Best Coffee Shops in Medellín for Digital Nomads: 9 Cafes Worth Working From

Medellín is an infamous digital nomad city. It hasn’t always been this way, but over the last 10 years there have been cafes in Medellín seemingly popping up every month, around hubs like El Poblado and Laureles, where most expats (immigrants, let’s use the correct terminology) live.

Medellín is one of my all time favourite cities and I can see the pull if you’re able to work remotely. It’s beautiful, it falls neatly into US time zones, the cost of living is affordable (for now), and there’s so much to do. If you’re weighing up Medellín digital nomad life for yourself, this is the cafe guide I wish I’d had before I got here.

These cafes and coffee shops aren’t exclusively for digital nomads, but across my time here I was on the hunt for spaces that I could plug in for a couple of hours, drink great coffee and not worry about dodgy wifi connections.

Wifi in Medellín, Colombia

I’m surprisingly impressed! I rarely had wifi cutting out in coffee shops or cafes. When it was offered in public spaces it was always strong.

Compared to the public wifi in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Medellín is miles ahead. Which is strange considering Rio receives infinitely more tourists than Medellín.

Claro, Movistar and Tigo are the main providers of internet and broadband – good to know if you’re also thinking about purchasing a SIM card when you land in Colombia. I’ve used Movistar and Tigo and both were great – I didn’t experience any issues.

Cafés vs. Coworking Spaces: Which Is Best for Medellín Digital Nomads?

IMO, I’ll always choose a cafe.

Maybe it’s different if you have your own business, but I’ve never understood the idea of paying a co-working space to work. I thought working was to bring in money, not lose it?

Yes in a cafe you need to order something in order to stay there, but the price of a coffee and a sandwich is usually less than a co-working desk for the day.

Plus, cafes are decorated much nicer, you can people watch, there’s yummy snacks, and people are generally in a more relaxed mood which can open up some great conversation if you want it.

I understand that with co-working spaces you’re guaranteed strong wifi, plug sockets, a quiet place if you need to take meetings, etc.

But that’s why I’m writing this cafe guide – to filter only my favourite, tried and true Medellín coffee shop picks to work from!

I’ve narrowed down my favourites in both El Poblado and Laureles, as this is where you’ll find the majority and in my opinion, are the most geared up to work in. I’ve also included one bonus at the end.

Can’t decide on where to stay in Medellín? I have a post all about The Best Neighbourhoods In Medellín To Stay In, and How To Plan a Trip To Medellín, Colombia.

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What Makes the Best Digital Nomad Working Locations in Medellín

I need the following 6-7 items to constitute a good coworking cafe, and all of the spaces I’ve listed in Medellín live up to my criteria. To me, these are my non-negotiable:

1. Plenty of plug sockets

This one’s the most obvious, but you don’t want to be fighting over the only plug socket in the cafe, or taking turns with the guy next to you every 30 minutes. Having a bunch of plugs next to tables also is a good sign that the cafe permits co-working – as I’m sure some people get self conscious about!

2. Ability to stay for multiple hours

One of my least favourite feelings is staying in a cafe for 3, 4, sometimes even 5 hours (sorry!) and having the staff stare you down the whole day.

Now I do understand if the cafe is busy and people are trying to get a table, don’t be that person, but knowing you’re welcome to stay for as long as you need makes me feel so much more comfortable!

3. A large space

Hand in hand with the last two, having a large space both means there’s a higher likelihood of having multiple plug sockets and two, you’re not taking up space that could have been used for someone else.

This isn’t a must in a quieter, more local coffee shop, but it always helps when you want to tuck yourself away for a couple of hours.

4. Comfortable seating

Very important as I’ve learned the hard way. Don’t punish yourself with uncomfortable seating! You’d be better off just staying at home instead. Your body and your posture will thank you in the long term.

Plus, I always feel I can work better in a comfortable environment as I’m not getting distracted every 10 minutes having to shift my bum on the seat.

5. Strong WiFi

The absolute most obvious, but there’s nothing more frustrating than having a work call cut out mid way because of bad connection issues. This one may actually impact the quality of your work too, especially if you’re working for an employer.

6. Relative quiet-ness

Now, this one is semi out of the cafe’s control, but having a space that doesn’t have blaring music or huge groups of bottomless brunch happening is obviously a much better environment to work in.

Now, as you’re in a public place you shouldn’t expect people to cater around you, even if you are in a notably quieter space.

A good pair of noise cancelling headphones is a must for any digital nomad just in case this scenario does occur, but reduce your chances by sticking to the more peaceful coffee shops in Medellín.

7. Good snacks and drinks

Again an obvious one, but if you’re planning to stay for the day, it may as well have good snacks and great coffee!

If you’re buying a dry muffin and a burnt coffee just to stay for an extra hour, it may not be worth the money. Yes you’re paying more to use the space, but don’t put up with low quality just for the chance to work.

So, now you know my benchmarks for the best coffee shops Medellín has for remote work, let’s jump into my list of the best digital nomad cafes.

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Best Digital Nomad Cafes in El Poblado, Medellín

Café Quindío

Starting strong, Café Quindío is one of the most beautiful cafés I’ve been to in the city. It has a great mezzanine for coworking, strong wifi, and the stand out is definitely the coffee!

Café Quindío is a popular coffee brand in Colombia, and their grounds and beans are sold in supermarkets across the country, so you know they’re the real deal.

