Of the five most popular tourism destinations in the city, four did not become what they are now until former mayor Sergio Fajardo began major public works projects in 2004 as part of a globally praised urban development policy.

These projects have not just stimulated tourism, but have been drawing visitors to the farthest corners of the city, away from the tourist comfort zone in the south of the city.

The following were Medellin’s most visited tourist sites in 2014.

Ø  Botanical Garden

Ø  Arvi Park

Ø  Cerro Nutibara

Ø  Spain Library Park

Ø  Parque Explora

The tour, set up by Jeremy Hand and Nicole Furnace, provides a unique experience which aims to inform on the local cuisine through storytelling and insightful local expertise.

Colombian food is often dealt a bad rap by travelers, especially when compared to many South American counterparts, and this tour aims to revise this reputation by hand picking top local spots indistinguishable to the foreign eye.

The “La Mesa” walking tour comprises five stops; three on Envigado’s streets for some tasting of deep-friend snacks, one in the local fruit market and finally at a restaurant for the centerpiece of the Paisa cuisine, the “Bandeja Paisa.”