Cerro Quitasol Bello Hike

Find out how to do the Cerro Quitasol hike in Bello, the northern-most part of Medellín. Discover how to get to the trailhead and route guidance.

Cerro Quitasol is an interesting hike with a twist of history located at the northern edge of Medellín, in the suburb of Bello.

While the name ‘Quitasol’ doesn’t have a direct translation to English, it would be something along the lines of ‘Sun Blocker Mountain’.

It’s likely that the mountain was named by the Niquia people, a pre-Hispanic civilisation who lived in this part of the valley and left ruins which you come to on the trail.

Along with the ruins, there are great views of Medellín as you escape the hustle of the city.

In this quick guide, I explain how to hike Cerro Quitasol including getting to the trailhead and what the route conditions are like.

Cerro Quitasol hike overview

There are approximately five different trails leading up Cerro Quitasol from Bello.
While the different viewpoints you can reach on this mountainside technically all have different names, people tend to call all the hikes here ‘Cerro Quitasol’.
Most people don’t reach the true summit of Cerro Quitasol (2,800 m), stopping at one of the viewpoints on the way up, which is what we did.
We took the ‘Ancestral Route’ starting at Mi Mundo apartment building and climbing as far as Las Ruinas Niquias del Quitasol (Niquia Ruins).
We hiked for around 4 h, covering roughly 8 km (round trip) and gained around 750 m of elevation.

A hazy view of a city at the base of a valley. This is Medellín in Colombia as seen from the hike up Cerro Quitasol.

You don’t need a guide and there’s no entry fee.
To get to Mi Mundo apartment building, first take the metro train Line A to Niquia Station and then get the 341 bus to Terracota, staying on until the final stop.
The route is moderately challenging. It’s steepish most of the way and the underfoot is mostly dirt with some stony sections.
The route follows pre-Hispanic trails that connected the top of the Aburrá Valley with the valley floor.

Cerro Quitasol trail guidance

Distance: 8 km
Duration: 4 h
Difficulty: moderate
Elevation gain: 750 m

While the map above shows the entire loop you can complete, we didn’t do this. We hiked the loop in an anti-clockwise direction to the top before coming back the same way.

Once you’re off the bus at Mi Mundo Apartments, head uphill and you’ll see a dirt trail on the right-hand side of the road. This is the start of the Ancestral Trail.

A tall apartment building stand within a complex that is under construction. There is a tall crane in the background. These are Mi Mundo Apartments at the Cerro Quitasol trailhead. — The bus drops you outside this apartment block.

These initial sections of the trail are dirt underfoot and concrete slabs and are not too steep. Follow the trail sticking to the map I’ve included. You’ll cross paths with other trails and you can easily take a wrong turn.

Not too long into the hike you’ll come to a black metal fence with a sign above it. The trail forks here, but you want to stick right and pass through the fence under the sign.

Concrete slaps placed on a hiking trail. This is the Cerro Quitasol hiking trail. — The initial sections of the trail are either concrete slabs or dirt underfoot.

A white billboard stands above a hiking trail. There is a fence below the billboard. This is on the Cerro Quitasol hiking trail. — The initial sections of the trail are either concrete slabs or dirt underfoot.

From here the trail descends to a stream which you need to cross. The stream is ankle deep, so you’ll need to use the rocks to get by or take your shoes off and walk through.

A girls crouched in a stream give water to her dog, which is stood next to her, to drink. — We hiked with my friend’s dog.

After crossing the stream the trail ascends again but becomes easier. You enter a pine forest providing shade and the underfoot is softer thanks to a layer of dead pine material covering the ground.

You stay under the shade of the forest for a chunk of the remaining trail as you climb the mountainside. There are sections without tree coverage which open up nice views of Medellín.

A dirt hiking trail leads uphill through a fine forest. This is the pine tree forest at Cerro Quitasol in Medellín. — Temperatures are cooler inside the forest.