I’ve worked here a couple of times and never had a bad experience. The staff are absolutely lovely, too. You can happily stay here for an afternoon and not feel rushed or like you’re on a time limit.

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Pergamino

I couldn’t create this list without mentioning the one and only Pergamino Medellín. They have a couple of locations in Poblado and Laureles, and even one at the Medellín airport.

This is the most popular, “viral” if you will, Medellín coffee shop stop, so sometimes it gets busy, but there is ample seating and you’ll always be able to find somewhere to plonk down.

It’s a popular place for Colombian work meetings to take place, too, so you can rest assured that this is a work friendly spot.

The coffee is fantastic, especially the orange cold brew. Tried making that at home and it tasted like vomit. I’d recommend just getting your fix here instead.

Note: this is somewhere I’d bring your noise cancelling headphones too, because of the popularity.

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Café Dragón

One of my all time favourite spots in Medellín, Café Dragón is just so cool. The roof opens up on sunny days, and actually transforms into a cocktail bar once the sun goes down!

The food and drinks menu here is fantastic, and the sofas and side seating are super comfortable.

Of course, friendly staff that are happy for you to stay all day if needed, though I wouldn’t recommend trying to work past 6pm when they’re prepping for the evening service.

There’s also a couple of super large tables and benches if you’re here on a group trip needing a larger space to convene. I’ve often seen these used for business meetings by locals too.

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11:11

To me, the best international style coffee award goes to 11:11. Go here if you’re wanting a flat white or a truly rich, silky coffee.

Located in the heart of the backpacker/hostel area of El Poblado, this cafe is quiet and perfect to hide away for a few hours.

It sits over two floors, up a flight of stairs from the ground floor, and a rooftop. The first floor is where you’ll want to stay if you’re expecting Zoom calls as the rooftop does play music, but both are suitable for working.

I will say, this probably has the least amount of plug sockets from all the cafes on this list, but I’ve never had a problem.

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Best Coffee Shops for Remote Work in Laureles, Medellín

Pergamino

Once again, I have to mention Pergamino Medellín because she is the blueprint.

I think I prefer the Laureles location over Poblado – there’s an upstairs which feels unintentionally dedicated to coworking, a huge outdoor garden space where the majority of the tables are, and even a little balcony with a few available spots.

Like I said in my Poblado recommendation, this one can get a little bit noisy compared to the others, just because of the popularity. A lot of the tables in the outside seating area also don’t have sockets, so come with a full charge on your laptop.

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Namazzi

One of the hidden gems in Laureles in my opinion. This is a cute neighbourhood cafe which sees steady but spread out traffic, so you know you’ll be in a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

The coffee here is also fantastic, and the decor is beautiful. You won’t need your zoom background blurred here!

I want to highlight this cafe because I think it’s important to support local, and I don’t think this cafe receives the same amount of attention as the others.

It’s a couple minutes off the main gringo path, but the neighbourhood is incredibly safe in Laureles, and I’ve noticed a lot of international folks that permanently relocate to Medellín have settled around here.

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Amelier Café

This trendy cafe is just off Carrera 70 in Laureles and very close to a bunch of hotels and the football stadium. This would be a great option if you’re in the city for a couple of days and needing a place to stop by and work for a day.

This feels more set up for specific coworking – in fact you can actually rent out coworking spaces in a side room that is the perfect environment for taking important or sensitive calls.

I haven’t done that myself, I found the cafe area was good enough, but weirdly the lighting can be a bit dark if you need to take a video call.

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Café Zeppelin

This is such a cool, retro style cafe, with antiques, eclectic decor, vinyls and big armchairs galore.

The staff here are super friendly too, despite it not being a huge space. I was a little self conscious at first if I was taking up their room, but they’re fine with it!

Café Zeppelin also turns into a bar at night, and is situated perfectly among a bunch of restaurants and nightlife once the day turns to night. Perfect to grab a beer after a long day at the desk!

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Semilla Cafe & Co-working

Similar to Atelier, this is geared up specifically as a coffee shop slash coworking space. It has long benches plus individual tables, tons of plug sockets, super speedy wifi – basically everything you need for a day of getting your head down.

Despite it being a relatively new space, every time I went there were more and more English speakers at the tables. I think if you’re looking for a bit of conversation in between work moments, this would be a great place (as long as you’re not disturbing others!)

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Bonus Medellín Coffee Shop: Nomad Garden at Viva Envigado

All the cafes I mentioned were either in Poblado or Laureles, but I do have one additional bonus space, and that’s the nomad garden in the Viva Envigado shopping mall.

Viva is one of the largest shopping malls in South America I believe, and in 2025 they opened their “nomad garden” – an indoor/outdoor public space filled with tables and sockets, right next to their food court section. You can log into the Viva Envigado wifi which I haven’t had issues with, and work without even needing to buy anything, permitting you get a table!

Note that most spaces are exposed and so it’s not great on a rainy day, but I highly recommend taking a look on a sunny day! Medellín has some great third spaces and this is one of them.

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So, there’s my list of the best digital nomad cafes and coffee shops in Medellín, Colombia, based on a year’s worth of exploration and understanding what I like best living the digital nomad life as a remote worker.

Like I mentioned previously, Medellín seems to have a new coffee shop or cafe every other week, so I’m sure this list will change – and drop in a comment for any new recommendations!

Happy nomad-ing!

Frequently Asked Questions