Parque Arví: How to Get There by Cable Car

Parque Arví is just over an hour from central Medellín, but the moment you step off the cable car it feels like a different country. You are at 2,400 metres. The temperature drops by nearly ten degrees compared with the valley floor, the air turns damp and cold, and the trees are loaded with moss and with plants growing on top of other plants. It covers more than 1,600 hectares of cloud forest, part of it protected reserve. For a lot of visitors half the point is how you get there. You ride the Metrocable, which here is not a tourist attraction but genuine public transport, and you pass slowly over the rooftops of the hillside neighbourhoods until the city ends and the forest begins. Those twenty minutes, watching the view shift from houses to green and from green to cloud, are the clearest lesson you will get in how Medellín is actually put together. One thing is worth checking before you leave. Line L, the one that goes to Arví, does not follow the same calendar as the rest of the network and closes on certain days. People who skip that check end up riding all the way to Santo Domingo and turning back.

What to see & do

1. The Metrocable ride
At Acevedo you change to Line K and climb over the hillside neighbourhoods to Santo Domingo. There you transfer to Line L and the city vanishes all at once — below you there is only forest. That transfer is where nearly everyone reaches for a camera.
2. The cloud forest trails
Inside there are several marked paths, from half-hour loops to half-day routes. Moss-covered trees, ferns, orchids and fog that rolls in and out. Guided walks are available if you want the vegetation explained.
3. The farmers' market at the entrance
Right where you step off the cable car, local farmers sell vegetables, fruit, honey and home-made sweets. Prices are lower than in the city and many people eat something here before setting off.
4. The land of the silleteros
The silleteros who carry the huge flower arrangements in the Feria de las Flores are farmers from this area. Their farms surround the park and some of them receive visitors.
5. The pre-Hispanic remains
The forest still holds stone paths and channels built by the people who lived here before the Spanish arrived. They are marked on the park maps, and they are the proof that this is not only nature.

Our tours to this place

Arví sits on the mountain, off our urban routes — the traveler perfect combo: one day our city tour, another day Arví by Metrocable. Book the city first:

Related tours

Panoramic Tour

5h · $77 USD ($249.000 COP)

Book

Full Tour

7h · $102 USD ($329.000 COP)

Book

Practical info

Getting there: metro Line A to Acevedo, cable Line K to Santo Domingo, then transfer to Line L, which ends at Arví. Line L is not covered by the metro fare — it is charged separately.
Important: Line L does not run on the same calendar as the rest of the network and closes on certain days. Check the day's service before you set out. This is the single most common mistake.
When to go: mornings. By afternoon the fog closes in and on some days you can barely see anything, and the cable car back gets crowded at the end of the day.
How long: the round trip alone takes more than two hours, so plan for half a day at minimum. If you intend to walk the trails, give it the whole day.
What to bring: a jacket, no argument. It can be 28 degrees in the city and 15 up here. Bring rain gear, comfortable shoes and cash as well.
Admission: the park itself is free to enter. What you pay for is the transport and, if you take them, guided walks or food.

Frequently asked questions

Is Parque Arví cold?

Considerably colder than the city. It sits at 2,400 metres and temperatures run between 14 and 18 degrees, feeling lower when there is fog or wind. Go up with a jacket.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. Entry to the park is free. What you pay is the fare for Metrocable Line L, which is charged separately from the metro ticket.

Can you go with children?

Yes. The trails are well maintained and the short routes are easy for a child, and the cable car itself is an outing for them. Bear in mind the warm clothing and the long journey.

How long does it take from the centre?

Between an hour and an hour and a half each way including transfers, longer if there are queues.

Can you get there by electric bike?

Not realistically. There is more than 2,000 metres of climbing from the city and, even with electric assistance, going up and back is a brutal day. For Arví, take the Metrocable.