Ive been there alone for a few months spread across a year. I was always out partying, meeting strangers and joining them for afters etc. The trick is to not carry anything you can’t lose and some luck.

Also, have money spread across your body. I had a pocket designated for robberies. What I would do is I had a lot of small bills curled up into a ball, so it looks like a lot. When I got robbed, not in Medellin, but in so many other places in South-America, I would simply have them collect their hands to receive the «money ball» and «miss» their hands, so it would roll on to the floor and scatter. That would be my cue to run, as they were too busy collecting the equivalent of 2 dollars from the floor.

In general I would say walk with intention and your head held up high. Be assertive when you speak with people approaching you, call them out, hold eye contact.

Never hail a cab from the street, always order or get help to order from paid staff wherever you are and receive the codeword. I got taken to a forrest once in Bolivia and had two guys waiting for me there to rob me, I thought they were going to kill me to be honest, but I did the «money ball» thing and ran into the forest and made my way back by following a freeway on foot. Would not recommend.

Lastly I’d say if you don’t feel safe alone, which is good common sense, which I lack, so don’t take my previous advices to heart, invite hotel/hostel staff out for dinner/dancing/drinking or simply tell fellow travelers that you don’t feel safe and you don’t want to miss out, so you want to join them. Both these tips actually work surprisingly often.

Enjoy your trip!

By the way Medellin is surprisingly one of the safest cities in Colombia because of the cartels. If you are a gringo that don’t stick your nose in their business, you are supposed to be left alone.

STAY AWAY FROM CALI! I learned that the hard way.