The Vertical Garden of the Creek: Neighbors' Secrets

The vertical garden of the creek: neighbors' secrets in Aranjuez

If you walk along Carrera 45 towards the north, just before crossing the pedestrian bridge on Calle 87, the air changes. It's not just the smell of humidity from La Herrera Creek mixing with the coffee from neighboring houses. It's the green. A green that wasn't there five years ago, climbing up the retaining walls as if the mountain had decided to reclaim its space. Plastic bottles cut in half hang in perfect rows, planted with succulents, ferns, and anthuriums that look like they came from a luxury nursery. But this wasn't done by the city hall or an international NGO. It was done by Doña Gloria, Don Álvaro, and a group of neighbors who got tired of watching the creek overflow every winter.

This article is not just another tourist listing. It's a practical guide to understanding how a working-class neighborhood in Medellín turned an infrastructure problem into a model of urban gardening that architecture students from the Universidad Nacional study today. And yes, it's also a tutorial for you to replicate the idea at home, whether you live in an apartment in El Poblado or a country house in Santa Elena. Because if we learned anything in Aranjuez, it's that the most effective ecological solution is the one made with your hands and with what's no longer useful.

La Herrera Creek: a story of abandonment and resilience

To understand the vertical garden, you have to understand the place. La Herrera Creek is born on the slopes of Cerro El Picacho and winds down through the neighborhoods of Medellín's northeastern zone until it flows into the Medellín River, near the Acevedo metro station. For decades, this stretch of Aranjuez was an open-air dump. The oldest residents remember that in the 80s and 90s, the creek was synonymous with danger: rats, bad smells, and the constant fear that a sudden flood would wash away the little they had.

The change began in 2016, when the Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá carried out a channeling intervention in some sections. But the concrete wall left exposed was ugly, gray, and absorbed heat. It was then that a group of neighbors, led by the neighborhood's Junta de Acción Comunal, decided they weren't going to wait for the government to beautify their landscape. "If the creek gives us life, we'll return the favor," says Doña Gloria Restrepo, a 68-year-old retiree who spends her mornings watering the plants with rainwater she collects in recycled bins.

The project started with 20 meters of wall and today covers more than 150 linear meters on both sides of the channel, from Calle 85 to 89. It's not a decorative garden: it's a living barrier that has reduced the speed of water during rainy seasons and decreased landslides on the slopes. Neighbors estimate that flooding in nearby houses has dropped by 60% since the plant roots began holding the soil.

What to do: the garden as a destination, not as a landscape

Most people pass over the pedestrian bridge on Calle 87 with Carrera 45 without stopping. That's the mistake. The vertical garden of Aranjuez is not a mural for a quick photo; it's a living space that changes with the hours of the day and the seasons of the year. If you come to visit, here's what you can't miss:

The interpretive trail of native species

The neighbors installed small recycled wood plaques with the common and scientific names of the plants. It's not a formal museum, but it serves the purpose: you can take a self-guided tour of about 30 minutes identifying species like the sietecueros (Tibouchina lepidota), the helecho marranero (Polypodium polypodioides), and the sábila (Aloe vera) they use to make homemade ointments. Biology students from the University of Antioquia come often to do inventories and have counted more than 40 different species on the wall.

The viewpoint of the pedestrian bridge

The bridge is not just a crossing point. From there, you see the complete structure of the garden: PET soda bottles cut and painted in colors, car tires turned into hanging planters, powdered milk cans hanging like bells. It's impressive to see how creative recycling became an urban art installation. On Sunday mornings, before the heat arrives, the sound of water running between the stones and the singing of the mirlas creates an atmosphere that rivals any paid botanical garden.

The community mural on the south side

In 2023, a group of local graffiti artists painted a 40-meter mural on the wall opposite the garden. It's not just any mural: it represents the history of the creek, from the indigenous nutabes who inhabited the area to the peasants who arrived fleeing violence in the 50s. The blue and green colors mix with the real plants growing alongside, creating a visual effect that architects call "transition between the painted and the living." It's the best place to understand the neighborhood's pride.

