As the New Year starts, it’s time to revisit some of Medellin Guru’s most popular and most discussed articles of 2017.
On July 20, 2017, Medellin Guru was launched, with a goal to provide up-to-date articles about Medellín and Colombia to help expats by covering the best places and best things to do, along with useful travel tips, living tips and experienced expat tips while also offering amazing photos.
In less than six months in 2017, Medellin Guru published over 100 articles with well over 1,000 photos. In addition, we surpassed over 230,000 unique visitors and over 560,000 page views on the new website in this short time.
Also, we published articles from eight different authors in 2017. And you can see all of Medellin Guru’s authors listed here. Furthermore, we added over 6,600 followers on Facebook.
Note the above photo of Medellín taken by our photographer Jenny Bojinova from Pueblito Paisa. And this photo was seen by of over 60,000 people on Facebook during the launch of Medellin Guru.
Here are Medellin Guru’s highlights from 2017:
15 Most Viewed Articles on Medellin Guru in 2017
Here are the 15 most viewed articles on Medellin Guru in 2017. Each of these most popular articles had over 10,000 views.
A Guide to Medellín’s Christmas Lights
1. Alumbrados 2017: A Guide to Medellín’s Christmas Lights
Alumbrados Navideños 2017: we provide a guide to Medellín’s world-class Christmas lights that for the 3rd year in a row won’t be along the river this year.
This article with a guide to Medellín’s world-class Christmas lights was our most popular with over 40,000 views in 2017.
Nuestra Señora del Rosario church
2. Nuestra Señora del Rosario: A Beautiful Church in Medellín
Nuestra Señora del Rosario is arguably the most beautiful church in the Medellín metro area. It’s located in Bello and is definitely worth seeing.
Pereira, Colombia
3. Medellin vs Pereira vs Bucaramanga: 3 Cities of Eternal Spring
Medellín vs Pereira vs Bucaramanga, all 3 are cities of eternal spring in Colombia but which is best to live in. We compare the cities in 14 categories.
Traffic in Medellín, one of the downsides of living in the city
4. 11 Downsides to Living in Medellín: An Expat Perspective
Medellín has a reputation as a good place to live with a good climate and low cost of living. But there are still downsides to living in Medellín.
Surprisingly Cheap Things in Medellín
5. 14 Surprisingly Cheap Things in Medellín for Expats
One of the benefits of being an expat living in Medellín is that there are many surprisingly cheap things found in Medellín compared to costs in the U.S.
27 reasons I chose to live in Medellín
6. Why Medellín? 27 Reasons I Chose to Live in Medellín
Why Medellín? After traveling to over 40 countries, Jeff provides 27 reasons he ending up choosing Medellín as a great place to live.
Tiendas D1 store
7. Shopping at Tiendas D1 to Save Substantially on Groceries
Tiendas D1 is a chain of over 500 small grocery stores in Colombia. It is possible to save over 30 percent on your grocery bill by shopping at Tiendas D1.
Justo y Bueno store
8. Shopping at Justo y Bueno in Medellín to Save on Groceries
Justo y Bueno is a chain of small grocery stores in Colombia. It is possible to save over 30 percent on your grocery bill by shopping at Justo y Bueno.
Inside Mercado Del Rio in Medellín
9. Mercado Del Rio: Medellín’s Trendy Gastronomic Market
Mercado Del Rio is a large and popular gastronomic market in Medellín with a huge collection of nearly 50 trendy restaurants in a sizable warehouse space.
View of Bogotá from Monserrate
10. Medellín vs Bogotá: Which is the Better City to Live In?
Medellín vs Bogotá. We compare the two largest cities in Colombia in 17 categories to see which is the better city to live in for expats.
Inside PriceSmart in Medellín
11. Shopping at PriceSmart to Save Substantially on Groceries
PriceSmart warehouse club in Medellín has good prices to enable saving on grocery costs. It also has many imported items that are hard to find elsewhere.
Expensive things in Medellín
12. 9 Expensive Things in Medellín, Colombia for Expats
Medellín is known for having a relatively low cost of living for expats. But there are still some expensive things in Medellín compared to U.S. prices.
Brunch at Al Alma
13. 9 Best Places for Brunch in El Poblado, Medellín
After some extensive research trying out many places, we give you our top picks of the best brunch places in the El Poblado area of Medellín. Enjoy!
Medellín’s Alumbrados Christmas Lights 2017
14. Alumbrados 2017: Medellín’s World-Class Christmas Lights
See our photos of Medellín’s Alumbrados 2017, the Christmas lights display this year. For the 3rd year in a row the route isn’t along the river in Medellín.
Iglesia Jesús Nazareno, photo by SajoR
15. Iglesia Jesús Nazareno: A Beautiful Church in Medellín
Iglesia Jesús Nazareno (Jesus of Nazareth Church) is one of the most beautiful churches in Medellín. It´s not in any guide books but it´s worth seeing.
Getting a Colombian Visa
New Colombia Visa Rules
Colombia officially changed its visa rules on December 15, 2017. This is a major change so Medellin Guru published a total of seven articles about the visa updates.
Watch out of out-of-date information. Due to the major visa changes in Colombia, many websites and blogs now have out-of-date information about Colombian visas. We plan to keep all the content on the Medellin Guru website up-to-date and will update our visa articles as new information is disclosed.
