The Apartment in the Heart of Magical Medellin
Looking for a perfect place to stay in the center of Medellin? Do you want to be surrounded by cafes, bars, galleries, theatres, and interesting people? And avoid the tourist hordes?
El 401 – as the apartment is nicknamed –caters to a variety of travelers from individuals to small families. It is affordable, regularly cleaned, and can be rented by the day, the week or the month.
Run by a Colombian national and a Canadian, these hosts can help you live like a local in both languages.
Accommodation
This large fourth-floor two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment offers travelers a multiple of options. The apartment has abundant natural light, pleasant ambiance, and is secure.
Wi-fi, television and the usual amenities are included. Laundry service is available for a small fee.
The apartment is pet-friendly so you can bring Rocky or Fluffy. Smoking, however, is not allowed.
You can come and go as you please, but only registered guests are allowed at El 401. The bedrooms have keys for additional security. Please arrive with copies of two pieces of photo identification.
Sorry, no elevator.
Our apartment is one floor below El 401, so if you need anything, we are easy to find and always pleased to help.
Reservations, fees and payments
Tell us the dates you want and we can take it from there. We accept cash, credit cards, and PayPal. There is an ATM 50 or so paces away.
Cancellation is flexible.
The large room with a comfortable double bed and ensuite
One person
$55USD per day
$350 per week
$1350 per month
Two people
$60USD per day
$385 per week
$1,500 per month
The smaller room with two single beds and a private bath at the back of the apartment
One person
$30USD per day
$175 per week
$600 per month
Two people
$45 per day
$280 per week
$1,000 per month
Additional person on the sofa bed in the lounge $15 per day.
The entire apartment for up to five/six people
$120 USD a day
$770 a week
$3000 per month
Lounge with television
Office
Need to check your emails or write a report for the meeting tomorrow? The large desk gives you room to spread out and work. Or to play computer games.
Dining area
The kitchen
The large, spacious kitchen is fully equipped with pot & pans, crockery, cutlery, and just everything you might need including a can-opener and a corkscrew.
For those who want to cook, basics like tea, instant coffee, salt, pepper, sugar, and such are provided to save you the hassle of having to buy them. As well as a gas stove, there is an electric oven.
El 401 is on Maracaibo Street about half a block from Girardot. The major Avenida Oriental is two blocks west and the action-packed Avenida La Playa is two blocks to the south.
Eats and Drinks
In this regard, you are spoiled for choice – as shown on the map above.
There is a bar just to the left of the door of the apartment building and an empanada café to the right. There are also three larger restaurants – two of which offer outdoor seating — on the block before you get to the corners. And there are three more on the other side of the street.
We will provide you with photocopies of the cards of restaurants and services you might want/need. Vegetarians and vegans are well served in this area.
Wild hip-hop and sports bars you will have to find on your own, but there is no shortage of them in the barrio.
Transportation
A 20-minute stroll will take you to all the public transport options. The metro – as the trains are known — are fast, inexpen
sive and hook up with the cable cars, buses and electric stairs. The trambia — a new train service that takes up the whole street – is about a 10-minute walk.
Taxis – small yellow cars that buzz the street like swarms of hornets –have fares that start at about $1.50 USD and you can get across the city to suburbs like El Poblado, Laureles, and Envigado for $10 to $20.
Supermarkets
Supermarkets and convenience stores abound within a 10-to-15-minute walk. Plaza de Flores – a three-story building that virtually takes up an entire block – is also a must-visit.
We will send you to our favorite grocer who doesn’t over-charge foreigners. 
You will enjoy some of the freshest vegetables and tropical fruits you have ever eaten.
Additional Services
At El 401, we are dedicated to making your stay as memorable as possible. We start with a welcome basket of information, drinks and snacks so you can just relax.
There is a bus from the airport that is cheap and takes you to downtown Medellin. Then it is a $2 to $3 taxi ride to the apartment. A taxi directly from the airport will cost about $35.
A private taxi with an English driver can also be arranged.
We will also give you our business cards – complete with our cell numbers and e-mails so it is easy to find your way home if you have too much cervisa (beer), get lost or want to show it to a taxi driver.
Bike rental
Two mountain bikes are available for rent at $5 for a half day or $8 for the day. The only conditions are that you have to carry them up and down the stairs and make sure that they don’t get stolen.
Guides
We have a list of bilingual guides who can take you where you want to go, be it to Parque Arvi – for people who like hiking in the mountains — the Museum of the University Antioquia, or down the road to Santa Elena – the flower capital of Colombia — for lunch.
About us
Yoly is a paisa – as the people in Medellin call themselves – Colombian.
As the restaurateur of Ambrosia Café — she is gone for much of the day and night. La Posada 401 guests who want to eat at the cafe – an eight-or-so-minute walk — will receive a 10 percent discount.
Jody is a Canadian-born travel junkie who hasn’t lived in the land of ice and snow for 25 years. She is a writer, editor, and teacher who works from her home office and is generally around.
Our apartment is one floor below El 401, so if you need anything, we are easy to find and always pleased to help.
Photos from around the barrio
Jose at the launch of his book Poesia Y Astronomia. There are always lots of cultural events going on in the area – theatre, music, art exhibits, photo displays.
Avenada La Playa – two blocks away — at Christmas.
Pargue Perodista, half a block
Lots of theatres varying from the Little Theatre (pictured) to the Pablo Toron Teatro
And for those who crave the great outdoors – there is something on offer for everyone — https://www.viator.com/Medellin-tours/Outdoor-Activities/d4563-g9