Updated: 2/22/22 | February 22nd, 2022
There are a lot of hostels in Medellín. As “gringo central” for Colombia, you can’t walk five feet without coming across one, with majority located in El Pablado (Gringoland) and Laureles (up-and-coming Gringoland).
In fact, if you look on Hostelworld, you’ll find 93 hostels in this city. That’s a lot of hostels.
I spent close to three weeks in Medellín: first for an extended time over the holidays and then again as I made my way from north to south. like I do whenever I’m in cities that long, I made a decision to stay in as lots of hostels as possible to find out which were the best.
A lot of online lists purport to tell you the best hostels in the city, but I found that my experiences staying in them differed so greatly from the reviews, I began to think, “Ya know, I don’t think people really stayed here!”
And there are a lot of things to consider when selecting a hostel. The top four when picking the best hostel in Medellín are:
Location – Medellín is huge and it can take some time to get around. pick a place that is central to the sites and nightlife you want to see. All the hostels provided here are in central locations.
Price – In Medellín, you really get what you pay for, so if you opt for a really cheap one, you’re probably going to get a hostel that is small, cramped, and doesn’t offer great service.
Amenities – Every hostel in the city uses complimentary Wi-Fi, and a lot of have a complimentary breakfast, but if you want a lot more than that, be sure to do your research to find the hostel that best meets your needs!
Staff – All the hostels provided here have outstanding staff! They are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. even if you don’t end up staying at one of the places provided below, be sure to look up reviews to make sure you end up somewhere where the staff is helpful and friendly! They can make or break a hostel!
To help you plan your trip, here is my list of the hostels in Medellín that I like the most. If you don’t want to read the longer list below, the following hostels are the best in each category:
Best Hostel for budget Travelers: The Wandering Paisa
Best Hostel for Families: Hostel Rango Boutique
Best Hostel for Solo female Travelers: Los Patios
Best Hostel for digital Nomads: Black Sheep Hostel
Best Hostel for Partying: Purple Monkey
Best overall Hostel: Los Patios
Want the specifics of each hostel? Here’s my detailed list of the best hostels in Medellin:
Price legend (per night)
$ = Under 60,000 COP
$$ = 60,000-80,000 COP
$$$ = Over 80,000 COP
1. Los Patios
This elegant hostel has themed floors inspired by Colombia’s natural surroundings: mountains, jungles, sea, and plains. It’s part of a massive two-building complex that also has a co-working space, a gym, rooftop bars, an organic garden (whose herbs you can use), a Spanish school, and communal kitchens. It was by far my favorite hostel in the entirety of the city. (In fact, I think it is one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in!)
Each dorm bed comes with a privacy curtain, and the private rooms are as comfortable as hotels. The bathrooms were outstanding and the beds incredibly comfy — I got some of my best nights’ sleep here. It uses complimentary tea and coffee, great delighted hours, outstanding parties, and activities like salsa classes and street art tours, plus there are complimentary bike rentals. The staff is also incredibly friendly and welcoming. Overall, this hostel just gets it.
Los Patios at a glance:
$$
Tons of great amenities (co-working space, gym, rooftop bar)
Organizes lots of activities
Free perks (free tea/coffee, complimentary bike rentals)
Beds from 64,000 COP, privates from 205,000 COP.
Book Los Patios here!
2. Hostel Rango Boutique
Hostel Rango is one of the a lot more upscale hostels in the city. The dorm beds are incredibly comfy, though the beds lack privacy curtains. Each bed comes with reading lights, two power sockets, and personal lockers. The bathrooms are nicer than anything I’ve ever seen in a hostel and rival that of a luxury hotel. I mean, that water pressure! That rustic design? Geweldig! I want these bathrooms in my home.
I found the open, industrial décor is incredibly fashionable, and the hostel’s restaurant and bar area great for grabbing a meal and a really good professional cocktail (honestly the bar alone is worth visiting). The staff will also help to set you up with activities like food excursions and complimentary walking tours.
Private rooms are also available and come with a few additional touches, like TVs and mini-fridges, but they are as expensive as hotels, so skip them.
Hostel Rango boutique at a glance:
$$
Restaurant/bar on-site makes it easy to meet people
Organizes excursions and activities
Comfy dorm beds with lots of outlets
Beds from 62,000 COP, privates from 255,000 COP.
Book Hostel Rango boutique here!
3. Sugar Cane Hostel
German- and Colombian-owned Sugar Cane is small. There are just a few private and dorm rooms on one level. The rooms are impressively clean, although they lack the character of the larger hostels in town. The roofing has a common area with a few hammocks as well as the hostel’s kitchen. breakfast is complimentary (you serve yourself) and comes with all the essentials, like bread, eggs, muesli, coffee, and tea.
Every Sunday the German owner (I forget his name) cooks up his popular barbecue of chicken, steak, sausages, and all the fixings! It’s a pretty standard, basic hostel, but the owner really makes you feel like family, and he helped me a lot during my stay.
Sugar Cane Hostel at a glance:
$
Laid-back lounge with hammocks on the roof
Gratis ontbijt
Weekly BBQ makes it easy to meet people
Beds from 38,000 COP, private rooms from 116,000 COP.
Book Sugar Cane Hostel here!
4. The Wandering Paisa
The Wandering Paisa is located in the upscale area of Laureles, which is the up and coming touristy area. All the dorms are covered in South American and Colombian cultural artwork by local students. Each bed comes with a large locker and a privacy divider, which makes it much easier to sleep. While the beds are average, I was a big fan of the great pillows. The kitchen has the basic essentials. The Paisa Bar is a fun spot to hang out in, and local musicians do on the sundeck.
