Vacaciones Recreativas in Medellín: The Complete Summer Camps Guide for Families
If you’ve just moved to Medellín with kids, or you’re planning to, a common questions that comes up is: what do families do during school breaks?
In Colombia, they’re called vacaciones recreativas. And the options are way more varied than you might expect. We’re talking university-run STEM camps, outdoor adventure in Parque Arví, Broadway-style musical theatre, equestrian experiences from 8 months old, robotics with NASA themes, cooking classes with individual workstations, circus arts, French immersion — and a bunch of completely free government programs most immigrant families don’t even know exist.
I’ve spent the last three years researching, DMing, and saving programs across the entire metro area — Medellín, Envigado, Sabaneta, La Estrella, Itagüí, and out to Rionegro/Llanogrande. Recommendations from Colombianos and extranjeros alike. The result is a guide with 60+ programs organized by category, with ages, contact info, and descriptions for each one.
The full guide is a live Notion document that I update regularly as programs announce new dates and availability. You only need to access it once — bookmark it, and you’ll always have the latest version. I’ll also email you when I make major updates like when June/July programs start announcing in May or programs open up for October. A few things we need to cover first:
- Before You Read: A Few Important Notes
- How Vacation Works Here
- Calendario A vs. Calendario B
- Summer Camps in Medellín: What You Need to Know First
- A note on language immersion camps
- A Preview: What’s in the Full Guide
- Get the Full Guide
- FAQ
Before You Read: A Few Important Notes
I did my best to double-check every phone number, address, and website in this guide. But things change quickly here and often without notice. If something’s broken, outdated, or not working, please kindly let me know so I can update it! This guide is only as good as the community that helps keep it current. <3
For some of the camp listings, the ages listed are based on previous camps and workshops they’ve hosted or have advertised in the past. Programs may adjust age ranges from season to season, so always confirm directly!
A few terms to learn:
Matrícula — A registration fee. This is usually a one-time annual charge, separate from the monthly or weekly tuition. Most programs have one. Ask about it upfront so it doesn’t surprise you.
A domicilio — Means they come to you. The teacher or instructor shows up at your home, your building, or your pool. It’s amazing and incredibly convenient, especially for someone like me with multiple kids. No driving, no parking, no logistics. Several programs in this guide offer a domicilio services for music, art, and swimming.
Caja de compensación (Comfama / Comfenalco) — Colombia’s family welfare fund system. Every formal employer pays into a caja, and affiliated employees get access to subsidized parks, vacation programs, childcare, housing, and more.
Comfama and Comfenalco Antioquia are the two major cajas in this region. If you or your spouse work for a Colombian company with a formal contract, your family is probably affiliated and gets deep discounts. If you’re self-employed, a remote worker, or working for a foreign company, you can still use almost all their services, you just pay the non-affiliated rate. Think of it like a cross between the YMCA, a recreation department, and a benefits program, all rolled into one.
Vacaciones recreativas — The Colombian term for vacation programs / camps. This is the phrase you want to search, not “summer camps.” You’ll find 10x more results.
Calendario A / Calendario B — Explained in detail in the next section, but in short: most Colombian schools follow Calendario A (school year Jan–Nov, big break in June/July). Most international schools follow Calendario B (school year Aug–June, big break June–August). A lot of vacation programs align with Calendario A.
How Vacation Works Here
If you’re coming from the US, Canada, or Europe — this is probably the most important section of this entire guide.
Calendario A vs. Calendario B
Most Colombian schools follow Calendario A: the school year starts in late January/early February and ends in late November. The big break is mid-June to mid-July (roughly 4 weeks), with a shorter receso in October and another break in December/January.
Calendario B schools — most international and bilingual schools like Columbus, Vermont follow a more US-style calendar: school year starts in August, ends in June, with a longer summer break June through August.
This matters because most vacaciones recreativas programs align with Calendario A. They run for 3–4 weeks in June/July, a week in October, and a few weeks in December. If your kid is on Calendar B with a longer summer break, you may need to stitch together multiple programs or supplement with year-round extracurriculars.
And here’s where it gets tricky. It’s not like you pick one calendar and everything aligns. Your kid might be on Calendar B, but their swim school, gymnastics class, or music academy follows Calendar A. So when your kid is out for a longer break, those programs might not offer extra daily sessions — they just keep running their regular once-a-week schedule. That gap is exactly why you need a plan.
Summer Camps in Medellín: What You Need to Know First
Here’s what catches new families off guard: programs don’t announce their summer schedules in January. They announce in May. Sometimes even June. This is not disorganized. It’s just how Colombia works.
