Medellin Guru needs the help of readers to remain ad free. For over 6 years, the Medellin Guru website has been ad free with no sponsors or advertisements. Medellin Guru is now on Patreon, which permits donations to support the site.

Medellin Guru has been a labor of love since it was launched in July 2017. But as the Medellin Guru site has become more and more time-consuming and popular, we are asking for a little help from all our friends and readers to keep Medellin Guru going.

Medellin Guru is now the most popular English language blog in Colombia. However, the success of Medellin Guru has resulted in dramatically increased costs.

• Over 900,000 visitors to the website monthly for the past year, which is up 50 percent compared to the prior year.
• Over 8,000 email subscribers.
• 12 events in 2019 that averaged 175+ attendees.

We do not receive a single cent for the free weekly Medellin Guru email newsletter we send to thousands of subscriber every week. Also, we not receive a single cent for organizing and holding the largest monthly event for foreigners in Medellín.

Readers please help support Medellin Guru for as little as $3 per month and get access to our premium content. Support us at the level you can!

We already have over 920 subscribers (patrons). Thanks everyone!

Unique visitors on Medellin Guru surpassed 100,000 in Nov and Dec 2019, source: Google Analytics

For two months in November and December 2019, we had over 100,000 visitors to the Medellin Guru website each month, which was our highest traffic so far.

Also, we have over 17,000 followers on Facebook and respond to hundreds of questions from readers monthly via chat and email for free.

In addition, we are working hard to keep the content on Medellin Guru up-to-date. In a period of 149 weeks, we updated a total of 2,158 articles. Things change all the time in Colombia, particularly due to coronavirus.

We are Publishing Premium Content Articles in FULL on Patreon

We already published 86 premium content articles on Patreon in FULL.

Popular Premium Articles About Visiting and Moving to Colombia

• Coronavirus in Colombia: Daily Status on (Updated Daily)
• Coronavirus Hospitalization in Colombia: Myth vs Reality
• How to be an Expat in Colombia? 12 Tips to be a Successful Expat
• 10 Reasons Why Expats Leave Colombia: Colombia is Not for Everyone
• Living Cheap in Medellín: 15 Tips for Living Cheaper in Medellín
• 17 Top Mistakes Tourists Make When Visiting Colombia
• Guide to Saving Money in Medellín: 19 Tips to Save Money
• 13 Downsides of Owning a Car in Medellín: Why Expats Don’t Have Cars
• Tourism Impact of Coronavirus: Colombia Starts to Reactivate Tourism
• Tourism is Permitted in Colombia – What are the Rules?
• 8 Reasons Why Colombia is Unlikely to Return to a Quarantine
• Will the Quarantine Return to Colombia? What if Cases Increase?
• Protests in Colombia: Current Status and What Happens Next?
• Colombia Needs to Ramp up COVID-19 Vaccinations
• Is Colombia Starting to Win the Coronavirus Battle?
• Is it Safe to Travel to Colombia During Protests?

Renting Unfurnished Apartments and Casas (Houses)

• Apartment Rental Guide: Renting Unfurnished Apartments in Medellín
• Guide to Finding Unfurnished Apartments and Casas in Medellín
• Apartment vs Casa (Houses) in Medellín: Pros and Cons
• Rent vs Buy: Downsides of Renting and Buying Property in Medellín
• Guide to Overcoming the Fiador Requirement in Colombia

Buying, Selling and Investing in Real Estate

• Medellín Real Estate: 2021 Property Buyer’s Guide for Foreigners
• Mistakes Foreigners Make When Buying Real Estate in Colombia
• 13 Things Real Estate Agents in Colombia May Not Tell You
• New Apartment Prices in Medellín: Costs to Buy – 2021 Update
• Investing: Risks of Investing in Real Estate in Colombia
• Selling Real Estate in Colombia: A Guide to Selling for Foreigners
• 9 Risks of Investing in Short-Term Rental Real Estate in Colombia
• Rent vs Buy: Downsides of Renting and Buying Property in Medellín

