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Medellín · Mysteries & legends

Medellín of lost souls, hidden streams and ghosts

Antioquia's oral tradition is full of spirits: the Madremonte, the Llorona, the Patetarro, the Sombrerón. This route looks for them downtown, tied to real places, always separating what the records say from what people tell. Walk it late in the afternoon and finish before full dark: it ends on Avenida La Playa, near places to eat and to catch a taxi.

  • 5 stops
  • 1.8 km
  • 1 h 35 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Old postcard of the Santa Elena stream with trees and a railing

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 La Veracruz ChurchThe outsiders' chapel: foreigners who died far from home were buried here.
  2. 2 Berrío Park: gallows, market and buried treasureThe old main square was a market, a place of executions and, tradition says, the keeper of hidden treasure.
  3. 3 San Ignacio Square and the ParaninfoFranciscan friary, barracks and university: a building from 1803 where, people say, a friar still walks.
  4. 4 Avenida La Playa: the buried streamBeneath the asphalt flows the Santa Elena stream, and with it the water myths that paisa grandparents used to tell.
  5. 5 Pablo Tobón Uribe TheatreThe theatre where the myths and legends parade sets off every 8 December, and where a headless Italian is said to roam.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Medellín of lost souls, hidden streams and ghosts

Paisa myths with an address

The Madremonte, the Llorona and the Patetarro, told beside the stream that inspired some of those stories.

Record and tradition

Every stop separates proven facts from popular tales.

A different downtown

Colonial squares, old mansions and theatres that the usual route walks straight past.

Keep exploring

More routes in Medellín

Back to Medellín
HistoryFrom the village of La Candelaria to the railway city MixedDowntown Medellín highlights: from Botero to Junín

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Medellín?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Medellín in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Medellín in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Medellín in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary