Medellin has no shortage of easily accessible hikes. Easily accessible is not to be confused with easy!

I don’t know how much of it is due to losing my high altitude lungs, or how much is just me being out of shape, but the hikes and walks around town have me sucking air like I've just run my third leg of the Colorado Ragnar at 9,000 feet.

Medellin is in a valley and around 5,000 feet in elevation. Because it's in a valley, you can't go far before you're heading uphill.

We decided to hike up Cerro las Tres Cruces, a 20-minute cab ride from our Airbnb. We got the perfect day to hike after multiple days of overcast low-laying clouds. The temperature has been absolutely ideal - highs in the mid-70s/high 70s lows in the mid-60s. The sun hides behind big fluffy clouds a lot. And when it’s not hiding, it’s obscured by wisps of clouds that blanket the mountaintops that surround the town.

The hike up was actually pretty short, about 3/4 mile to the top, but the elevation gain over that short distance? Just over 1,000 ft. The views are 10000% worth it though. At the top, there are plenty of benches and grassy areas for a nice break- or if the hike up to the top doesn’t kill you, there is an outdoor gym. We saw a lot more people working out at the top than I would have thought, but then if you are going to workout, why not do it with a view?