Everyday we wake up, we get to know about some sad story from some corner of the world. This was normal even before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. Amidst fast paced days and among activities aligned with aspirations, there always were stories of hatred and stories of violence. But then again, this world is not a bad place either. Our days were also often filled with stories of hope and stories of positive transformation. Comuna 13 in Colombia is one such glaring example. We recommend taking the Comuna 13 graffiti tour for a deeper understanding of this story of transformation.
What is Comuna 13?
The backstory
These days, Medellin, the capital of Antioquia province of Colombia, is a city of choice for expat living for many. But not too long ago, the world used to consider the very same city one of the most dangerous in the world. And Comuna 13 was the most notorious area of that version of Medellin. During that period, gang war, gun violence and police raids used to be daily affairs at Comuna 13.
But not anymore.
Comuna 13 lies on one end of the city of Medellin. It consists of winding roads up the hills and hundreds of staircases that lead to cramped residential spaces occupied by not so well-to-do people. For the people of Comuna 13, this meant inaccessibility to the urban infrastructure of the rest of Medellin. Urban infrastructure, including education. Thus Comuna 13 was a perfect place for breeding crime.
The transformation: From “most dangerous” to “tourist attraction”
In the early years of the 21st century, Medellin invested money for the transformation of Comuna 13. They brought Comuna 13 within their public transport network by connecting San Javier metro station with Comuna 13 by cable car. They also installed 6 public escalators in Comuna 13 that made movement easier for the people of Comuna 13.
These simple steps made huge reformatory impacts on the socioeconomic persona of Comuna 13. Back in the days, the residents always used to get stuck in the crossfire between police and criminals, often becoming victims. They had already endured a lot. But now, after the cable car and the public escalators, the urban infrastructure of Medellin became accessible for them.
The people of Comuna 13 took this as an opportunity. An opportunity of transformation. An opportunity of progress. In just a matter of few years, they managed to transform Comuna 13 from the most notorious place of Medellin to one of the most visited tourist attractions of Medellin.
And no, this tourism is not about history of drug cartels, but instead, it is about stories of positive transformation. Much of these stories are conveyed through art. Wall murals or graffiti, created by the locals, form the identity of current day Comuna 13, that draw many tourists from around the world.
How to visit Comuna 13?
The best way of visiting Comuna 13 is by taking a free walking tour. There are multiple companies that offer this tour. The itineraries may vary slightly from one to another. Some itineraries include cable card rides and others combine tours of other areas along with the main tour. But what remains constant is the Comuna 13 graffiti tour.
We did the Comuna 13 graffiti tour with Zippy Tour Comuna 13. Their representatives met us outside San Javier metro station. Since there were a large number of visitors that day, they split us into two different groups and assigned each group a tour guide. Our tour guide, a local girl, exchanged introductions with all participants and briefed us on the tour. From San Javier metro station, we all started walking towards Comuna 13 as she started telling us the story of Comuna 13.
We had booked this tour online on the Free Tour site.
Why Comuna 13 graffiti tour?
Why do you need to take a guided tour of Comuna 13? If it is just about walking along the streets and looking at wall murals, you can very well do it on your own. You will not be missing out on anything, ain’t it? No!
Five reasons why
Let me give you not just one, but five reasons why comuna 13 graffiti tour is a good idea.
1. Story of Comuna 13
The walking tour does not just entail stopping by different graffiti for photo ops. From this tour, you will get to know the story of the people of Comuna 13. Why did they choose Comuna 13 as their area of residence? What hardships have they gone through? Have they really succeeded with the transformation?
2. Local flavor
The tours guides are usually local people. That means they are people who actually grew up in Comuna 13 and have witnessed the transformation of Comuna 13 first hand. Is there anyone better who can tell you the story of Comuna 13?
3. Art interpretation
Many of the graffiti at Comuna 13 are created on the basis of abstract concepts. During the tour, the tour guide will interpret those abstract concepts for you and will explain to you the artist’s vision behind the art so that you can relate even more with story of Comuna 13.
4. Visit the home of a local
Towards the end of the walking tour, you may get the chance to visit the home of your tour guide. Our tour provider offered this option. So, we got the chance to visit our guide’s home, met her family, sat for a bit in the living area of their house and grabbed some snack and an avocado shake made by one of the family members. (The snack was complimentary and shakes/juices were for sale.)
5. It’s free!
Communa 13 graffiti tour is a free guided tour. Don’t we all love free things
P.S: Although Comuna 13 graffiti tour is a free walking tour, please remember to tip your guide at the end of the tour.
Comuna 13 – Not just a graffiti tour
Comuna 13 graffiti tour isn’t just about the stories of Comuna 13 through graffiti. There are some added bonuses too.
Bonus 1 – Medellin city views from Comuna 13
From some of the upper level streets of Comuna 13, you get to see the city of Medellin from a vantage point.
Bonus 2 – Live dance performances
The youth of Comuna 13 have embraced creativity in all forms, whether through wall murals or through dance moves. Make sure to stop by and watch when local youngsters are putting together a live dance show.
Comuna 13 graffiti tour – Photos that convey ideas
Through these photos, let us take a look at some of the wall murals of Comuna 13.
Ideas through abstract concepts
Both of us love abstract art and love to make our own interpretations, even if they may not match with that of the original artists’.
Our tour guide explained some of these in detail and we enjoyed learning about the artists’ perspectives of these graffiti.
Ideas through animal portraits
There are some murals depicting animals, with deep expressions and even deeper messages, in some cases.
The chimpanzee with his hand on his head is one of my favorites.
Ideas through human portraits
And then of course, there are plenty of murals with human portraits. Look at the eyes, each expression is trying to tell a story.
Streets of Comuna 13
If you enjoy photo stories, you can check out our post on beautiful beaches around Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica.
Pose with Comuna 13 graffiti – blend in or stand out
Although getting a photo clicked with the graffiti is definitely not the primary highlight of this graffiti tour, you cannot just not do it as well. The colorful murals provide the perfect backdrop for insta-worthy photos, just blend in with the tones of the colors or stand out against sharp color contrasts.
Closing thoughts
The story of Comuna 13 is that of optimism. And the graffiti tour is definitely a thought provoking one. During the tour, we got to know lot of answers about Comuna 13, but we left with even more questions. Are the people of Comuna 13 really past their dark phase now? We do not know for sure. But we definitely know that they have seen the rays of hope, and they are now making the best of that. The world also has started to notice.
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Very nice read. I got to know about Comuna 13 for the first time.
One thing I just felt while reading this is to know some thing more about the artists…like are they local artists? How’s their life & what’s behind their inspiration of creating such beautiful painting s?