Comuna 13

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About Comuna 13

Comuna 13, officially San Javier, occupies the western slope of the Valle de Aburrá, with brick houses stacked up the hill. The neighborhood has gone through an urban and cultural transformation in recent decades and today is one of Medellín’s most popular walks, largely led by residents and community art collectives.

The most visited stretch is in Las Independencias, where in 2011 outdoor escalators were installed, covered by orange roofs, that climb the slope in six sections over about 380 meters. They replaced hundreds of steps and changed residents’ daily life. Around them, walls are covered with graffiti showing faces, animals and symbols of the neighborhood’s memory and hope, painted by local artists.

The route, called the grafitour, goes by viewpoints with valley views, craft and T‑shirt shops, cafés, stalls selling fruit salad and green mango ice pops with salt and lime. Dance groups and hip‑hop performances take place on the stairs and in the small plazas.

The most common way to visit is with a local guide, who tells the story behind each mural and about the community. The ascent includes stair sections in addition to the escalators, and the neighborhood is full of people on weekends.