- WhatsApp over email. Things here do not work via email. Programs love WhatsApp, phone calls, and in-person visits. Don’t be surprised if an email goes unanswered for weeks. Find the WhatsApp number.
- Instagram is your best research tool. Most programs here use Instagram like their website. And many don’t have a website at all. Check their highlights for ubicación, horarios, and tarifas. Scroll back through their feed to June/July of previous years to see what their vacaciones recreativas looked like, what ages they served, and roughly what they charged. Their bio usually has a WhatsApp link which is usually your fastest path to answers. If a program doesn’t have an Instagram, it probably doesn’t exist yet (or it’s word-of-mouth only through school WhatsApp groups).
- Start looking in early May for June/July programs, and early November for December programs.
- Register the moment you see something you like. Popular programs fill up fast.
- Your mom network is your best source. Other moms in school WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups start sharing options in May/June. That’s often how you find the smaller programs.
- Search “vacaciones recreativas” — not “summer camps.” That’s the phrase that gets results on Instagram and Google.
- Get a Colombian phone number if you plan to be here long-term. A +1 number is an easy way to get gringo-priced.
- They’ll ask for your cédula. That’s the national ID number. If you don’t have a cédula de extranjería, use your passport number. This is a legal requirement for registration.
This guide gives you the full landscape so you can start planning early. Even if specific dates and prices won’t drop until closer to each vacation period.
A note on language immersion camps
If you’re looking for a full Spanish immersion camp for your kids, the kind where they show up speaking mostly English and come home dreaming in Spanish after two weeks, I haven’t found one that’s specifically designed for that here.
Which is kind of ironic, right? You moved to a Spanish-speaking country and you still can’t find a Spanish immersion camp.
But here’s the thing: almost every program in this guide is immersion by default. The instruction is in Spanish. The other kids speak Spanish. The profes speak Spanish. Your kid will be immersed whether the program markets itself that way or not.
What doesn’t exist (at least not that I’ve found) is a structured program specifically designed for English-dominant kids to learn Spanish through a camp format, with bilingual staff who can bridge the gap, a curriculum built around language acquisition, and an intentional mix of native and non-native speakers. If you find one, please DM me because I will add it to this guide immediately. It seems like Guatemala and Costa Rica have more options for one-stop-shop immersive camps.
In the meantime, the closest options are:
Programs where your kid will be surrounded by Spanish speakers and will pick it up organically, basically any Calendario A program, Comfama, INDER, or the university camps. This is real immersion, it’s just not packaged and marketed with a pretty bow.
Programs that are bilingual by design. UPB’s “Explore-a-lot!” English track, Columbus School activities, Centro Colombo Americano’s Mini Makers, and Sabaneta’s bilingual Festival Lúdico. These are great if your kid needs some English scaffolding while they build confidence.
A domicilio Spanish tutors — not a camp, but if your kid needs targeted language support alongside their vacation activities, hiring a Spanish tutor who comes to your house a few mornings a week is a common and affordable option here. Ask in your school parent groups for recommendations.
The reality is that the best Spanish immersion program in Medellín is just… living here. Enrolling your kid in any local program where they’re the only English speaker in the room will do more for their Spanish than any branded immersion camp ever could. It’s uncomfortable at first. But it works!
A Preview: What's in the Full Guide
The complete guide covers 70+ programs across these categories. Here’s a taste of what’s inside — but the full details, pricing, contacts, and pro tips for every program are in the guide.
🎓 University-Run Programs
Some of the best-value programming in the city happens on university campuses. EAFIT’s Zoom Ciencia turns their campus into a science playground for ages 3–11. UPB’s Escuela Vacacional has offered tracks from archaeology to cooking to an entire program in English (“Explore-a-lot!”). Universidad de Medellín runs a garden-to-table program where kids build gardens and cook — for about $134,000 COP/week, one of the most affordable options around.
The guide covers 5 university programs with who to contact.
🏕️ Outdoor & Adventure
R2 Outdoor Camp runs 3x/week from Parque Arví with overnight camps under the stars. Kajuyalí is Colombia’s premier sleepaway camp (30+ years, American + Colombian kids together, multiple locations across the country). Leader Kids does a 3-day overnight entrepreneurship camp for tweens.
🐴 Horseback Riding
So many options to choose from. Equus runs vacation camps with riding, nature walks, and a closing bonfire (and their website is in English). La Bonanza in Envigado does equinoterapia starting from 8 months old. Plus Imperio Equino, Club Sierra Dorada, and Asdesilla — all in the south metro area.