Choosing a Neighborhood in Medellín

• 5 Best Neighborhoods in Medellín: A Guide to Choosing a Neighborhood
• Why Sabaneta is the Second Most Popular Neighborhood in Medellín for Expats
• What are the Safest Neighborhoods in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley?
• 9 Downsides of El Poblado: Living in Medellín’s Expensive Neighborhood
• Pros and Cons of El Poblado: A Popular Neighborhood for Expats in Medellín
• Pros and Cons of Envigado: A Popular Neighborhood for Expats Near Medellín
• Pros and Cons of Laureles: A Popular Neighborhood for Expats in Medellín
• Pros and Cons of Sabaneta: A Popular Town for Expats Near Medellín
• Pros and Cons of Belén: A Medellín Neighborhood Becoming Increasing Popular
• Pros and Cons of El Centro: A Medellín Neighborhood Discovered by Some Expats
• Pros and Cons of Buenos Aires: A Hidden Gem Neighborhood in Medellín
• El Poblado vs Laureles: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El Poblado vs Envigado: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El Poblado vs Sabaneta: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• El Poblado vs Belén: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
• The Ultimate Guide to El Poblado for Expats Living in El Poblado
• The Ultimate Guide to Laureles for Expats Living in Laureles
• The Ultimate Guide to Envigado for Expats Living in Envigado
• The Ultimate Guide to Sabaneta for Expats Living in Sabaneta
• The Ultimate Guide to Belén for Expats Living in Belén in Medellín

Choosing a City in Colombia to Live in

• Guide to Choosing a City in Colombia to Live in Colombia
• Medellin vs Pereira vs Bucaramanga: 3 Cities of Eternal Spring
• 12 Downsides to Living in Bogotá: An Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• 11 Downsides to Living in Medellín: An Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• 11 Downsides to Living in Cartagena: An Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• 11 Downsides to Living in Cali, Colombia: Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• 12 Downsides to Living in Santa Marta: Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• 13 Downsides to Living in Manizales: An Expat Perspective – 2021 Update
• Pereira vs Manizales vs Armenia: 3 Cities in Colombia’s Coffee Triangle
• Medellín vs Bogotá: Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellín vs Cartagena: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Cali: Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellín vs Barranquilla: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Santa Marta: Which is the Better City to Live?
• Medellín vs Manizales: Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellín vs Pereira? Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Cartagena vs Santa Marta: Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellín vs Armenia: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Popayán: Which is the Better City to Live in?

Choosing a Foreign Retirement Location and Comparing Cities

• Why Expats Move to Medellín From Other Countries in Latin America
• 12 Reasons Why Medellín is a Top Foreign Retirement Location
• Why the Retirement Publications Get Medellín and Colombia Wrong
• Medellín vs Cuenca: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellin vs Panama City, Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellin vs Costa Rica, Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellin vs Belize, Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellín vs Algarve: Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellín vs Chiang Mai, Thailand: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Lima Peru: Which is the Better City to Live in?
• Medellín vs Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellín vs Mexico City: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellin vs Mazatlán, Mexico: Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellín vs Rio de Janeiro: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Fortaleza, Brazil: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Buenos Aires, Argentina: Which is the Better Place to Live?
• Medellín vs Santiago, Chile: Which is the Better City to Live In?
• Medellín vs Valletta, Malta: Which is the Better Place to Live in?

If you are a Medellin Guru patron subscriber, you can access these articles in full on Patreon without going to the Medellin Guru website.

We now plan to publish any new premium locked articles and updated locked articles in full on the Patreon website. So, you can now think of Patreon as the new home for Medellin Guru’s premium content.

Accessing premium content on Medellin Guru is somewhat cumbersome with Patreon security. So, you can now access content directly on Patreon after logging in once.

The Patreon access issue may be fixed soon, but we still plan to migrate all our locked content to Patreon.

