Envigado is a town located 10kms south of Medellin, and the locals here will be sure to let you know that they aren’t from Medellin, they’re from Envigado. They say Envigado is better because it has everything a city needs, but is calmer and more relaxing than Medellin, so they’re able to enjoy life more. I studied at the Colombia Immersion Envigado campus for two weeks and in that short time developed a love for so many things in this neighborhood, 14 things to be exact! A nice majority of my list (not in any particular order) revolves around food, but then again, so does my life.

14 Things I LOVE in Envigado

1. Land To Enjoy

A tour company focusing on the great outdoors and authentic Paisa experiences, Land To Enjoy is your guide to Envigado & beyond. I had the pleasure of meeting Marco (the owner of Land To Enjoy) through a friend from Colombia Immersion, and was so grateful I got the chance to get to know him. He invited me and a few friends to a night out at Salon Malaga with him and his awesome mom Maria, and it ended up being my favorite night of my three weeks in Medellin!

He is incredibly kind, incredibly knowledgeable about Colombia, and you can tell how passionate he is about his hometown and his culture. I’d highly recommend getting in touch with him while you’re in town, as you’re sure to have an incredibly authentic experience if you meet up with him! Him and Maria (who is a University teacher) also run an AirBnB in a great location in Envigado and also offer one-on-one Spanish lessons. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for more details on their AirBnB.) You can contact Marco at marco@landtoenjoy.com to set up a tour!

2. La Cocina De Tata

This Colombian-creole style family restaurant served me some of the best local food I had while in Envigado. My friendly server suggested the Cazuela Frijoles, and I can tell you I was not disappointed. This is a typical Paisa dish, served with arepa, chicharron and of course rice.

And in addition to the food being phenomenal, the wait staff was so incredibly nice to me, and were happy to help me practice my newly learned Spanish. I wish I had tried this restaurant earlier in my trip as I’m sure I would have gone much more than once!  

Location: Cra.35 #38-08, Envigado, Antioquia

3. Cancha de Tejo Envigado

If you’re asking yourself “what the heck is Tejo” don’t worry, so was I. Tejo is a traditional game in Colombia where players throw a puck-like object weighing 1.5lbs across a 20-meter court towards a board covered in clay. The puck is the “tejo” itself. The object of the game is to try and land your tejo in the center of the clay, in between three small envelope-like pieces of paper.

Okay, but here’s the fun part – those envelopes are full of gunpowder, so if your tejo hits one, you guessed it – it explodes loudly and sounds like a gunshot. Not scary at all the first time you’re playing or anything…I am proud to announce that I hit one of the little envelopes and felt pretttttty good about my first ever Tejo experience! It costs about COP 5,000 per person per hour, plus any beers you purchase (throwing back a few Aguila’s is kind of just part of the game) and it’s always in good form to tip the awesome guy who get’s your tejo out of the mud for you! To reserve a spot, contact Christina at +57 314 714 1345.

Location: Cra. 46 #43A-167, Envigado, Antioquia

4. Torteria Mexicana La Chilanga

Owned an operated by an Envigado native named Diego, Torteria Mexicana La Chilanga is a restaurant that brings the authentic and delicious street food he saw while living in Mexico City back to his hometown. Serving only the freshest ingredients he can find, home-making everything from infused waters to salsas, sauces and even the ice cream that he offers for dessert, and hand cut fresh vegetables for each order that comes in- he takes the term made-to-order to the next level.

I ordered Jamaica infused water and the Gringa de Chorizo (how fitting) and it was fantastic.  This place is more than worth a visit if you’re in the area. And be sure to tell Diego Wanderluluu says hello!

Location: Tv. 34c Sur # 3910, Envigado, Antioquia

5. Colombia Immersion Language Exchange

I could go on about how awesome Colombia Immersion Spanish School is as a whole (you can read my full review about the program here), but if you’re short on time and just want to brush up on your Spanish, I’d highly recommend making your way to the Colombia Immersion Friday Night Language Exchange. Basically, every Friday night, Locals and foreigners meet up from 6:30 to 10:30 at the Envigado campus to practice speaking Spanish and English and enjoy beer, snacks, and games together.

The Colombia Immersion activities team always creates some sort of icebreaker game that prompts conversations between strangers, and it’s a whole lot of fun and a great way to practice. I actually made a few local friends because of these language exchanges and am still in contact with them today! A few locals I was chatting with told me how much they love the Friday Night Language Exchanges because English classes are expensive and this gives them the opportunity to come learn and practice basically for free. How cool is that? I love how this program facilitates relationships between locals and students!

Location: # 49, Carrera 40 # 40 D Sur – 49, Envigado, Antioquia

6. La Chocolera

Things that suddenly become okay once you’re in Colombia: eating an entire block of cheese on your arepa. It’s totally normal, don’t worry. Arepa de chocolo con cuajada is a Colombian favorite and now I see why and I can never go back.

Basically, it’s a sweet corn cake with a massive amount of fresh, Colombian cheese on top, and La Chocolera in Envigado does it the best. Let’s just say the two guys behind the counter started to get to know me…

Location: Cra. 43a 32 S-15 Envigado, Medellín, Antioquia (it’s a 5-minute walk from Colombia Immersion)

7. Salpijugos

This was another late discovery, but had I known this healthy-focused family restaurant existed sooner, I would have been here every day to try the menu del dia offering. The day I went, the menu del dia was homemade soup and juice to start, and a filet of sea bass with coconut rice, strawberry salad, and a corn cake with fresh guacamole…all for COP 12,000 ($4.20 USD). I was seriously impressed by the quality of this meal for such an inexpensive price and urge you to go give it a try!

