The Medellin Metrocable

Medellin sits in a narrow valley with neighbourhoods stacked up slopes far too steep for buses, and from 2004 the city began solving that with cable cars wired into the metro system. Several lines now climb out of the valley floor, and the ride is ordinary public transport: commuters with shopping, school children, workers going home, and roofs, water tanks, football pitches and washing lines passing a few metres below the cabin. From the upper stations the whole valley opens out, at its best in the hour before dark when the hillsides begin to light up. It is the cheapest sustained view of the city you will find.

What you actually see

• The valley view - the whole Aburra basin seen from the upper stations.
• The hillside neighbourhoods - rooftops, stairs and streets passing below the cabin.
• Line L to Arvi - the continuation over the ridge into forest.
• The metro integration - cable cars used as everyday transport rather than a ride.

When to go

Any day of the year. Avoid the morning and evening rush, when cabins are full and queues at the lower stations are long. Late afternoon into dusk gives the best light over the valley and the lights coming on. Sundays are busy with families heading up to Arvi, so start early if that is your plan.

Honest expectations

This is a commuter system rather than a scenic attraction, and cabins are packed at peak hours with nowhere to sit. Queues at the transfer stations can run to half an hour. The neighbourhoods below are people's homes and the sightseeing element sits awkwardly with that. Windows are scratched and often smeared, which frustrates photographers, and line L costs extra.

Nearby

Parque Arvi at the top of line L, and the metro to the botanical garden and city centre.