The digital nomad guide to Laureles
Why remote workers made a leafy Medellín grid their world capital — and exactly where to work, live and unplug once you land.
Cafés to work from, and laundry day sorted
Fast WiFi, real coffee, nobody hurrying you out — plus the self-service laundry with a kitchen attached.
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Café Zeppelin
A Laureles café with a German streak, open since 2013: a wooden deck under the trees with paper lanterns, German sausages, apfelstrudel and shakshuka for breakfast, lunch at midday with dessert and coffee included, and beer later on (3x2 on the 4–7pm board). Transversal 39 #76-12. Mon–Wed noon–10pm, Thu noon–10:30pm, Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun and holidays 3–10pm.
Medallo Bakery House Deli
A bakery and pastry house on Carrera 76 with a glass case that stops you mid-sidewalk: pistachio pyramids, layered chocolate cakes and caramelized pears on puff pastry, plus fresh bread on the shelves and a bright pink-and-white room to sit in. Cra. 76 #35-20, open 7am to 9pm, so it works for breakfast or for dessert after dinner on the 76.
Café Revolución
A local icon and the unofficial clubhouse of the neighborhood's remote workers. Excellent baristas, famous chai, solid brunch, and WiFi that actually holds up.
Semilla Café
Coffee shop downstairs, day-pass coworking upstairs with unlimited coffee. The easiest "I need to get things done today" spot in Laureles.
Café Torbellino
Specialty coffee poured with artistic flair and a back patio that doubles as a plant nursery — sip surrounded by greenery. Laptop-friendly, vegan-friendly, and a 4.7★ local favorite.
Libertario Coffee Roasters
Specialty coffee with a real brunch menu behind it — skillet eggs, tomato-and-burrata toast, granola bowls with mango and edible flowers — and house blends named PAZ and PUNK poured at the bar. A board on the wall keeps a running count of the CO₂ their coffee program has pulled back out of the air. Diagonal 75 #39CB-20, open from 7am.
La Gatoria
Laureles' famous cat café: good coffee, afternoon snacks, and resident cats weaving between the tables. Exactly as charming as it sounds.
Terracota Panadería
A warm bakery-café with a plant-framed terrace, built for the paisa ritual of tardear — the long, unhurried afternoon sit-down. Their own slogan says it: "tardear es con T de Terracota."
La Baguette Brunch & Lunch
Brunch and lunch on the top level of the Torre Gourmet stack, above the neon. Daytime counterpart to a block that mostly comes alive after dark.
Juan Valdez Café
Colombia's own coffee institution, run by the national coffee growers' federation. Not the neighborhood's most artisanal cup, but it is the country's most iconic — and every visitor should have one at least once.
Freshy Tasty
A small smoothie bar with a green neon sign and a couple of sidewalk tables: zero-sugar smoothies, fruit bowls and gluten-free snacks. The antidote to a week of bandeja paisa — and pet friendly.
Lavato Laundry & Brunch
A laundromat you actually want to stay in. Load a self-service machine a block off the Primer Parque, then order a burger, a proper brunch or a coffee while it runs — there is WiFi, a sofa and no reason to make two trips. They also do wash-and-fold and delivery if you would rather drop and go. If you are living out of a suitcase, it solves two problems at once.
Laureles has quietly become the digital nomad neighborhood in Latin America — Time Out crowned it the coolest neighborhood in the world, and the remote-work crowd agrees. The formula: it's flat (rare in Medellín), walkable, cheaper than Poblado, packed with cafés and parks, and still feels like Colombia rather than a tourist bubble. Eternal-spring weather does the rest.
🌸 Here in early August? You've landed during Feria de las Flores (July 31 – August 9) — Medellín's biggest week of the year, with the main parades passing right by Laureles. Block the calendar.
Where to work
Coworking spaces
- La Casa Redonda — the community favorite. Strong WiFi, but the real product is the people: rooftop BBQs, potlucks, and the fastest social on-ramp in the city if you just arrived.
- Semilla Café — hybrid model done right: proper coffee shop downstairs, day-pass coworking upstairs with unlimited coffee. Perfect for "just one focused day" without a membership.
- Several smaller offices (Coworking Fenicia, Inspira and others) dot the neighborhood if you want a quieter desk-and-monitor setup.
Laptop-friendly cafés
- Café Revolución — the unofficial nomad clubhouse: excellent baristas, famous chai, good outlets, WiFi that holds up on video calls.
