I have lived in Colombia for 9 years, and have owned a hostel here for five.  Almost every day I get asked the question – Is Medellin safe?

Firstly the question of is Medellin safe isn’t a yes/no question.  When I am asked this, or see the question being asked on forums I always feel that people are missing the point.  Your safety is your own responsibility, and how you behave ultimately influences if you are safe in any place or not. We have welcomed around 12,000 people into our hostel from all over the world, and the majority have left the city with only positive experiences. Every once in a while however things have happened.  Whether it be guests being robbed, groped in public places or drugged.

In Medellin we have a saying “no des papaya”, which roughly translated means “don’t make a victim of yourself”.  In many ways I don’t like the expression.  For me it puts the blame on the victim rather than the criminal, but I have to admit that there is a certain truth to the matter.  On the occasions that our guests have been victims of crimes I have listened to their account of what happened.  While I sympathise and wished that they hadn’t had that experience, in the vast majority of instances they have put themselves into a situation which has given opportunity to become a victim.  Whether it be walking around a dangerous area at night, drawing attention to themselves by shouting in the streets or flashing valuable items.  Unfortunately we live in an imperfect world where some members of society prey on those who demand too much attention.

In the past we have had the police bringing people back to the hostel for their own safety.  The police have been amazed at what they were doing or where they were doing it.  Not that any crime had been committed, but that behaving in such a way would make it inevitable that they would become a victim in one way or another had they not been picked up for their own safety.

Backpackers in particular are especially vulnerable to these dangers.  Unfamiliar with the areas of the city and normally unable to speak the local language, there is an inherent risk in travelling anywhere.  Most backpackers also travel on a limited budget which can distort their judgement on safety.  It is common to opt to walk home through a dangerous neighbourhood rather than paying the $2USD for a taxi.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not criticising traveling on a budget.  I myself did the same thing for 18 months and had to justify every small expenditure.  There are moments however when your budget becomes secondary to your personal safety.  I have found myself in unsavoury areas and at those times didn’t hesitate in jumping in a taxi to get away.

It is damaging to label any place as “dangerous”, but it is equally as damaging to label a place as “safe”.  Believing yourself to be safe is a danger in itself.  It means that you become complacent to potential danger and so more likely to become a victim.  It always concerns me when I hear, “I had been worried about safety in Colombia, but it is so safe here”.  Colombians are a proud people, and want to move away from the dangerous stereotype.  As a result they will swear that Medellin isn’t the city as portrayed in the media.  Between themselves however they would never honestly label it as “100% safe”.

Imagine you and I are on a plane.  Its my first time flying and I ask you if air travel is safe.  You laugh and reassure me that statistically flying is one of the safest way to travel.  “That’s a relief”, I respond.  “The pilot has just died and I have to try to land this thing”.  The point is that Colombia, or the plane in this example, isn’t the only factor in the equation.  A plane flown by a trained pilot is very safe.  If flown by a complete novice it will almost certainly end in disaster.  Your security anywhere depends on how you interact with the environment.  When determining “is Medellín safe” you should consider:

• Your awareness of your surroundings (are you in a bad area, are you being watched)
• Are you likely to draw attention to yourself through how you behave? (being loud, showing off money or expensive looking phones, jewellery)
• Are you likely to draw attention through how you look? (blond hair, dressing like a tourist)
• Have you researched your destination, familiarising yourself with common scams or stories of how others became victims

So then “Is Medellin safe?”  Only you can determine that.  Medellin is a Latin American city that has a wide gap between rich and poor.  It is a city where the locals don’t “dar papaya”.  They know what can happen if they don’t take common sense steps to avoid becoming victims.  If you follow their lead and respect its culture, you can relax and enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  It is a city where the locals welcome you with open arms eager to share their culture.