- How to Obtain a Colombian Visa – With Up-to-Date 2017 Info
- How to Obtain a Colombia Retirement Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Obtain a Colombia Marriage Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Obtain a Colombia Resident Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Obtain a Colombia Student Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Obtain a Colombia Work Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Obtain a Colombia Investment Visa – 2017 Update
- How to Apply for a Cedula Extranjeria in Colombia
Medellín vs Cuenca
City Comparisons
We published six very popular city comparison articles during the year:
- Medellín vs Cuenca: Which is the Better City to Live In?
- Medellín vs Costa Rica: Which is the Better Place to Live?
- Medellín vs Bogotá: Which is the Better City to Live In?
- Medellin vs Pereira vs Bucaramanga: 3 Cities of Eternal Spring
- Medellín vs Cartagena: Which is the Better City to Live In?
- Medellín vs Cali: Which is the Better City to Live In?
View of Cartagena, Colombia
Travel in Colombia
We published four articles about traveling to different parts of Colombia:
- 72 Hours in Historical Cartagena: A Recommended Itinerary
- Rio Claro Nature Reserve: A Perfect Getaway from Medellín
- 48 Hours in Salento: The Coffee Region’s Picturesque Pueblo
- Guide to Hiking the Spectacular Cocora Valley in Colombia
Insides José María Córdova international airport
Transportation Guides
We published four popular transportation guides:
- Medellín Taxi Guide: Updated Guide with New 2017 Fares
- How to Find Cheap Flights in Colombia and Save Money
- José María Córdova (MDE): A Guide to the Medellín Airport
- How to Get to Medellín from the Airport
One of the graffiti pieces seen on the Comuna 13 tour
Tours
Also, we published four very popular tour articles:
- Recommended Tourist Itinerary for a Day in Medellín
- 2 Best Walking Tours in Medellín: Explore the City on Foot
- Inside Comuna 13: A Neighborhood Revitalized Through Art
- La Sierra Tours: A New Tour Being Offered in Medellín
Contenedores Food Place in Envigado
Restaurant and Café Reviews
In addition, we published several popular restaurant and café reviews:
- Chef Burger: A Popular Gourmet Burger Chain in Medellín
- Pizzería Olivia: A Very Popular Pizza Chain in Medellín
- Starbucks in Medellín Opens Sixth Coffee Shop in Laureles
- 9 Best Places for Brunch in El Poblado, Medellín
- Contenedores Food Place: A Gastronomic Market in Envigado
- 6 Best Independent Coffee Roasters in El Poblado, Medellín
- Mercado Del Rio: Medellín’s Trendy Gastronomic Market
View of Medellín from Belén
Expat Tips, Real Estate, Taxes and the Cost of Living
We also published several popular articles about expat tips, real estate, taxes and the cost of living:
- 11 Things Real Estate Agents in Colombia May Not Tell You
- 2017 Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellín
- 11 Downsides to Living in Medellín: An Expat Perspective
- Exchanging Money, Receiving & Transferring Money in Colombia
- How to File Income Taxes (Declaración de Renta) in Colombia
- Colombia’s IVA Tax & How Tourists Can Get an IVA Tax Refund
- 11 Reasons Why Medellín is a Top Foreign Retirement Location
- Medellín Cost of Living for a Couple with 3-Year History
- Expat Cost of Living in Medellín for a Single Woman
View of Medellín from Pueblito Paisa, photo by Jenny Bojinova
The Bottom Line: Medellin Guru Year in Review
Thanks to everyone who read Medellin Guru in 2017. We have many new and interesting articles in work for 2018. And we look forward to continuing to keep you informed in the new year.
We are always looking for feedback and suggestions. Are there any topics you would like us to cover in 2018? Please share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.
Also, you can see the Medellin Guru first year anniversary where we look at our 20 most popular articles and accomplishments in our first year.
Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.
7 thoughts on “Medellin Guru Year in Review 2017: Our Most Popular Articles”
Your website is so helpful and I have learned so much. It is also good to see you have balance and talk about both the positives as well as the downsides about living in Medellin. It should be required reading for anyone planning to move to Medellin. I also love your weekly email newsletter.
Love this website that has up to date information about so many things. Medellin Guru is a valuable resource for foreigners wanting to visit or live in Medellin.
Interesting information
I loved your Colombia best hospitals article. How about some more healthcare articles such as medical tourism and comparing costs with the U.S. and about health insurance both for expats living in Medellin and also for tourists. And what about Carnival in Barranquilla?
Hi Robert, thanks, those are some good suggestions. Health insurance and healthcare are two of the most asked about topics. So, we plan to have some more articles in 2018. And I’m working on a guide for Carnival in Barranquilla 2018 with plans to publish soon for people that plan to go. Carnival in Barranquilla this year is from February 10 to 13.
Thanks for the wonderful website that is so helpful. I would like to see some articles about different popular neighborhoods in Medellin like Poblado, Laureles, Envigado and Sabaneta with their pros and cons. Also would like to see some articles about apartment renting and looking for an apartment. Keep up the the good work and good luck in 2018!
Hi David, thanks for the suggestions. We plan to have some articles about the popular neighborhoods in Medellín as well as several articles about the apartment market and renting.