Towards the top of the trail things flatten out and become easier as the forest becomes denser. Keep an eye on the map here as in parts the trail becomes faint.

Continue through the forest sticking to the trail until you reach Las Ruinas Niquias del Quitasol (Niquias Ruins). This is a circular stone structure built by the pre-Hispanic Niquia people.

A circular structure made out of stones. these are pre-Hispanic ruins found on the Cerro Quitasol hiking trail that were built centuries ago by the Niquia people. — The Niquia ruins were built centuries ago.

Here we stopped for lunch and ultimately ended our ascent before heading back the way we came. However, the map in this guide shows you that you can continue past the ruins and traverse the mountainside before heading downhill along a different trail back to Bello.

An electric train passes along an overpass in a city in front of a large mural in the style of Botero. This is in Medellín, Colombia.

Where to stay in Medellín

These recommendations are based on personal experience or excellent ratings across major booking platforms. My preferred location is Laureles-Estadio for the quieter and safer streets.

Hostal Paisa: a well-located budget hostel with all the amenities you need.
CoNomad House: a shared living and coworking space with all amenities.
Laureles Selection Suites: a comfortable rental apartment with all amenities.
Stylish Loft: a chic one-bed studio with all amenities and coworking access.

Getting to trailhead

No matter where in Medellín you’re coming from, the first leg of this journey is to get to Estación Niquia on Line A of the metro. I will explain how to use Medellín’s metro system in this guide, if you don’t already know how.

A map of Medellín's metro system. The map shows the colour coded train lines running through the city. — The metro system in Medellín is extensive and affordable.

You can then take the 341 bus from outside of Niquia Station all the way to the trailhead. The final stop on the bus route is outside Mi Mundo apartment building, which is where the trail begins.

I’m unsure of the bus schedule, so I’d ask the driver how often the buses leave Mi Mundo to get back to the metro station and at what time the last bus is.

You can also start this hike from Niquia metro station adding on a few kilometres each way. However, the extra kilometres take you through an uneventful urban area, which I don’t think is worth walking.

What to bring to Cerro Quitasol

Although not a difficult hike, there are some steep sections which, on a hot day, can be challenging. I’d bring:

Water – at least 2 L, 3 L to be extra safe.
Food – a packed lunch for the top is nice, but if not you’ll at least need some snacks.
Sunscreen – a good chunk of the trail is exposed.

A dirt hiking trail leads uphill and is lined by bushy plants. This is a section of the hiking trail on Cerro Quitasol and the city of Medellín can be seen in the background. — On a bright day the sun is hot when not under the shade of the forest.

Warmer jacket – to stay toasty if you stop at the top to eat.
Cash – locals sell drinks and light bites to eat outside Mi Mundo apartments.
Sunglasses.
Lightweight rain jacket.

Cover your back

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When to hike Cerro Quitasol

The dry season in Colombia typically lasts from December – April and is the ideal period for hiking. During these months skies are clearer and trails in better condition. There’s also a secondary, shorter dry season throughout June and July.

A city sits at the floor of a valley on a hazy day. There view is from the valley side and there are trees in the foreground. This is one of the viewpoints of Medellín from Cerro Quitasol. — Despite the haze, the views from Cerro Quitasol are great.

You could hike Cerro Quitasol during the rainy season, but as the trail is steep in parts, if it rained, it would be quite slippery and muddy. Also, there’s less chance of having good views along the way.

More adventure travel guides on A World Over

Cerro Quitasol is a fun adventure throwing in a mix of history, great views and steepish sections. Also, the hike gets you out of the touristy areas of Medellín and into the suburbs which only the locals usually see.

Other great hikes into the hillsides of the Aburrá Valley overlooking Medellín I recommend include Mirador La Paloma, Cerro de Las Tres Cruces and Cerro Volador.

All Medellín guides on A World Over:

Hike Guide to Cerro Quitasol in Bello, Medellín