So, to access premium content on Medellin Guru please go to: https://www.patreon.com/medellinguru

Unlocked Most Popular Premium Content 

In addition, we temporarily unlocked four of the most popular premium content articles on Medellin Guru, So, Patreon subscribers can access these articles while we transition them to Patreon:

1. Colombia’s Quarantine Ended on September 1: What Happens Next?
2. Economy Impacts in Colombia Due to Extended Quarantine
3. Medellín, Colombia – Why it’s the Perfect Place for Me
4. Women Entrepreneurs of Medellín: A Group Empowering Women

If you need access to other locked articles on Medellin Guru, please contact us. We will ensure that subscribers have access to the premium content on Medellin Guru.

Medellin Guru Premium Content Access Issue Are Solved

A handful of patrons each week since late September have been reporting problems accessing locked premium content on Medellin Guru. The most common issue has been a loop with Patreon security while trying to access content on Medellin Guru.

We have fixed this over two months ago with changes to how we handle premium locked content.

We are sorry for anyone who had access issues. We worked with a Patreon developer for a week, who was unable to duplicate the problem and verified that everything on the Medellin Guru website is configured correctly.

Since the developer was unable to find the problem that was impacting several Medellin Guru patrons, we  made changes for how we handle locked premium content on Medellin Guru and now provide an alternative method of access that works for everyone.

The Quarantine in Colombia Has Hit Medellin Guru

How Medellin Guru Has Done Things Differently

What is different about MedellinGuru.com than many other travel blogs? Unlike many other travel blogs, for the past 5+ years you wouldn’t find advertising, sponsored content or paid trips on this site.

Every company, place, restaurant, tourist spot, transportation company or attraction covered on this site has been personally visited or used by me or one of the other writers on this site or guest writers.

And we pay our own way. Unlike many other websites, we only feature companies and places we use and/or are frequented by other expats – not ones that have paid us for advertising or paid for us to write a sponsored article.

Our resistance to advertising and sponsors has helped Medellin Guru become the most popular English-language blog in Colombia. Also, keeping the content up-to-date has helped the site become increasingly popular.

We do to use some affiliate marketing on this site to help pay for costs of this site. This means if you decide to click through and purchase something via a link on this site, Medellin Guru receives a small commission and you support this site. This is at no additional cost to you.

However, with increased operating costs for Medellin Guru, we will be forced to add advertising to the Medellin Guru website in the next few months. But with readers’ help, we won’t have to do this.

Jeff Paschke, the founder of Medellin Guru

Medellin Guru Needs Your Help!

If only 10 percent of our newsletter subscribers donated only $3 per month, we won’t need to add any advertising. Medellin Guru is now making some content on the website patron-only. 

By asking for help from our readers to remain ad free, we already have over 920 subscribers (patrons). Thanks everyone!

We are moving to a partial subscription model. Currently over 20 percent of the over 500 articles on Medellin Guru are patron-only. To see all this premium content requires an inexpensive subscription (minimum of $3 per month).

Also, some readers in the past have asked how they can donate. So, Medellin Guru has been on Patreon, since January 2020, which permits donations and subscriptions.

The future of Medellin Guru relies on your support. Please become a patron and support Medellin Guru remain ad free and help us hire more staff to support the growing site.

Support Medellin Guru, Subscribe on Patreon

Medellin Guru on Patreon

We have structured six different membership levels on Patreon with different benefits:

1. Entry Level – $3 per month (only about the cost of a beer or coffee)

• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• A big think you for your donation!

2. Supporters – $5 per month

• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• Priority email responses from Medellin Guru. If you have questions we will find the answers.
• Ability to recommend topics for priority coverage on Medellin Guru.

3. Patrons – $10 per month

• Free Medellin Guru Expat Consultation via Skype or In-Person.
• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• Priority email responses from Medellin Guru. If you have questions we will find the answers.
• Ability to recommend topics for priority coverage on Medellin Guru.