🔬 STEM & Robotics
Beyond the obvious (Parque Explora, Planetario), there’s Snapology (LEGO-based, multiple locations), Nova Robot in Laureles (NASA-themed astrobiología course), BOTS Robótica in Rionegro (teams that have competed at world championships), and Young Engineers (Harvard-recognized curriculum).
🎭 Arts, Music & Performance
Cantoalegre takes babies from 3 months. The Musical Theatre School does Broadway-style 10-day camps ending with a real performance. ChefMont runs cooking courses with individual workstations. And Circo Momo does circus arts.
⚽ Sports & Movement
Active Bodytech in Envigado runs multi-sport camps. Flik Flak does gymnastics and parkour. Brazada is a dedicated swimming school. Peskids brings swim lessons to your building’s pool.
🌍 Bilingual & Language
Active Bodytech in Envigado runs multi-sport camps. Flik Flak does gymnastics and parkour. Brazada is a dedicated swimming school. Peskids brings swim lessons to your building’s pool.
🏛️ Cajas de Compensación
Comfama Supervacaciones buses kids to different parks each day for about $38 USD (non-affiliated rate). Comfenalco Antioquia runs programs at parks across the metro area including the water park in Itagüí.
👶 Early Childhood & Jardines
For families with littles, especially if you’re on Calendar B and need childcare during vacation, the guide includes jardines and programs that are more accessible for extranjero families. Preescolar El Arca in Envigado (opens vacation camp to non-students). Gymboree in Laureles. La Casa de Warmi (from 6 months). Cascanueces which offers daily bus pick-up and drop-off.
🏠 A Domicilio (They Come to You)
Music teachers, art teachers, and swim instructors who come to your home or building. Vive Arte covers Poblado, Envigado, and Sabaneta. Peskids does swimming at your pool.
🆓 Free Programs
INDER Medellín runs completely free vacation programs across all 16 comunas — including free swimming at the Complejo Acuático. Sabaneta runs a free bilingual festival. Envigado does free archaeology and art workshops at their museums.
🏫 Private School Camps
Portafolio Cultural has hosted vacation camps inside Colegio San José de las Vegas open to ALL kids, not just enrolled students — from $97,700 COP/day in the past. Some private schools open it up to non-students and is a great way to check to see if the school would be a good fit for your family.
Get the Full Guide
The complete guide is a live Notion document with all 60+ programs — organized by category, with ages, pricing, location, contact info (WhatsApp numbers, not just emails), Instagram handles, and descriptions for each one.
I update it regularly as programs announce new dates and pricing. You only need to access it once — bookmark it and you’ll always see the latest version. I’ll also send you an email when I make major seasonal updates so you don’t miss registration windows.
FAQ
When do vacaciones recreativas start in Medellín?
Most programs run mid-June to mid-July (Calendario A mid-year break), with shorter runs during Semana Santa, October receso, and December/January. Programs on Calendario B schedules (international schools) break June–August.
Are there bilingual or English summer camps in Medellín?
Yes! Several! UPB’s “Explore-a-lot!” track is fully in English. The Centro Colombo Americano runs bilingual STEM camps. Sabaneta’s free Festival Lúdico includes bilingual activities. And PlayMusicKids operates in a bilingual framework.
What is Calendario A vs. Calendario B in Colombia?
Calendario A (most Colombian schools): school year runs January–November, big break in June/July. Calendario B (most international/bilingual schools): school year runs August–June, big break June–August. Most vacation programs align with Calendario A timing.
How early should I register for vacation programs?
Start looking in early May for June/July programs. Many announce late and fill quickly. The biggest programs (EAFIT, Comfama, UPB, Kajuyalí) fill up within days of opening registration. WhatsApp is life.
What about kids under 3?
Cantoalegre takes babies from 3 months (music). La Bonanza does equinoterapia from 8 months. Gymboree serves babies and toddlers. La Casa de Warmi starts at 6 months. Jardínes are going to be your best bet.
This guide is updated seasonally. If you’ve tried any of these programs or have one to add, DM me @mamainmedellin! I love hearing what’s working for your family.
MEET SARAH
Welcome! I’m Sarah. I started this blog to be a resource for others around a few of my favorite things: living in Colombia, DIY projects, places traveled, and day-to-day life. My hope is that it can a place of inspiration and encouragement to help you plan the next project or adventure of your own!
