medellín: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Medellín · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 2,864+ places to stay in Medellín (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 630 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (304), and 24 are five-star. Across 419 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 302,791 reviews in total.
Hotels in Medellín: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 77 hostels in Medellín, out of 2,864 places to stay of every kind — 2.7% of everywhere it lists in the city, around the middle of the range for the cities we hold figures for. Across 34 hostels with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.6 out of 10, which is 0.2 above the 8.4 its hotels average — not unusual, since a hostel is judged on its staff and its common room rather than on its fittings. Guests have left 28,270 reviews across them.
Hostels in Medellín: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Bogotá, 245 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Cali, 330 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Cúcuta, 386 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Soacha, 238 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Bucaramanga, 288 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Ibagué, 205 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Montería, 281 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Pereira, 160 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Manizales, 131 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Buenaventura, 336 km — flights · buses · car rental
Common questions
Which airport serves Medellín?
Jose Maria Córdova International Airport (MDE), 19 km (12 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Medellín?
About 2 million people live in Medellín (GeoNames).
What time zone is Medellín in?
America/Bogota, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Medellín?
The Peso (COP). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Medellín?
77 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Medellín.
How many hotels are there in Medellín?
Our booking partner lists 2,864 or more places to stay in Medellín, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Medellín?
Bogotá (245 km), Cali (330 km), Cúcuta (386 km), Soacha (238 km), Bucaramanga (288 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.