4. Promote Events with Medellin Guru – $20 per month

• Promote Your Events: Medellin Guru will promote your events in our weekly events calendar on the website, our weekly Medellin Guru email newsletter sent to over 5,000 subscribers and our Medellin Guru Events Group on Facebook with over 2,000 members.
• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• Priority email responses from Medellin Guru. If you have questions we will find the answers.
• Ability to recommend topics for priority coverage on Medellin Guru.

The “Promote Events” level of membership is intended for those that have events in Medellín and want Medellin Guru to help with promotion of your events.

At the Medellin Guru November 2019 meetup at 20Mission Cerveza with over 210 attendees

5. Sponsor of Medellin Guru Events – $30 per month

• Sponsorship of Events: your company will be featured as a sponsor of our Monthly Medellin Guru meetups, the largest monthly foreigner events in Medellín.
• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• Priority email responses from Medellin Guru. If you have questions we can find the answers.
• Ability to recommend topics for coverage on Medellin Guru.

This “Sponsor of Medellin Guru Events” level of membership is intended for companies that want their company featured as a sponsor of our monthly Medellin Guru events.

6. Sponsor of Medellin Guru – $50 per month

• Sponsorship of Newsletter: your company will be featured as a sponsor of the Medellin Guru newsletter in our weekly newsletter sent to over 8,000 subscribers.
• Sponsorship of Events: your company will be featured as a sponsor of our Monthly Medellin Guru meetups, the largest monthly foreigner events in Medellín.
• Subscriber access to patron-only content on Medellin Guru
• Priority email responses from Medellin Guru. If you have questions we can find the answers.
• Ability to recommend topics for coverage on Medellin Guru.

This “Sponsor” level of membership is intended for companies that want their company featured as a sponsor in the Medellin Guru weekly newsletter as well as our monthly Medellin Guru events.

Medellin Guru Sponsors

Medellin Guru now has sponsors. We currently have eight sponsors:

1. OLSA International
2. Darrell and Diana Reamer
3. David Williams
4. Mary Johnson
5. Charlie
6. Anonymous
7. Anonymous
8. Anonymous

Annual Subscriptions to Medellin Guru

Instead of paying monthly, we now offer annual subscriptions to Medellin Guru. If you pay for an annual subscription we offer a 12 percent discount for a limited time:

1. Entry Level – $3 per month ($36) becomes $31.68 annually (save $4,32)

2. Supporters – $5 per month ($60) becomes $52.80 annually (save $7.20)

3. Patrons – $10 per month ($120) becomes $105.60 annually (save $14.40)

4. Promote Events with Medellin Guru – $20 per month ($240) becomes $211.20 annually (save $28.80)

5. Sponsor of Medellin Guru Events – $30 per month ($360) becomes $316.88 annually (save $43.12)

6. Sponsor of Medellin Guru – $50 per month ($600) becomes $528 annually (save $72) 

Support Medellin Guru, Subscribe on Patreon

Support Medellin Guru By Buying Medellin Guru a Coffee

If you are unable to sign up for a Patreon subscription you can also support us by buying us a coffee (or more than one coffee).

This is essentially a one time donation.

Buy me a coffee

The Bottom Line: Patreon – Medellin Guru Needs Your Help to Remain Ad Free

Has Medellin Guru helped you? We are asking for the help of readers.  I believe that Medellin Guru is important and if you do also, or want to receive one of the benefits mentioned above, please become a patron using the button above. If you become a patron you get access to all the content on Medellin Guru.

In addition, don’t forget we now offer annual subscriptions to our readers in addition to monthly. Medellin Guru readers asked for this so we now offer annual subscriptions. Also we are offering a 12 percent discount on our annual subscriptions for a limited time to the end of March 2022.

I really want the Medellin Guru site to remain ad free and totally independent. Medellin Guru has helped thousands of foreigners over the past three years. And I would absolutely hate to add advertising. Also, we would like to add staff to help with the growing site.

The bottom line is we need the help of readers for Medellin Guru to remain ad free.

Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.

Editors note: updated on March 1 to extend annual discount.