Location: Cra. 43a, Envigado, Medellín, Antioquia

8. Parque Envigado

Here you will find little old Colombian men sitting on park benches with their amigos catching up over cafe tinto, vendors selling gum, lolly-pops, cigarettes, and candy (all items I would consider to be incredibly random but are totally normal here) and the occasional guitarist serenading a square full of people. It’s basically the ultimate spot for people watching, as it’s the central landmark and meeting place of Envigado. Like all of the “parks” in the Medellin area, there’s no grass and hardly any trees, with the main focal point being a church, in this case, Parroquia Santa Gertrudis. It’s more of a main square than a park, but it’s a great place to go to get a feel for the culture and the people of this area.

Location: Cra. 42 # 37S-60, Envigado, Antioquia

9. Cafe Cocolatte

The majority of the coffee you drink in Colombia is “tinto” or instant coffee. That’s right, in a country that has some of the best coffee in the world, its people drink instant! Luckily, with help from a language coach at Colombia Immersion, I found Cafe Cocolatte. Not only do they have excellent coffee, they prepare excellent coffee. It was my first time seeing coffee being made in the methods of Aero Press, Siphon and Chemex, and it was a really cool learning experience.

They also have really good wifi and a beautiful, welcoming atmosphere that’s perfect for reading, studying or get some work done. Did I mention the staff members are super wonderful and let me ask them a bunch of questions for my Spanish homework? God I love Paisa people!

Location: A Nro 44 A, Cl. 30 Sur #43a13, Envigado, Antioquia

10. La Venta de Dulcinea

This little gem of a cafe is really more of an art house, hosting a whole slew of artists from poets and painters to jazz and flamenco musicians. I stopped by in the late afternoon for a post-class michelada and enjoyed my time people watching.

This place is a local watering-hole, where friends of all ages gather to catch up and unwind. I wasn’t there during a musical performance or a poetry reading, but the interior of this cafe is full of instruments and the walls are decorated with artists from throughout the ages, and you could feel the Bohemian vibe of this place. Next time I’ll have to go for a live performance of some kind!

Location: Cl. 35 Sur # 4336, Envigado, Antioquia

11. El Callejon

This reggae bar is a staple of Envigado’s nightlife, offering a fun place to dance to reggae, reggaeton & salsa for the past 17 years. The was a favorite of the Colombia Immersion crowd, as it was the go to spot after every Friday Night Language Exchange. The bartenders all have dreads down their backs and are the chillest guys, the music is always good, and you’ll always find a full dance floor. What’s not to love?

Location: Cl. 98 #17-61, Bogotá

12. El Son De La Loma

If you’re looking for a traditional, hole-in-the-wall, authentic salsa experience in Envigado, this is the place. The first indication was the little bowls of popcorn they don’t hesitate to refill for you and your group, and the projector showing coordinating music videos to the salsa music playing. It’s perfect for a big group if you just want to have a bit of a dance in a relaxed, but super fun environment. A woman at a nearby table saw that I was dancing in my chair, so she came over, grabbed my hand and whisked me onto the dance floor. That’s the kind of place this is, and I absolutely loved it.

Location: Cra. 39 # 38S-62, Envigado, Antioquia

13. Pizzeria Antica Italia

Okay, I realize we’re not in Italy here, and I try to eat as much typical food as I can when traveling, BUT I walked by this place every night after class, and every night it was full of people. I’m a pizza fanatic, and decided one night to stop in for a slice (or two…) Now I see why this place is full every night! They serve huge New York size slices with awesome, fresh ingredients, and are always changing up pizza specials. I needed to start taking new routes home because it was just too tempting to walk past…

Location: Calle 38 Sur # 34 – 54, Envigado, Antióquia

14. The People

And last, but certainly not least, something that made Envigado so special for me, was the people. Not just the amazing friends I made, but the strangers I encountered on the street who just wanted to have a chat. You could guarantee smiles and “buenos dias” from just about anyone walking down the street on a consistent day-to-day basis. The infectious, friendly energy of this town gave me more confidence to practice my Spanish knowing I wouldn’t be laughed at or dismissed, but encouraged and welcomed. There’s a warmth to this town I can’t quite describe, you just need to go and feel it from the Paisa people yourself!

Where To Stay in Envigado

Land To Enjoy Airbnb

For a chance to stay in a beautiful apartment, with lots of natural lighting, tons of personal space, and a really comfortable bed in a great location of Envigado, you can stay at Marco & Maria’s Airbnb. There are three rooms that they typically rent out to students studying Spanish, a fully equipped kitchen, and a nice, open common area. It really is the perfect place to stay for anyone looking to immerse themselves in Colombian culture and Spanish language. They recently bought a second property that they are going to turn into a second AirBnB hopefully by this fall. I had the opportunity to see the space and it’s GORGEOUS. There’s a rooftop terrace that they plan to use for community events, like language exchanges, craft beer nights, local musical performances and other events to bring foreigners and locals together.

Location: Barrio, Obrero, Envigado, Antióquia

You can get $40 off your next Airbnb by using this link!

Please let me know in the comments below if you’ve visited any of these places or if there’s something about Envigado that you love that I didn’t mention!

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx