Top Ways For Expat Visitors to Keep Cool in Medellin

The mercury is rising to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32 Celcius, again today in the one-time City of Eternal Spring.

Medellin (elevation 4,900 feet or 1,500 meters above sea level) has a lot going for it, but don’t blindly buy into the nickname containing the words Eternal Spring.

After spending over a week here, I now submit my Top Ten Ways For Expat Visitors to Keep Cool in Medellin....

10.  Plan your visit to avoid the hottest months such as June-August.

9.  Don’t overdo it with outdoor activities on hot days during the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours.

8.  Take advantage of the many trees and tall buildings in Poblado sector for shade when walking or resting outdoors.

7.  Take taxis.  They’re cheap.  More on finding air-conditioned taxis in my next post below.  The buses I took this week did not have air-conditioning.  Plan your transportation accordingly.

6. Don’t plan your trip during El Niño periods that heat up the city and that reduce rainfall.

5.  Stay at a higher elevation within the city or the valley.  The Milla de Oro and lower-basin points can be schvitz central during the hottest hours of the hottest days.

4.  Don’t believe Internet posts that claim Medellin has 75-degree F. high temps every day year-round.  That era has ended.  Also, forget the posts that include the fact that average temperature in Medellin is 72 degrees F.  That bit of info is meaningless because it includes the cooler overnight hours -- look for average high temperatures instead at Internet weather sites,  google:  Medellin monthly average high fahrenheit (or celsius) ....

3.  Anything that you can do after dark, plan to do it then.

2.  Stay hydrated and don’t over-expose yourself to the sun.  Use sun protection and take advantage of beach-type umbrellas.

And the number-one way for Expat visitors to stay cool in Medellin....

1.  Stay at a place with a swimming pool.

-- cccmedia from Medellín