If you’re researching the best neighborhoods in Medellin for digital nomads, it might seem like it’s just about choosing between Laureles or Poblado. This Guide understands that. I was the same way. Poblado didn’t look like it was my style (and it isn’t, despite having the best donut shops: Where do you get donuts in Medellin?), so I had planned to stay two months in Laureles until my Airbnb turned out to be unusable: What to do if your Airbnb is unusable? When I went looking for a new place on short notice, I ended up moving to Sabaneta. And it was an excellent decision. Let me tell you about my favorite place to be a digital slowmad in Medellin…
Is Sabaneta too far away from the action?
Let’s clear this up first, because it was the reason I initially didn’t even consider Sabaneta: The distance. It looks far away from everything. It’s the last stop on the Metro. The end of the valley! And you notice that when you’re there. You’ve got mountains right out the windows on three sides. But they’re beautiful mountains and it’s actually easy to get to everything in the middle of Medellin. There are two Metro stops to hop on and the highway running up the river straight through the center of the city.
Depending on the time of day, it felt faster to travel from Sabaneta to Poblado than Laureles to Poblado.
Its distance from the center of Medellin is also one of the key selling points of Sabaneta because it’s maintained its character as a separate town. You can really feel that in the main square…
Check out the reviews on Sabaneta’s main square. Have you ever seen a square in the world that so many people have taken the time to review? And given so many five star ratings? It’s a good park.
Enjoy Sabaneta's main square
Sabaneta has preserved the character of the original, small town, traditional Colombian main square, and it gives so much life to the area. There’s this green park in the center with massive trees shading planters full of ferns and flowers. There’s the church which will have crowds lined up out into square on Sundays and holidays.
Restaurants and cafes and bars line the sides of the square, with blue and red plastic tables and chairs setup outside. On the weekends, people setup market stalls selling crafts and candy and street food. It’s like a relaxed, chill, but vibing carnival every weekend. All of the restaurants will be packed and spilling out onto the streets every Friday and Saturday night. But it’s not overwhelmingly massive. And it’s clear a lot of people know each other. It’s a place you can be social with your neighbors.
On the corner of Sabaneta’s main square, on the Easter long weekend. It’s a little more crowded than a typical Friday night, but notice the cotton candy and balloons–the whole family is coming out to enjoy a meal and a walk around in the beautiful always-spring weather that defines Medellin’s valley.
How is Sabaneta for Digital Nomads?
One reason I had to leave my place in Laureles was the splotchy internet. When I was searching for a place in Sabaneta, my host didn’t know how fast the internet was but felt it was good enough. That wasn’t the most reassuring thing to hear, but I took a chance, and it turned out to be the fastest speeds I had anywhere in Medellin. My Airbnb also had a pool and a gym and was surrounded by big grocery stores and small local fruit markets.
Of all the places I stayed in Medellin, I had the best access to everything I needed for nourishing myself in Sabaneta, without needing to play frogger running across highways–something I had to do often in Laureles and Poblado.
Next time I’m traveling in Medellin, Sabaneta will be my first choice for setting up base.
At street level, Sabaneta is an easy grid of leafy streets and quiet, open-air cafes and restaurants. Up in your apartment tower, you’ll have dramatic views of storm clouds gathering over the mountains each day during Medellin’s rainy season.
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I would love to know more about Sabaneta !
is it safe ? How do people treat foreigner’s ?
What would you say was the least best thing about Sabaneta and why. Is there a wide variety of things to do such as sports, gym etc or is it very limited.
Thank you !
I really enjoyed Sabaneta. I grew up in rural Canada where the local bank was robbed at gun point several times until the bank closed it permanently, but many people think of Canada as safe. I wasn’t aware of any bank robberies while I was in Sabaneta. While traveling, I’d say it’s useful to always practice streetsmarts and proper security precautions. I enjoyed walking around Sabaneta every day. There wasn’t anything in particular I didn’t like. My favorite thing was probably the compact, walkable nature of the neighborhood, all connected through the main square. Everything was easily accessible. There were many grocery stores and restaurants. My building had a pool and gym, so I didn’t visit the local gym. But there was a SmartFit nearby and a sports training ground on the way to the metro station.