This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Jose Maria Cordova (MDE) to Medellin

The airport is in Rionegro, 35 km from the city, over a mountain. Combuses runs two routes down for about 10,000 pesos; a shared taxi is about 18,500.

  • The airport is in Rionegro, about 35 km from Medellin.
  • Combuses runs two routes: Airport-Palmas-San Diego and Airport-Autopista-Downtown.
  • The bus is about 10,000 COP; a shared taxi (taxi colectivo) about 18,500 COP.
  • Fares are revised annually.
  • The road drops about a kilometre in altitude into the Aburra valley, which is why the journey takes as long as it does.
  • Medellin has a second airport, Olaya Herrera (EOH), inside the city for domestic flights.

Not in Medellin

  • Jose Maria Cordova serves Medellin but sits in the municipality of Rionegro, about 35 km away.
  • The road crosses the ridge and drops into the Aburra valley, losing something close to a kilometre of altitude. That descent, not the distance, is why the transfer takes the better part of an hour.
  • It is also why the airport is often clear when Medellin is under cloud, and vice versa.

Getting down

  • Combuses covers the airport to Medellin run with two routes: Airport-Palmas-San Diego and Airport-Autopista-Downtown.
  • The bus fare is around 10,000 COP and a taxi colectivo - a shared taxi - around 18,500 COP. Both are revised each year.
  • The Palmas route is the scenic one over the ridge; the Autopista route is the fast road.

The other airport

  • Medellin also has Olaya Herrera (EOH), inside the city, used for regional domestic flights.
  • They are different airports 35 km apart. Check which one a domestic connection uses before you assume it is the one you landed at.

Practical

  • Take the bus if you are travelling light; it drops you in the city rather than at a suburban terminal.
  • A private car is worth it after a long-haul arrival, particularly at night on a mountain road.

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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.