Medellín

D1 / Ara — hard-discount — cheapest baskets

Éxito — the big full-range

Olímpica — supermarket + pharmacy

Plaza de mercado — produce for cents

Best: Dec – Mar & Jul – Aug · Wet: Apr – May & Sep – Nov

Fees: Most bank ATMs charge ~$3–5; Davivienda, Bancolombia and BBVA are reliable. Servibanca often lets you skip the fee.

Limits: Bancolombia caps low (~600,000 COP); Davivienda and BBVA allow more per pull.

Best machines: DaviviendaBBVAServibanca

Vaccines: Routine, Hepatitis A, Typhoid. Yellow-fever shot recommended for Cartagena/coast and required for some parks — get it 10 days ahead.

Health: Bottled/purified water (Medellín's tap is actually potable and good). Cartagena's Caribbean heat is intense — hydrate and pace. Excellent, affordable private healthcare, especially in Medellín (a medical-tourism hub).

Tap water: ⚠️ Medellín and Bogotá tap water is safe and good; on the Caribbean coast (Cartagena) stick to bottled.

Safety: 'No dar papaya' is the local rule — don't flash anything worth stealing and you remove most risk. Medellín's El Poblado/Laureles and Cartagena's walled city and Getsemaní are geared for visitors and feel relaxed by day. Use Uber/inDrive, ATMs indoors, and don't wander empty streets late. Scopolamine ('devil's breath') scams are real — never accept drinks or cigarettes from strangers.

For most short tourist trips, citizens of the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either enter visa-free or get a simple online authorisation (an eVisa or eTA) before flying. Typical visa-free stays run 30–90 days. Some countries want a visa arranged in advance, and a growing number ask you to fill an online arrival or eVisa form even when 'visa-free' — so always check the official portal for your exact nationality before you book.