Medellin has become one of the top digital nomad destinations in recent years. It’s no surprise that more and more international remote workers, freelancers, and startup founders are choosing the capital of the Antioquia Department as their home base.

There are several reasons that make Medellin almost perfect for remote work:

• Low cost of living compared to the US/Europe
• Amazing weather all year round
• Lots of food and entertainment options
• Good public transportation
• Great coffee
• Same working hours as US Eastern Time (for those that work with US companies)
• And some of the nicest and most welcoming people you’ll ever meet

That being said, finding a good cafe to work from is not an easy task. Many of them are traditional Colombian coffee shops where they don’t have WiFi and the tables aren’t made to be used with laptops. And that’s okay. That’s why I spent hours scouting out places with wifi, outlets, and coffee so you don’t have to.

Best Cafes in Medellin to Work From

Urbania Cafe

Address: Calle 8 # 43B – 132, Medellin, Colombia

Urbania is a small cafe located in Astorga, about a block away from Parque el Poblado and very close to Patio Bonito, a quiet residential area of Medellin, away from the noise of Parque Lleras. Like many other cafés in Medellin, Urbania serves their own coffee brand, which they produce by working directly with small coffee communities in Colombia’s Coffee Region.

This place has a good internet connection, individual tables and bars, and a terrace. There are several coworking spaces located nearby so it’s common to see entrepreneurs either working from their laptops, having meetings, or just taking a break from work.

Botanika Lounge

Address: Cl. 9a #37-03, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

This place is sort of a hidden gem for digital nomads. You won’t hear people talking about this place because 1) it doesn’t look like your traditional cafe-turned-cowork, and 2) they don’t want it to turn into a crowded Starbucks. I would say that Botanika Lounge is a great place to work in the evenings, once you’ve maxed out on coffee and are looking for something more like a cocktail or a beer.

Either way, whether it’s morning, afternoon or evening, you’ll always spot an apple icon shining at this leafy lounge. Botanika is located right in the middle of the action, at the heart of Lleras Park, surrounded by restaurant and bar terraces.

Al Alma

Adresses:
Patio Bonito – Cra. 45 ##5-31, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Provenza – Cl. 8 ##35- 37, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

I’m not going to lie, I’ve gone to Al Alma more times for their amazing breakfasts than their WiFi. This is in my opinion the best brunch you will find in Medellin. Their eggs benedict is delicious, as well as their french toast. I strongly suggest you put your laptop back in your backpack for a little bit and enjoy their breakfast before getting to work.

Al Alma has several locations, although I have only been to their places in Patio Bonito and Provenza. The one in Provenza is slightly smaller so it might be more difficult to find a spot during peak hours.

Pergamino

Address: Cra. 37 #8A-37, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

If you ask anyone in Medellin “where can I find the best coffee in the city?” they’ll likely recommend that you check out Pergamino. This cafe is one of the oldest of its kind, and it is always full of digital nomads working from the sunny terrace.

Pergamino is now a famous coffee brand, and you will be surprised about how many stores around the city sell their coffee bags. You will also find them at the airport stores, so if you’re going home and forgot to buy gifts, a bag of pergamino coffee beans is an excellent choice. They also have an online store.

Parmessano

Address: Cra. 66B #34A – 76, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Parmessano isn’t really a cafe, but a restaurant, which means that during early morning and afternoon times they are not very busy and it’s actually a pretty quiet place to work from. I went to their location in Laureles (Unicentro) several times, usually between 3 and 6pm, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Most times I was the only person with a laptop there. Looking around and seeing people having coffee and pastries and chatting with each other gave me a sense of peace and calm — nothing like other cafes full of people whose faces are lit up by their laptop screens.

The good thing about this place is that you can have a pretty good lunch/dinner while you’re working, for a really good price. They also have a good variety of smoothies/juices/milkshakes and desserts.

Bonus: Starbucks

If none of the places mentioned above work for you, just go to Starbucks. There are several locations all over the city, although I mostly frequented those located on Milla de Oro, since they had spacious tables to work from. All Starbucks are pretty much the same throughout the world. Although there’s one nice thing about Starbucks in Colombia: Baristas will write compliments on your cup before they hand it to you, which is always nice.

Not interested in working from cafes? That’s alright. We all need to work from a quiet place from time to time. If that’s your case, I totally recommend Nodo Cowork. They have cheap flexible plans for digital nomads and one of the fastest internet connections you’ll find in Medellin.

Header image credit: Botanika Lounge on Groupon.