Colombian addresses are logical once you understand the system. They're also unlike anything in the US, Canada, or Europe — which is why every foreigner's first Uber goes to the wrong building. This guide explains the system once so you never have to guess again.
The Grid: Calles Run East-West, Carreras Run North-South
The two fundamental road types in Medellín are calles (streets) and carreras (avenues/roads). The rule is simple:
Calles run roughly east-west (across the valley). Calle numbers increase as you go north. Calle 10 is in southern Poblado; Calle 50 is near the center; Calle 80 is in Robledo.
Carreras run roughly north-south (along the valley). Carrera numbers increase as you go west. Carrera 43A is in Poblado; Carrera 65 is near the center; Carrera 80 is the Avenida 80 that divides Laureles from Belén.
How to Read an Address
A Colombian address has three parts: the road you're on, the nearest cross-road, and the building number from that cross-road.
Example: Calle 10 No. 43B-25
Translation: You're on Calle 10. The nearest cross-road is Carrera 43B. The building is 25 meters (roughly — the number represents a distance, not a sequential house number) from that intersection.
Another example: Carrera 70 No. 44-12
Translation: You're on Carrera 70 (part of the La 70 corridor in Laureles). The nearest cross-street is Calle 44. The building is 12 from that corner.
The letter suffixes
43A, 43B, 43C — these are parallel roads between Carrera 43 and Carrera 44. The lettered suffixes subdivide the grid where blocks are large. 43B is not an apartment number or a unit — it's a separate road. This is the single most confusing element for foreigners and the reason Google Maps sometimes puts the pin one block off.
Sur (South) and the sign reversal
In southern Medellín (including much of El Poblado), calle numbers restart from the river with a "Sur" suffix. Calle 2 Sur is in Poblado; Calle 2 (without Sur) is downtown. The "Sur" is load-bearing — if your address says "Calle 10 Sur" and you tell the taxi "Calle 10," you'll end up in the wrong part of the city.
Circulares and Transversales
Laureles breaks the grid. The neighborhood was designed around circular roads that don't run strictly east-west or north-south. These are called circulares — Circular 1a, Circular 2a, Circular 3a, Circular 4a — and they curve around the Primer Parque de Laureles. Addresses on circulares follow the same three-part format, but the geometry doesn't match the mental model of a straight grid.
Transversales are diagonal roads that cut across the grid. They're numbered separately and appear in hilly zones (Poblado has several) where the terrain makes a strict grid impossible. The address format is the same.
Why Uber and InDrive Get It Wrong
Two reasons:
Letter suffixes. If your address is Carrera 43B-25 and the app interprets it as Carrera 43 No. 25, you're one road over. Always confirm the letter suffix with the driver — say "cuarenta y tres be" explicitly.
Sur confusion. Ride-hailing apps sometimes drop the "Sur" suffix when parsing an address. If you're in Poblado and the pin lands downtown, the Sur is missing. Drop a pin manually on the map rather than typing the text address.
Google Maps vs Waze. Most Colombian taxi and ride-hailing drivers use Waze, not Google Maps. The two apps sometimes geocode the same address to different buildings, especially on lettered-suffix roads. When giving an address to a driver, confirm the barrio as well: "Calle 10 No. 43B-25, El Poblado" eliminates the Sur ambiguity.
Addresses in Rental Listings
Most rental listings don't show the full address — they show the barrio and cross-streets (e.g., "Laureles, cerca al Segundo Parque, Calle 35 con Carrera 73"). The full address is shared after you contact the agency or landlord. This is normal and not a red flag — it's Colombian convention to protect the property's identity until there's a real inquiry.
When you do get a full address, drop it into Google Maps and Waze separately. If the pins land in different places, the lettered suffix is the culprit — zoom in and manually confirm which building is correct before your first visit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It separates the road you're on from the cross-reference. 'Carrera 70 No. 44-12' means you're on Carrera 70, at the point 12 units from the intersection with Calle 44. The 'No.' is short for 'Número' but it doesn't mean an apartment number.
They're in completely different parts of the city. Calle 10 is downtown. Calle 10 Sur is in El Poblado. The 'Sur' suffix is essential — leaving it out sends you kilometers from your destination.
Letters indicate parallel roads between two numbered carreras or calles. Carrera 43B runs between Carrera 43A and Carrera 44. These are separate roads, not sub-addresses within a building.
Give the barrio first ('El Poblado'), then the cross-streets ('Calle 10 con Carrera 43B'), then the building number. If possible, add a landmark. Saying just the text address often confuses drivers as much as it confuses you.
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