The 7 Best Hostels in Medellín

Last Updated: 9/13/2023 | September 13th, 2023

There are a lot of hostels in Medellín. As “gringo central” for Colombia, you can’t walk five feet without coming across one, with majority located in El Pablado (Gringoland) and Laureles (up-and-coming Gringoland).

In fact, if you look on Hostelworld, you’ll find over 90 hostels in this city. That’s a lot of hostels.

I spent close to three weeks in Medellín: first for an extended time over the holidays and then again as I made my way from north to south. Like I do whenever I’m in cities that long, I decided to stay in as many hostels as possible to find out which were the best.

A lot of online lists purport to tell you the best hostels in the city, but I found that my experiences staying in them differed so greatly from the reviews, I began to think, “Ya know, I don’t think people really stayed here!”

To help you plan your trip, here is my list of the hostels in Medellín that I like the most (and I actually stayed in them too!). If you don’t want to read the longer list below, the following hostels are the best in each category:

Want the specifics of each hostel? Here’s my comprehensive list of the best hostels in Medellin:

Price Legend (per night)

• $ = Under 60,000 COP
• $$ = 60,000-80,000 COP
• $$$ = Over 80,000 COP

1. Los Patios

This stylish hostel has themed floors inspired by Colombia’s natural surroundings: mountains, jungles, sea, and plains. It’s part of a massive two-building complex that also has a co-working space, gym, rooftop bar, organic garden (whose herbs you can use), Spanish school, and communal kitchens.

Each dorm bed comes with a privacy curtain and the private rooms are as comfortable as hotels. I got some of my best nights’ sleep here. The hostel offers free tea and coffee, great happy hours, amazing parties, and activities like salsa classes and street art tours, plus there are free bike rentals. The staff is also super friendly and welcoming. It was my favorite hostel in the city.

Los Patios at a glance:

• $$
• Tons of great amenities (co-working space, gym, rooftop bar)
• Organizes lots of activities
• Free perks (free tea/coffee, free bike rentals)

Beds from 74,030 COP, private rooms from 348,160 COP.

Book here!
 

2. Hostel Rango Boutique

Hostel Rango is one of the more upscale hostels in the city. The dorm beds are super comfy, though the beds lack privacy curtains. Each bed comes with reading lights, two power sockets, and personal lockers. The bathrooms are nicer than anything I’ve ever seen in a hostel and rival that of a luxury hotel. I mean, that water pressure! That rustic design? So good! I want these bathrooms in my home.

I found the open, industrial décor super fashionable, and the hostel’s restaurant and bar area great for grabbing a meal and a really good professional cocktail (honestly the bar alone is worth visiting). The staff will also help to set you up with activities like food tours and free walking tours.

Hostel Rango Boutique at a glance:

• $$$
• Restaurant/bar on-site makes it easy to meet people
• Organizes tours and activities
• Comfy dorm beds with lots of outlets

Beds from 88,350 COP, private rooms from 247,400 COP.

Book here!
 

3. Sugar Cane Hostel

German- and Colombian-owned Sugar Cane is small. There are just a few private and dorm rooms on one level. The rooms are impressively clean, although they lack the character of the larger hostels in town. The roof has a common area with a few hammocks as well as the hostel’s kitchen. Breakfast is a small additional fee (you serve yourself) and comes with all the essentials, like bread, eggs, muesli, coffee, and tea.

Every Sunday the German owner (I forget his name) cooks up his famous barbecue of chicken, steak, sausages, and all the fixings! It’s a pretty standard, simple hostel, but the owner really makes you feel like family.

Sugar Cane Hostel at a glance:

• $S
• Laid-back lounge with hammocks on the roof
• Free breakfast
• Weekly BBQ makes it easy to meet people

Beds from 74,000 COP, private rooms from 216,560 COP.

Book here!
 

4. The Wandering Paisa

The Wandering Paisa is located in the upscale area of Laureles, which is the up and coming touristy area. All the dorms are covered in South American and Colombian cultural artwork by local students. Each bed comes with a large locker and a privacy divider, which makes it easier to sleep. While the beds are average, I was a big fan of the nice pillows. The kitchen has the basic essentials. The Paisa Bar is a fun spot to hang out in, and local musicians perform on the sundeck.

The Wandering Paisa at a glance:

• $
• Privacy curtains so you can get decent sleep
• Terrace that hosts local bands
• Lots of free events (Spanish lessons, salsa classes)

Beds from 39,510 COP, privates rooms from 108,280 COP

Book here!
 

5. Black Sheep Hostel

The Black Sheep Hostel, one of Medellín’s most popular, was also the first in town. I really loved this hostel. The rooms, while pretty bare, are spotless, and the bathrooms have great water pressure and are cleaned regularly. There are lots of common spaces here, including a large balcony and terrace area. The beer sold is cheap and I found guests here were always socializing and hanging out (the way they should). The Kiwi staff owner is super nice and staff members are all university students that are great at handing out local advice.

The hostel also offers a ton of tour options that you can book directly from and they’ll even exchange money if you need. This is another “classic” hostel that gets everything right! I loved it.

Black Sheep Hostel at a glance:

• $$
• Lots of common areas (including a terrace)
• Organizes tons of tours and activities
• Cheap drinks at their bar

Beds from 70,000 COP, private rooms from 140,000 COP.

Book here!
 

6. Purple Monkey

This is definitely one of the liveliest party hostels in Medellín. It’s quirky and upbeat, with a massive rooftop bar area. I found the dorms to be small and cramped, and it was a bit weird to go upstairs and outside to the shower area, but the place is kept very clean, there’s free breakfast, and you really only come here to party, so who cares about anything else!

Purple Monkey at a glance:

• $$
• Massive rooftop bar makes it easy to meet people
• Free breakfast
• Super social atmosphere

Beds from 72,000 COP, private rooms from 190,000 COP.

Book here!
 

7. Casa Kiwi Hostel

Casa Kiwi Hostel is another institution located in the middle of Poblado. The dorms are small and I found the beds to be a little thin, but each bed has a locker, and overall, the building is clean and tidy. There’s a big kitchen with free coffee and tea, but the hostel’s restaurant serves up tasty and cheap food. It also has a rooftop terrace, a plunge pool, a bar, plenty of hammocks, and a mini-theater. As one of the most popular hostels in the city, it’s really easy to meet people here, as it’s always full!

Casa Kiwi Hostel at a glance:

• $$
• Restaurant on-site makes it easy to mingle
• Rooftop terrace and pool
• Great place to meet people

Beds from 75,000 COP, private rooms from 220,000 COP.

Book here!

***

Two places I would not recommend are Monet’s and Selina. Monet’s is new and cheap and has friendly owners, but it’s far from the action, the walls are thin, and the accommodations pretty basic. If you were on a tight, tight budget and everywhere else was full, it would be good for a night.

Selina is a super popular hostel with digital nomads and has locations around the world. However, while it was a good spot to work from (they have a co-working space) and the bar, though overpriced, was a nice place to meet expats and travelers, but the beds were hard, the rooms had little privacy, and the bathrooms weren’t well kept. Better to stay elsewhere and go party at Selina instead!

***

So there you have it: the best hostels in Medellín based on my recent firsthand experience. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but by far the best, best, BEST hostel in the city is Los Patios. It’s one of the greatest hostels I’ve ever stayed in!