Once synonymous with Colombian drug cartels and Pablo Escobar, Medellin is nowadays a city on the move and far removed from the dark days of the 1980's and 90's.

With a superb metro system, a transformed city centre and a blossoming dining, fashion and hotel scene, Medellin has become something of a model for social transformation and urban renewal in Latin America, an achievement recognised in 2013 with the award of 'world's most innovative city'.

This transformation of Colombia is one of the principal reasons for including Medellin on a tour of Colombia. That and the lively local cultural scene, the dramatic setting and the plentiful flights making Medellin a convenient gateway to the Coffee Zona and the surrounding province of Antioquia.