Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour: My Honest Review (what I loved and didn’t)
Comuna 13, nestled in the hills of western Medellín, is a neighborhood that has undergone a complete transformation over the past few decades, and going on a Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour is a great way to explore. What was once one of the most dangerous parts of the city is now a vibrant, colorful hub full of street art, music, and energy. Visiting here is a must if you want to see how a community can reclaim its space and share its story in such a creative way.
This post contains affiliate links.
I originally planned to do the Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour with Street Food on Christmas Day in the morning… but it was cancelled at the request of the community. Instead, I went on a 4 pm tour the day before. This ended up being perfect because the nighttime city lights of Medellín are a sight worth seeing.
Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour Basics
- Book online: Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour with Street Food, around $20
- Tour lasts around 3 hours
- Includes both graffiti exploration and street food tasting
- Evening tour option is great to get city lights at night
- Benefits of tour: personalized music/rapping experience, food included, some history, vendors stay open waiting for the tour.
- Take an Uber to the meet up point. Walking in the daylight from the nearest cable car is okay, but not in the evening (according to our guide).
- Well organized and communication was strong with the tour company
- Tour takes place, rain or shine! Bring raincoat or umbrella.
Comuna 13 History
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Comuna 13 was controlled by guerrilla groups like the FARC and ELN, as well as Pablo Escobar’s cartel, and later paramilitary forces. Rival groups fought for control, and daily life could feel like a war zone. In October 2002, the Colombian military launched Operation Orion to dismantle the armed groups. While it succeeded in removing the gangs, it also caused civilian casualties. The community has scars they have yet to overcome.
Afterward, residents slowly started reclaiming the neighborhood. In 2008, public escalators were installed to help people move around the steep streets. This became a symbol of progress and hope. Since then, Comuna 13 has transformed into a cultural destination. Locals proudly share their art, music, and stories with visitors. It’s one of the touristy sights visited in Medellín. Up to 6,000 tourists visit the community over the weekend during high season!
My Experience on the Tour
Overall, I’ll start with that I liked the Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour, but I would have preferred to go alone. That’s only something I realized in hindsight.
Our tour guide was young and energetic, but he didn’t have as much background knowledge as I expected. He made a lot of general comments about how the area had been disadvantaged by gangs in the ’80s and ’90s. However, when I asked follow-up questions, he couldn’t provide many details. He responded, saying it was too complicated or long to explain to a tourist (lol). That said, his passion for the community was clear. He often thanked us as tourists, explaining that tours like this give him the opportunity to work and share his neighborhood with visitors.
I think older guides might give a better perspective. And usually with tours, it always just depends on the guide you get and your personality, as well as how you want to experience a tour. Overall, this tour has over 6,00 reviews and 5 stars!
If you want a tour, I still suggest this one because it was well organized. But if you’re okay with not getting detailed background info on the graffiti artists, then I’d recommend just going on your own (just not on Christmas Day when the community will be quiet).
Benefits of Going on a Tour
That said, being on the Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour gave us a few fun extras we would not have experienced otherwise.
At one point, a rap group made up a freestyle rap about each of us. We went around in a circle saying where we were from, and they built a rap on the spot. It was hilarious. This is a huge part of evening Colombian culture, not just in this area. Often when walking around at night, you’ll see groups of two or three young men with a speaker performing short raps for locals, trying to earn a tip.
We also got to try some street food that would have closed earlier if not for the group, since the rain had vendors thinking about packing up. Plus, we tried a couple of unique dishes we didn’t see elsewhere, like smashed plantain and a mango-lime popsicle.
An evening Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour also turned out to be a great idea because the night views from Comuna 13 are fantastic.
Book the Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour with Street Food.