San Javier

COLOMBIA // Long one of the highest-crime neighbourhoods in Medellín, La Comuna 13 is now considered an urban success story. Tenaciously clinging to the side of the city's western mountains, it's gone from no-go zone to creative hub as drug crime decreased and infrastructure investment increased, Its famous outdoor escalators, built to help residents up the steep streets, are lined with startling street art - goofy cartoon animals, intricate underwater scenes, portraits that serve as memorials to locals lost to violence. From the top, get a bird's-eye view of the paintbox-coloured houses lining the slopes beneath. You can go it alone, but better to join in a locally run tour for a deeper understanding of the neighbourhood's transformation.