- La Gatoria — emails with cats climbing around you. Not for deep work; absolutely for a fun afternoon block.
- Dozens more along Avenida Jardín and around the two parks — café-hopping is half the point of living here.
Where to live
Most nomads land near Primer or Segundo Parque (peak café density), along Avenida Nutibara, or toward Estadio for cheaper rents near the sports complex. Furnished apartments are plentiful and noticeably cheaper than Poblado; most buildings have secure entry. If you like structured landings, coliving houses operate in the neighborhood too.
Noise tip: La 70 and the blocks around it run loud into the early morning on weekends. Great to visit, rough to sleep over — check the map before you book.
Life between calls
- Stay active: the Atanasio Girardot complex has a free Olympic-size pool, outdoor gyms and a skatepark; El Muro has indoor climbing; Parques del Río is the running spot.
- Learn salsa: it's the neighborhood sport. Ease in at Son Havana — dancers of every level welcome.
- Get a world-class fade: Colombian barbers are famous for a reason, and a cut here costs a fraction of home prices — see our Laureles barbershop guide.
- Eat well on any budget: menú del día lunches for a few dollars, or a world-class steak night at Bárbaro. Full picks in our things to do guide.
The daily rhythm nobody tells you about
Laureles runs on a schedule that will feel early if you are coming from Europe or North America. Cafés open between 7am and 9am and the good working tables are gone by 10. Lunch is a real event between roughly 12 and 2, when almuerzo ejecutivo appears on chalkboards everywhere and the same café you were working in quietly fills with people who are not working. Late afternoon is tardear time, which is a social activity, not a productive one.
The practical version: if your calls are with North America you are already aligned, and Laureles mornings are the best working hours in the neighborhood. If your calls are with Europe, you will be finishing your day when the neighborhood starts its afternoon, which is honestly the better deal.
Rain, and why it structures the week
Medellín's temperature does not change across the year, but the rain does. In the wetter months the afternoon downpour is close to a scheduled event, arriving in the late afternoon and clearing within an hour or two. Nobody plans around it and nothing shuts down. What it does mean is that walking to a café at 4pm is a different proposition from walking there at 9am, and that a plant-filled indoor patio like Café Torbellino's becomes a lot more appealing.
Getting a SIM and getting around
Laureles is served by the Estadio and Floresta Metro stations, and the neighborhood's flat grid means most of what you need is walkable, which is the whole reason remote workers rate it. Ride-hailing apps cover everything the Metro does not. For everything about moving around after dark, the same rules in our safety guide apply.
Practical notes
- Internet: fiber is standard in apartments; cafés and coworking fill the gaps. Connectivity is rarely the problem here.
- Getting around: walk the neighborhood, Metro (Estadio/Floresta stations) for the city, ride-hailing at night.
- Safety: one of the city's safest areas — the full picture is in Is Laureles Safe?
- Laundry: most furnished rentals include a washer, but if yours doesn't, Lavato by the Primer Parque is self-service with a kitchen attached — run a load over brunch instead of losing an afternoon. Wash-and-fold and delivery too.
- Spanish: noticeably less English than Poblado. That's a feature — your Spanish will actually improve.
Quick answers
Is Laureles good for digital nomads?
It's one of the most popular nomad neighborhoods in the world: flat and walkable, packed with laptop-friendly cafés and coworking, cheaper than El Poblado, with eternal-spring weather year-round.
How is the internet in Laureles?
Fiber is standard in apartments and café WiFi is generally strong enough for video calls — connectivity is rarely the problem here.
Where do digital nomads work in Laureles?
La Casa Redonda and Semilla Café for coworking, Café Revolución as the unofficial clubhouse, plus dozens of cafés along Avenida Jardín and around the parks.
What are the best working hours in Laureles?
Mornings. Cafés open between 7am and 9am and the good tables are taken by 10. Lunch between roughly 12 and 2 fills every café with people who are not working, and late afternoon is tardear time.
Is Laureles walkable, and does it have a Metro station?
Yes to both — it's flat, laid out on a walkable grid, and served by the Estadio and Floresta Metro stations. Walkability is the main reason remote workers rate it over El Poblado.
New in the neighborhood?
Start with our curated list of things to do in Laureles — the cafés, food and salsa floors that turn a workation into a home.
While you're here: the neighborhood directory
Every spot in this guide is one we've been to ourselves. 57 places in Laureles, each one tap from directions.