Medellin

The botanical gardens span about 33 acres and have more than 600 plant species, including heliconias, zamias, and azaleas. — Fodor's

Also known as Plaza Botero, this is the square where most travelers love to linger, and so they should. — Frommer's

Young travelers will enjoy this expansive science museum, which features a fine aquarium full of species from Colombian waterways as well as an interesting reptile enclosure. — Lonely Planet

Constructed with funds from European immigrants, this fine colonial church was inaugurated in 1803 and has a stone facade and a white-and-gold interior. — Lonely Planet

Occupying a mock-Gothic castle built in 1930 in El Poblado, the Museo El Castillo was once home to a wealthy Antioquian landowner. — Lonely Planet

This small concrete plaza, the city's nucleus since its construction in 1680, is overwhelmed by the city's elevated train, at this writing, the only one of its kind in Colombia. — Fodor's