macdaddi

And to answer the initial question @12is12 related to El Centro hotels, the best hotel in that neighbourhood is Gran Hotel Medellín on Calle Caracas at Avenida Oriental.

Fair enough, I was writing specifically about the sauna scene, which is almost entirely en El Centro. Things change regularly so I haven't written about the sex clubs extensively so as not to send people to businesses that are no longer there. There are multiple sex clubs and gay-themed nights around Laureles. Some, like the private club at Avenida 80 at Calle 43 don't have actual names. (enter from rear door, yellow building on Calle 43) Others pop up and move around, like Spa Med 33. And there are mainstays like Sillon Rojo and La Casa del Gurú which host regular events. If you want to the very best private events, you should probably check out Angels Club, however they have an annual membership requirement. I would suggest asking politely about "eventos o parches gay" in popular bars like Chiquita, Happy, or Donde Aquellos. That should lead you down the rabbit hole of the inner workings of Medellín's gay scene. There are plenty of events that happen regularly in the old dancehall spaces around Centro-La Candelaría. You just need to meet someone who is plugged into that scene.

Unclear what you consider to be the "sex venue" area? There are several small sex clubs around Laureles on 33 and 80 -- is that what you are thinking? There are plenty of options in the area, a cluster hotels in the Circulares around La 70 or also near the stadium Metro station on Calle47D.

Yes -- it is an entry requirement when arriving from Brasil. Yes -- it is generally enforced but I have experienced entry through El Dorado airport where they do not ask.

I love your instagram account @Tourguidebogota everyone looks like they are having a great time and enjoying an authentic and unique Colombian experience. Bienvenido al foro.

If I have not mentioned this before, I apologize. @midwestdad is absolutely correct and the dozens of miradores around Medallo are a great excursion with a new friend. Download the app Miradores Destination for the best selection with instructions how how to arrive (choose an Uber unless you really enjoy steep hiking trails) and to know what amenities are on site. Some have restaurants and entertainment, other have simple cantinas where you can buy a beer and take in the city lights. Great way to end a day in Medellín.

Relax. There is always an emerging "new" panic around Colombia travel. You wouldn't believe the "expert" opinions shared with me when I first traveled to the country and fell in love with Medallo. Perhaps because Narcos on Netflix was popular at the time? Medellín as a whole is less dangerous that most similarly sized cities in North America. The barrios where there are higher rates of violent crimes are ones you are highly unlikely to visit during your first trip. Skipping this city will leave a big to-do on your travel list. Don't let a few negative stories detract you from visiting the city. There is much to see and do, and the paisas are certain to charm the pants off of you. Literally. Cheers. Edit - BTW, if you are still planning to be there in early January 2025, I am around. Happy to meet up and introduce you to some locals and the main spots.

Very -- they sponsor a large number of club promotions and Grindr (paid account) is too expensive for most Colombians.

Just wanted to note that @Latbear4blk is correct, dulces refers to drugs, but in Medellín it quite specifically is used to refer to cocaine or tusi, a pink mixture of several stimulants that is very popular in the club scene. Both would be referred to as dulces, which I have never heard used to refer to the cannabis family.

I typically use "passion" or "into it", which we both know is know is not the full explanation. It kind of feels like estrenar or sobremesar where there isn't a comparable word, just an explanation of what it means culturally.

Doy / buscar liga = paid sex. You may be prepared to pay for sex (doy liga) or are looking to be paid (busco liga). There are other uses certainly but this is the discrete way of saying you are an escort in Grindr and not be explicit. chupar ya roc looks like a misspelling or a shorted word. Note that Colombians insert ya into just about every second sentence, this looks very to be a colloquial use.

Black + White Club Cali is hosting their inaugural finca party in Rozo (northeast of Cali) next weekend if you are around. The event will take place August 24-25th from 6pm-11am with return transportation available. Dress code is bathing suit/briefs. There will be special guests including interactive stripper shows. Contact the club for more information/ticket purchase. Reservation cut off is 22 August 2024, firm. WhatsApp +57 318 5743070 X @bwhitecast_

That's the thread, ¡muchas gracias!

Yes. This has been discussed extensively here but I can't find the start of the exchange. I have been there personally several times, but there are better options. The street is Calle 57a between Avenida Oriental and Carrera 47. The main bars are El Machete and Kanahan's bar. The old restaurant where the boys worked right on the park closed during the pandemic and was non-operational as of this month. I don't recommend visiting as this barrio is not particularly safe after dark. Others here have argued against that so do with that what you want. Here is a map of the Calle del pecado in Medellin. Happy hunting.

Prices drop post-Christmas as everyone is broke and things are mostly quiet in January and don’t begin to pick up until the religious holidays and Valentine’s Day (a big deal in Medellín) happen in February. The paisas in particular have made gringo holidays very fashionable in recent years.

