Stiven Álvarez is a Medellín tour guide. Years of pounding the streets of Comuna 13, with tourists in tow, has cemented his association with the area. Stiven has seen investment throughout the community with the installation of elevators giving this network of neighborhoods a real uplift. There’s a newfound optimism amongst residents who share a confidence in the direction their place of address is moving in.
As well as being his place of work, Comuna 13 is also Stiven’s home. He has lived in the group of barrios for 21 years now, since moving there as a two-year-old from the countryside. The area started to change twenty years ago, but it has been a gradual progress, rather than an overnight transformation. Step by step, you can see this Medellín postcode edging onwards and upwards.
Living in Comuna 13
Residing in Comuna 13 has very much been a hard-knock life for Stiven. He has lost two friends to the violence which used to dominate the neighborhood. However, he says things have improved to such an extent that the barrios are now the most visited of all the ones in Medellín. From being a no-go zone, it has become an itinerary essential.
From its dark days, Comuna 13 has metamorphosed into an altogether brighter place. Part of this change has been brought about by the vibrant street art that lights up the calles. The graffiti is inspiring and instantly Instagrammable, with tourists sharing photos of the neighborhood on their accounts. This serves to raise the profile of the barrios and promote an altogether more positive image.
Stiven is excited to show you around his home, Comuna 13. He and his fellow Zippy Tours guides are ready and waiting for you. Don’t delay, book a place with them today. You’ll be able to follow in the footsteps of our director Leesa Truesdell, who reveals that visiting these neighborhoods was a life-changer.
19 Comments. Leave new
The Instagram ideas are brightening some areas in unexpected ways. There is an area of SFO that is similar.
Happy to hear the area is improving in safety. I adore the colors of the surrounding buildings.
Wow! Loved this article. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading– please be sure to watch the video too. It’s a snippet of one of his tours. You’ll enjoy it. Cheers.
I am glad for the beautiful transformation of that place, and I wish to visit there someday!
So great to see such a wonderful transformation!
We were supposed to travel to this area earlier this year but put it off due to the political unrest. Looking forward to visiting one day.
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We hope you get to go back soon. The area is thriving at the moment. Cheers.
This looks like a cool area. I’ve never heard of it before, actually, so I’m curious.
Thank you for sharing this! It’s great to learn more about him!
Wow! It sounds like a very interesting area. I sure hope to visit one of his tours one day soon.
I remember reading or seeing a documentary about Comuna 13, then seeing a snapshot of it in a movie. The transformation is like day and night. It’s so vibrant and full of life with all of the artwork and brightly painted shops. I’d love to visit!
I really enjoyed watching the video. I can’t wait to visit and experience his community.
Thanks to people like him, we can live in a safer and nicer community. Such a great transformation. and he is an inspiration.
It’s great to see the results of his investments in the community. Isn’t it always great to give back to where we come from?
We love to travel and this wasn’t on my radar until now. We will have to check it out more.
I am glad things are looking up. It is very sad he lost his friends.
Wow! That looks like a really amazing place! Such a really cool transformation! Thanks for sharing this!
Such an interesting story. Definitely a tough place to be in, and it sounds like he is making the best of things. Tourism is a great industry to be in.