Most of the city of MedellÃn is built on a grid system. Carreras streets are abbreviated as Cr, Cra, K, kra or Crs and run parallel to the river from South to North.The calles also streets cross the Carreras and run from East to West. Calles are abbreviated as C, Cll or Cl.Avenidas, abbreviated as Av, are usually larger and main streets. The numerical system for the Avenidas is used but some have names that are more commonly used such as Avenida el Poblado or Avenida Oriental. There are a few streets called Transversales which usually refer to wide Carreras atop the mountains in El Poblado neighborhood. The most famous are transversal Intermedia, Inferior and Superior. Along Laureles neighborhood you can also find Diagonales and Circulares.
Each address consists of a series of numbers, for example: Calle 50 # 65 - 8 which indicates that the building is on street 50 Calle 50 8 meters ahead from the intersection with street 65 Carrera 65.The most central point, Parque de Berrio, is located by convention on the crossroads of Calle 50 and Carrera 50.
Metro
METRO
Timetables :Monday through Saturday from 4:30 a.m to 11 p.m. Sundays and holidays from 5:00 a.m to 10:00 p.m.
Fare : single ride 1,715 COP includes Metrocable transfersThe new touristic Metrocable line L costs 2,500 COP
Traveling trough the city is easy and quick, with the Metro system (http://www.metrodemedelli...), you can go to anywhere in the city with The Metroplús Bus extension to the Metro and the Metrocable (http://www.medellininfo.c...), a sky train or cable car that has revolutionized transport in the city. Under construction is the 'southern extension' of the metro with stations in the towns of Sabaneta and La Estrella. The new project will add 2 km of lines to the system. Trains run from 5.00h to 23.00h on workdays and from 7.00h to 22.00h on Sundays and holidays. Single tickets are COP 1,715 0,85 USD, transfers between the Metro trains, cables and buses Metroplus are free.The new Metrocable to the ecopark Arví - Line L- opened 2010 with a fare of 2,500 COP for the 4.5 km trip up the mountains. Transfer is available at the Santo Domingo station of the Metrocable K line.
Taxis And Buses
Taxis are cheap and plentiful. All taxis have meters, make sure they use them. Minimal fee costs about 4.200 COP. Taxis should always be called by phone for safety reasons and not be hailed on the street. As in most Latin American countries, their driving can be harrowing, so hold on tight.
There is also the TuriBus (http://www.yoquieroir.com...), a modern bus that goes around the city showing its parks, attractive neighborhoods, and historical parts; it only costs 15,000 COP. While they do not guarentee this, many times their guides also speak English and are happy to translate for you.
If you want to go around downtown or neighborhoods near the downtown area without using Taxis, try using the Circular Coonatra (http://www.themedellinmap...). There are various routes, marked on the front and back of the busses. These cost about 1400 COP and require exact change.