CorazónColombia

Adventure · Medellín

ATV to a Working Gold Mine, Antioquia

ATV a una mina de oro en Antioquia

7 hoursMax 8Moderate

Before you book this one

Antioquia is gold country — Colombia’s emeralds come from Boyacá, several hundred kilometres away, and anyone selling you an “emerald mine near Medellín” is selling you something that does not exist. For emeralds, see the Boyacá day trip from Bogotá.

Two hours on a quad through the hills north of Medellín to a small working gold mine — the metal that built this city long before coffee did. You ride the ridge tracks, then go underground with the people who work it.

What you do

  • Ridge and river tracks by quad, briefed and led, no experience assumed
  • Inside a working small-scale mine with a miner explaining the seam
  • Panning in the river afterwards — you keep whatever you find, which is honestly not much
  • Lunch with the family that runs the operation

As a private booking

Private departure with your own guide and a support vehicle, so anyone who does not want to ride can still come and meet you at the mine.

See VIP packages

When to do it

Runs year round. The tracks get genuinely difficult in heavy rain and we will move or refund the day rather than ride them.

Practical notes for Medellín

  • How we talk about the 1990s. Medellín was the most dangerous city on earth and is not any more. That transformation is the interesting story, and it belongs to the people who lived it. We do not run narco tours and we do not use that name to sell anything. Many Medellinenses find it genuinely offensive, and our guides will tell you why.
  • The airport is not in the city. MDE sits on a plateau 45–60 minutes away through a mountain tunnel. Budget the time, and expect a 20 °C temperature swing between the terminal and El Poblado.
All Medellín notes

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