Communa 13 - Medellin, Colombia

While I was in Colombia back in 2018 with Hostel World and Boiler Room exploring the streets of Medellin, I managed to explore Communa 13.

Communa 13 which is well known for it's street art is an over-populated and low socio-economic zone that crawls up along the west hills of the city with thousands of brick and cement homes stacked close to one another. Although if you we're to search 'communa 13' online you'll see reports of how it is the 'pivotal center for paramilitary, guerrilla, and gang activity' my own experiences of it was fun, friendly and full of so much youth and smiles.

Even under harsh living circumstances I've seen people more happy and smiling than I ever have in any other city.