The hostel also uses complimentary salsa lessons and Spanish classes. If you want to get out of Poblado, this is the place to stay.
The Wandering Paisa at a glance:
$
Privacy curtains so you can get respectable sleep
Terrace that hosts local bands
Lots of complimentary events (Spanish lessons, salsa classes)
Beds from 28,000 COP.
Book The Wandering Paisa here!
5. Black Sheep Hostel
The Black Sheep Hostel, one of Medellín’s a lot of popular, was also the first in town. I really loved this hostel. The rooms, while pretty bare, are spotless, and the bathrooms have great water pressure and are cleaned regularly. There are lots of common spaces here, including a large balcony and terrace area. The beer sold is cheap and I found guests here were always socializing and hanging out (the way they should). The Kiwi staff owner is incredibly great and staff members are all university students that are great at handing out local advice.
The hostel also uses a ton of excursion options that you can book directly from and they’ll even exchange money if you need. This is another “classic” hostel that gets everything right! Ik vond het geweldig.
Black Sheep Hostel at a glance:
$
Lots of common areas (including a terrace)
Organizes tons of excursions and activities
Cheap drinks at their bar
Beds from 40,000 COP, private rooms from 140,000 COP.
Book Black Sheep Hostel here!
6. Purple Monkey
This is absolutely one of the liveliest party hostels in Medellín. It’s quirky and upbeat, with a massive rooftop bar area. I found the dorms to be small and cramped, and it was a bit odd to go upstairs and outside to the shower area, but the place is kept very clean, there’s complimentary breakfast, and you really only come here to party, so who cares about anything else!
Purple Monkey at a glance:
$
Massive rooftop bar makes it easy to meet people
Gratis ontbijt
Super social atmosphere
Beds from 37,000 COP, private rooms from 115,000 COP.
Book Purple Monkey here!
7. Casa Kiwi Hostel
Casa Kiwi Hostel is another institution and located in the middle of Poblado. The dorms are small and I found the beds to be a little thin, but each bed has a locker, and overall, the building is clean and tidy. There’s a big kitchen with complimentary coffee and tea, but the hostel’s restaurant serves up tasty and cheap food. It also has a rooftop terrace, a plunge pool, a bar, plenty of hammocks, and a mini-theater.
As one of the most popular hostels in the city, it’s really easy to meet people here, as it’s always full!
Casa Kiwi Hostel at a glance:
$
Restaurant on-site makes it easy to mingle
Rooftop terrace and pool
Great place to meet people
Beds from 35,000 COP.
Book Casa Kiwi Hostel here!
***
Two places I would not recommend staying are Monet’s and Selina. Monet’s is new and cheap and has friendly owners, but it’s far from the action, the walls are thin, and the accommodations pretty basic. If you were on a tight, tight budget and anywhere else was full, it would be good for a night. I wouldn’t spend a lot more time there than that.
Selina is a incredibly popular hostel with digital nomads and has locations around the world. It’s always so hyped up that I was pretty ecstatic to stay there.
However, I was greatly disappointed.
It was a good spot to work from (they have a co-working space), there are restaurants on site, and the bar, though overpriced, was a great place to meet expats and travelers, but the beds were hard, the rooms had little privacy, and the bathrooms weren’t well kept. given the high premium it charges, I just didn’t see the value om daar te blijven. Beter om ergens anders te blijven en in plaats daarvan bij Selina te gaan feesten! Je krijgt veel meer waar voor je peso elders.
***
Dus daar heb je het: de beste hostels in Medellín op basis van mijn recente ervaring uit de eerste hand. Je kunt niet fout gaan met een van hen, maar verreweg het beste, beste, beste hostel in de stad zijn LOS Patios. Het is een van de beste hostels waar ik ooit in heb verbleven!
Boek je reis naar Medellin: logistieke ideeën en trucs
Boek uw vlucht
Gebruik Skyscanner om een goedkope vlucht te vinden. Ze zijn mijn favoriete zoekmachine omdat ze op websites en luchtvaartmaatschappijen over de hele wereld doorzoeken, zodat je altijd weet dat geen steen ongemoeid blijft!
Boek uw accommodatie
Je kunt je hostel boeken met hostelworld omdat ze de grootste inventaris en de beste deals hebben. Als je ergens anders dan een hostel wilt blijven, gebruik dan Booking.com, omdat ze consequent de goedkoopste tarieven voor gastenhuizen en goedkope hotels retourneren.
Vergeet de reisverzekering niet
Reisverzekering zal u beveiligen tegen ziekte, letsel, diefstal en annuleringen. Het is gedetailleerde bescherming voor het geval er iets misgaat. Ik ga nooit op reis zonder dat ik het in het verleden vaak moest gebruiken. Mijn favoriete bedrijven die de beste service en waarde bieden, zijn:
Veiligheidsvleugel (voor iedereen onder de 70)
Verzeker mijn reis (voor die ouder dan 70)
MedJet (voor extra repatriëringsdekking)
Op zoek naar de beste bedrijven om geld mee te besparen?
Bekijk mijn resource -pagina voor de beste bedrijven om te gebruiken wanneer u reist. Ik vermeld alle mensen die ik gebruik om geld te besparen als ik onderweg ben. Ze zullen je geld besparen als je ook reist.
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Fotocredits: 2 – LOS Patios, 3 – Hostel Rango Boutique, 4 – Sugar Cane hostel, 5 – The Wandering Paisa, 6 – Black Sheep Hostel, 7 – Purple Monkey, 8 – Casa Kiwi Hostel