Comuna 13

The district climbs a steep hillside on the western edge of Medellin, and for people living at the top the daily journey down and back was equivalent to climbing a twenty-eight-storey building. In 2011 the city installed a series of six covered outdoor escalators up the slope, around four hundred metres of them, cutting that journey from about thirty-five minutes to six - part of a wider programme of public transport and library investment in the hillside barrios. What followed was a local arts movement: hip hop crews, graffiti collectives and community organisations covered the walls with murals, and the district became one of the most visited places in the city. Guided walks are led by residents. It is a dense residential neighbourhood, and visitors are asked to behave as guests.

What you actually see

• Six covered outdoor escalators - about four hundred metres up the slope.
• A journey cut from thirty-five minutes to six - for the people who live there.
• Murals across the walls - by local crews and collectives.
• Resident-led walking tours - the usual way to visit.

When to go

Year round; mornings are quieter. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is a working residential neighbourhood, not an attraction site - photography of people needs asking. It has become very busy and commercial in the main corridor. Streets away from the escalators are ordinary and visitors should not wander unaccompanied. Take a local guide.

Nearby

San Javier metro is below; central Medellin is east.