Medellin Fondas Tour: Traditional Bars, Music & Local Culture

0.00

(0 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the first fonda to smell like wood polish and fried empanadas at the same time — but that’s how our Medellin night started. The driver picked us up right on time (I was still tying my shoes), and by the time we reached the first bar, the sun was already slipping behind all those green hills. Our guide, Camilo, waved us in like we were old friends. Inside: walls jammed with cowboy hats, faded photos of soccer teams, a Virgin Mary statue tucked between bottles of aguardiente. Someone was singing along to a song I didn’t know but kind of wanted to.

I tried asking for a drink in Spanish (Camilo grinned — apparently I asked for “two horses” instead of two beers). The fonda tour really felt local — not touristy at all — just people playing cards or clapping along when the music got loud. We hopped between a few spots; one had these plastic flowers everywhere and an old jukebox that only played cumbia. There was this moment outside when it started drizzling and everyone just kept dancing under the awning anyway. My shirt still smelled like fried food hours later.

Honestly, I’d never have found these places on my own. Each bar had its own regulars — one guy explained (very patiently) why paisa culture is obsessed with certain saints or why everyone cheers so loudly when someone orders another round. The private vehicle made it easy; we could just relax and let Camilo steer us around Medellin’s barrios without worrying about anything except maybe how much aguardiente is too much. I still think about that last song echoing out into the street as we left — you know?