Do consider the timing -- if you did your search within the last week, it is La Feria de las Flores currently (until Sunday, August 11) and prices go up as the city is packed with tourists right now. FWIW. There will be plenty of horny paisas wiling and ready to hook up when you arrive in Medallo.

Nothing, although I prefer the quiet of Belén in Medallo. But clearly I am not very cool, since Time Out designated Laureles the coolest neighbourhood in the world last year, a fact that the locals will proudly repeat. https://www.timeout.com/news/its-official-this-is-the-worlds-coolest-neighbourhood-right-now-101723 I will add @Birmingham boy you may want to check out Medellín Guru blog for insider tips. It's a collective of resources for ex-pats who have relocated/are considering Medellín. They are good about keeping the information up-to-date.

Eso es todo :)

It is. And it is also highly regulated with police and surveillance. In your planning process, consider that getting around Bogotá is going to be a challenge as the city runs North South (mostly) and there is no metro-subway system. So everyone gets around on cars-motorbikes-buses while fighting for access to the limited two-lane streets. Traffic is a known challenge in Bogotá. Just want to be certain that you are not limiting your options because staying north of Usaquén is going to require a 40 minute taxi ride to get down to Chapigay, and close to 1 hour to travel to the historic Centro in the south in good traffic. The Cedritos area of the city has limited its access to 2 main streets running north-south because of the very deliberate placement of the country club and golf course. It is not easy to access this part of the city for reason. So please consider that in your decision making.

A few thoughts about Bogotá, Per your research, there is both an economic and psychographic split between North and South. In fact, residents of Northern Bogotá will refer to themselves as "rolo-rola" while the South refers to themselves as "cachaco-cachaca". They both mean resident of Bogotá. You can do a small Rorschach test by asking locals where they are from as the answer for locals is generally telling. I do think you are really overthinking location since the cruising hot spots change throughout the year. Most guys that want to have sex with other men will generally head down to Chapigay for entertainment. You will see that every block in Chapigay has businesses that cater to gay men, although it sounds like things are in a decline currently. As this is your first trip, either stay in Chapinero or within a 20 minute walk of that area. That gives you Chapigay, Chapinero Alto, or potentially Palermo to the south. Chapinero includes the financial district (along Carrera 7) so much of that zona is dead on weekends. If you want to venture out to a less "touristy" neighbourhood, then look at rentals in El Chicó around Parque Virrey which is a very desirable address popular with young professionals and families. Lots of local shops, gyms (Rolos take great pride at staying in shape), cafes, and restaurants and you are a 10 minute cab ride from Chapigay. One plus here is because of the demographics, you will meet plenty of people who speak English and will be happy to chat. If you move just 3 blocks to the north, you will also find options around Parque de la 93 which is a popular zona for the technology companies in the city, which means plenty of young professionals live and work in this neighbourhood. This still puts you within a 15 minute taxi ride from Chapigay. Cheers!

Odd. I am not aware of any restrictions on drinking water in Cali. Other areas of the country yes, but the water systems for the major cities (that you are visiting in your stated itinerary) have all been upgraded and the tap water is safe to drink. So the warning is curious, to the point of being a red flag. Outside of the major cities (and this includes Cartagena) NEVER drink tap water because it is not properly treated. But in Cali this should not be an issue. Unless you are determined to stay at that listing, I would look at other options.

No. If you want an authentic experience, stay in Laureles. El Poblado has become the epicentre for remote workers and ex-pats in the city. If you follow any Medellín real estate accounts, all of those big apartments for sale is because the Colombians (including those who can afford them) avoid the Poblado neighbourhood. Getting around the city is an issue since everything is split West-East because of the Medellín river. The local boys won't care, they are used to it. They are most likely to live in an area far from Poblado so don't let that factor into your decision.

Good to be thinking about this. Short answer is yes, you can use your phone in public. However, be aware of your surroundings. You may have seen the videos of moto thiefs grabbing phones from users hands in Colombia. That is a real thing. So be discrete. Don't pull out your iPhone 15 Max in public and think no one is going to notice. As the Colombians say "no dar papaya". Don't make a show of it, don't be obvious. But don't let paranoia ruin your experiences of the city. Just keep the phone in your pocket, or go Colombian and store your phone in the crotch of your briefs. Some caleño may even ask you to retrieve his phone for him, it's a not-very-subtle pick up move there. As for public transit, you can absolutely take the bus during the day. It's the easiest way to get from downtown (north Cali) to the south and the outer suburbs thanks to dedicated bus lanes.

There are many video clubs and men's clubs in different barrios across the city. Some, like Metropolis Club, are larger spaces while most are small, multi-roomed bars where men watch the football game and cruise between drinks. It is meant to be a social space for men to fraternize together. If you want to suck a dick in between halves, then most contain a space to do that. If you search for gay spaces in Cali on Google maps, you will see these clubs spread out across most of the city's barrios.