The community workshop on the first Saturdays

On the first Saturday of each month, at 9 in the morning, the neighbors open the garden to anyone who wants to learn. You don't need experience or tools: they lend everything. The workshop lasts until noon and ends with a community pot where sancocho is shared and the garden's expansion plans are discussed. This is where you really get to know the neighborhood, not as a tourist but as a temporary neighbor. Participation is free, although they accept donations of plastic bottles, fertilized soil, and seeds.

Where to eat or drink near the garden

After walking among the plants, hunger strikes. Aranjuez is not the Zona Rosa, but it has an authentic gastronomic offering that few tourists know about. These are the places the neighbors themselves recommend:

La Esquina del Sabor (Calle 87 # 45-12)

A neighborhood eatery that has been serving the best calentado paisa in the area for 25 years. For $12,000 COP (reference price from August 2026), they serve you a generous plate with beans, rice, egg, ground beef, pork rinds, and arepa. The secret is in the hogao, which Doña Martha prepares every day at 5 in the morning. They're open Monday to Saturday, from 7am to 3pm. If you arrive late, you're out of luck.

La Herrera Café Cultural (Carrera 45 # 86-30)

A small café set up in an old house that the owners restored with recycled wood from the garden itself. Here they serve origin coffee from Jericó and a limonada de coco that's the perfect drink for Medellín's climate. Prices range from $6,000 to $15,000 COP. On Thursday nights, there are traditional Colombian Andean music performances with free entry. It's the ideal place to rest after the tour.

La Picada de Don Álvaro (Calle 88 # 44-08)

Don Álvaro is one of the founders of the vertical garden and also an exceptional self-taught cook. On Sundays, he prepares a picada mixta to share that includes Antioquian chorizo, morcilla, arepa santandereana, papa criolla, and ripe plantain. The dish for two costs $45,000 COP. There's no written menu: Don Álvaro tells you what there is and you decide. It's recommended to arrive before 1pm because it sells out fast.

La Heladería El Nevado (Carrera 44 # 87-15)

To finish, an artisanal lulo or guanábana ice cream at this ice cream shop that's been operating since 1985. Prices range from $4,000 to $9,000 COP. The place is small, with plastic tables on the sidewalk, but it's perfect for watching neighborhood life go by. Order the breva con arequipe ice cream: it's the house specialty and you won't find it anywhere else in Medellín.

How to get there and transportation

Getting to the Aranjuez vertical garden is easy, even if you don't know Medellín. The most recommended option is the Medellín Metro, which is fast, safe, and economical. Get off at the Madera station on Line A (the line that goes north). From the station, walk two blocks east along Calle 87 until you reach Carrera 45. The walk takes about 5 minutes and is well signposted with murals that the neighbors themselves painted to guide visitors.

If you come by bus, the routes that pass through the area are route 250 (which goes from downtown to Castilla) and route 300 (which connects with the Acevedo station). Both drop you off on Avenida 45, half a block from the pedestrian bridge. The fare costs approximately $3,000 COP.

For those who prefer a car, there's parking on Calle 88 with Carrera 44, a lot the neighbors set up and charge $5,000 COP for the whole day. You can also use ride-hailing apps like Uber or Didi; the trip from El Poblado costs around $25,000 COP and takes about 30 minutes in low traffic. However, avoid peak hours (7-9am and 5-7pm) because Avenida 45 gets quite congested.

If you come by bicycle, there's a bike lane along Carrera 45 up to Calle 86. It's not the most picturesque route in Medellín, but it's flat and safe during the day. On the pedestrian bridge, there's a free bike parking area that the neighbors installed with recycled tubes.

Local tips: what nobody tells you

Knowing a neighborhood isn't just about knowing what to visit, but understanding how it works. These are the tips the neighbors of Aranjuez want you to know:

• The best time to visit is between 7am and 9am. Besides the cool weather, it's when the neighbors come out to water the plants and you can chat with them. Don Álvaro is always there with his coffee in hand and tells you stories that aren't in any travel guide.
• Don't touch the plants without permission. Many are medicinal or have thorns. If you want to smell a flower, ask first. The neighbors are friendly but protective of their work.
• Bring a reusable water bottle. On the pedestrian bridge, there's a community hydration point that the neighbors installed with a rainwater filter. It's free and it's an example of sustainability that