Plaza Botero & Downtown Medellín: What to See

What to see in Plaza Botero

Plaza Botero is the best-known public square in downtown Medellín. It covers about 7,000 m² in La Candelaria, between Carrera Carabobo, Carrera Bolívar and Avenida De Greiff, and opened in the early 2000s.

It holds 23 monumental bronze sculptures donated by Fernando Botero, the Medellín-born artist famous for his rounded, oversized figures. You can walk right up to the people, animals and scenes and take photos for free, since the square is public.

• To the west is the Museo de Antioquia.
• To the south is the Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe.
• The Veracruz church is a few steps away.
• Parque Berrío station on metro Line A is about 50 metres from the square.

The square is busy all day, with street vendors, performers, photographers and people cutting across the centre. It is a good starting point for exploring La Candelaria on foot, and if you arrive from the airport with COMBUSES, it is the first thing you see when you step off at Hotel Nutibara.

Museo de Antioquia

The Museo de Antioquia was founded in 1881. Since 2000 it has occupied the former Municipal Palace, an Art Deco building from 1932 to 1937 that faces straight onto Plaza Botero.

That same year Fernando Botero donated a large collection of his own paintings, drawings and sculptures, together with works by other international artists from his private collection. That makes it the best place in the city to see his work indoors, alongside Colombian art and temporary exhibitions.

• Address: Cra. 52 #52-43, facing Plaza Botero.
• Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:40 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sundays and public holidays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Closed: 1 January, 1 May, and 24, 25 and 31 December.
• Tickets: buy at the ticket desk or on the museum's website, where current prices and discounts are listed.

Allow at least two hours if you want to take in the Botero rooms properly.

Airport bus with COMBUSES

Finish your downtown walk without the rush: the COMBUSES bus to José María Córdova airport leaves from Hotel Nutibara, right beside Plaza Botero, every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. Tickets from 20,000 COP with luggage included.

Book your ticket →

Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe

The black-and-white building with towers and pointed arches on the south side of the square is the Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe, the former seat of the Antioquia regional government.

Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts designed it in Gothic Revival style, starting in 1920. It was never finished to his plans: it was in use from the 1930s while still incomplete, work stopped in 1938 and the street facades were only completed in 1970. Only about a quarter of the original design was ever built.

• It was declared a National Monument in 1982.
• In 1987, after the regional government moved to La Alpujarra, it took its current name.
• Today it houses Antioquia's Institute of Culture and Heritage and hosts art exhibitions.

Even if you only see it from the square, walk around it: it is one of the most recognisable buildings in downtown Medellín, and a striking contrast with the Art Deco museum opposite.

Parque Berrío and the historic centre

A few blocks from Plaza Botero is Parque de Berrío, where Medellín was founded. For centuries it was the town's main square: the public market ran here from 1784 to 1892, and it was the stage for major public and political events.

• La Candelaria church: its history is tied to the square since the first church went up in 1649; today it is the Basilica of Our Lady of La Candelaria.
• Statue of Pedro Justo Berrío: in the middle of the square since 1895, when it took its current name.
• La Gorda: another monumental Botero sculpture, in the southwest corner.
• El Desafío: a sculpture by Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt.

Metro Line A runs overhead on its viaduct, with Parque Berrío station right here. From this point you can keep exploring on foot, ride north (Parque Explora, the Botanical Garden, the Metrocable to Santo Domingo) or south, changing at San Antonio to Line B for Comuna 13.

Tips for exploring downtown Medellín

Downtown Medellín is lively and crowded, with plenty of shops, street vendors and noise. A few tips help you enjoy it:

• Go during the day, ideally in the morning, when the museums are open and there are more visitors around.
• Keep your phone away when you are not using it and wear your bag in front; locals call this not giving papaya.
• Carry only the cash you need, in small notes.
• Use the metro: Parque Berrío, San Antonio and Prado stations link the centre with most of the city.
• If a vendor insists, a friendly no, gracias is enough.
• Consider a guided walking tour if you want the stories behind the buildings.

Hotel Nutibara, opened in 1945 next to the square, is also one of the COMBUSES departure points for José María Córdova airport: buses leave every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the ride takes about 40 minutes.

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Photo: Yimicorrea (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)