Parque Lleras History

How the park became a nightlife district

Bars and restaurants grew up around the square over decades until the blocks between Calle 9 and Calle 10 and Carreras 37 to 39 became the city’s best-known going-out district. Local commentators credit Parque Lleras with giving Medellín the very concept of a zona rosa.

Success brought problems: crowds, street selling, drug dealing and sexual exploitation, which led to repeated city interventions.

What was rebuilt

The city rebuilt the park in 2022–2023 with funding from the Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá. The project covered around 12,800 square metres of public space, built 1,600 square metres of new pavements and improved another 5,289, and planted 98 new trees and 16,000 smaller plants.

The new park gained an open-air stage (teatrino) for cultural events and a network of smart cameras, and the surrounding streets were reworked into a pedestrian circuit linking it with Parque El Poblado.

Abrazo al Lleras — and its removal

When the remodel reopened in 2023, the then-mayor fenced the park and limited entry to controlled access points, an approach called “Abrazo al Lleras” that copied a scheme at Plaza Botero.

In January 2024 the incoming administration announced the fences would come down, saying the priority was order, control and security rather than barriers. Dismantling began at the end of May 2024, with police and city staff keeping a visible presence and a continued crackdown on sexual exploitation and drug sales.

What it means for you

The park itself is a pedestrian plaza again, with a heavy police presence. Drinking alcohol in the plaza is not allowed — the bars and terraces around it are where the night happens, and much of the scene has spread up into Provenza. Read our safety guide before your first night out.