Whilst Cartagena is very hot and humid and Bogota is cold and grey, Medellin is renown for it's perfect temperature all year round. This makes it a very liveable city. You can wear shorts and there's no need to pack a jacket it's never that cold enough. Actually Medellin is famously known as the "City of Eterna Primavera" the City of Eternal Spring since the weather is always perfect.

Medellin does have a certain special charm that amazes everyone who visits. It's a clean, well maintained sprawling modern city yet at the same time a very green city partly due to being surrounded by mountains on both sides and partly due to the almost perfect weather. Combine the above with some great restaurants, a distinctly Latin nightlife and locals who are unbelievably friendly and the choice is obvious.

Situated in the Aburrá valley Medellin is a green tropical city surrounded by hills which at night are lit up like sparkling stars by the lights of sprawling neighborhoods. Medellin is the second largest city in Colombia with a population of almost 3 million. A surprisingly very modern city, Medellin is seems to be under pressure to build a rash of new high rise apartment buildings, modern office towers and luxury shopping malls to cater to a rapidly advancing economy and associated increasing standard of living.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about entrepreneurship and developing Medellin as a hub of technology, the new silicon valley of South America. Ruta N housed in a state of the art, environmentally friendly office building is a government initiative to promote technology and innovation. At the same time the government is designing and implementing a number of architectural and urban development projects related to social change and improving the standard of living for many of the city's residents, the Metro Cable being the most famous of them. Medellin has won several international awards for design, urban renewal and innovation.

The curious thing about Medellin is that nearly everyone who visits extends their stay longer or quickly makes plans to return as soon as they can. It really has something special which makes it the perfect place to learn Spanish.

The weather:

The weather in Medellin Colombia ranges from min 17-max 27C (63-81F) all year round so you can generally leave your jacket or sweater at home. It does rain at times so bring an umbrella just in case, but even when it does rain the temperature in Medellin remains ideal. This perfect weather has lead to Medellin being referred to as La Cuidad de la Eterna Privamera, the City of Eternal Spring.

The tourist attractions:

One of the Famous Botero Statues

What is there to do in Medellin, other than study Spanish? Medellin is the birthplace of the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero, I'm sure you've seen his paintings and sculptures of over-sized people, animals and fruits. His sculptures are proudly displayed in the Plaza Botero just in front of the Musuem of Antioquia. The museum itself contains a comprehensive collection of his work. Other cultural venues include the new Museum of Modern Art Medellin (MAMM) and the Museum El Castillo a medieval gothic style castle surround by French gardens, a little touch of Europe in Colombia. In the north of the city you can find Parque Explora, a science and technology park which encourages a hands-on approach to learning about science.  One of the largest aquariums in South America is located here too. Nearby you can find the Planetarium to learn about the stars and the Jardin Botanico where you can explore various nature zones from cactus gardens through to tropical jungles. A visit to the butterfly house is recommended.

Former Train Station

What a lot of people don't know is that Medellin actually has many buildings of historic interest. Most of these are downtown "El Centro" and it's a shame that many people are discouraged from walking through downtown due to perceived safety issues. Actually most the residents of El Poblado would never go downtown except if they really had to but if you think about Medellin's recent history it's easy to understand why many people are scared of leaving their comfort zone. However downtown Medellin offers a wealth of historic sites, stunning architecture and my favorite, people watching. If you proceed with the usual caution your going to get into any trouble and the reward is that you are going to see many beautiful places ignored by 90% of tourists to Medellin.

Organised Medellin tours are not very common and can be expensive. However at the Toucan Cafe you can find several highly recommended tours ranging from the Medellin Graffiti Tour, Medellin Street Food Tour and the Medellin Coffee Farm Tour.

The Festivals:

The Flower Festival (Feria de Flores) is a mix of a hundred different official events around the city and many more unofficial. The main focus is the "Desfile de Silleteros" a parade in which the neighboring rural communities of Medellin prepare elaborate flower displays which are carried through the streets on the shoulders by representatives of the local flower growing communities. The Flower Festival is not just flowers however, there is also an antique car parade and nightly concerts, all a glorified excuse to drink the local liquor aguardiente and have a great time. Colombiamoda, the large fashion even in Colombia, although not a festival as such is treated as one of the highlights of the Medellin calendar and another excuse to hold party hard even if you don't get to attend one of the fashion shows. Lastly Christmas is an excuse to completely cover the city in colorful LED lights, probably one of the largest Christmas lights display in the world. It has to be seen to be believed.

Throughout the year there are film festivals, theater productions, a magic festival, beer and food festivals in the botanic garden and a number of top dj’s play Medellin including Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Gareth Emery etc. When Madonna chose Medellin to perform her MDNA 2012 tour in Colombia, it was the biggest selling location of her entire tour.

The relaxed lifestyle:

When not studying or working the locals can be found down a local park or corner square passing time and watching he world go by. Via Primavera just north of Parque Lleras has recently emerged as the cool place to hang out, shop for designer clothes and enjoy a famous Colombian coffee at Pergamino cafe, the best cafe in town. This area, also called Provenza, stretches from Carrera 37 through to 33 and here you can find the best cafes and patisseries in town, several Arabic restaurants and even an Indian restaurant appropriately called Naan.