The quick version: No dar papaya means not making yourself an easy target. Keep your phone out of sight on the street, use app-based transport at night, use ATMs inside banks or malls, watch your drink, and slow down when a stranger creates urgency. Most visitors have no serious problems in Medellín. The people who do are often caught when they relax too quickly.
Table of Contents
The habits that matter most
| Situation | Best habit |
| Walking in busy areas | Keep your phone and wallet out of sight. |
| Going out at night | Use an app or a taxi ordered by your hotel or restaurant. |
| Using an ATM | Choose one inside a bank, supermarket or shopping centre. |
| Meeting someone new | Meet in a busy public place and tell a friend where you are. |
| Paying by card | Keep the card in sight and check the amount before entering your PIN. |
| An offer that feels urgent | Stop, step away and verify it before paying or sharing information. |
What does “no dar papaya” mean?
If you spend more than a few days in Colombia, sooner or later someone will tell you: no dar papaya. The literal translation is “don’t give papaya,” but that is not very helpful on its own. In daily life, it means: do not hand someone an easy opportunity to take advantage of you.
Leaving a phone on a café table, pulling out a thick stack of cash on the street or getting into an unmarked car late at night can all be described as dar papaya. The phrase is used for theft, scams, bad business deals and sometimes even poor judgment in ordinary life.
I have lived in Medellín since 2018, and this is still the most useful local safety rule I know. The city does not feel dangerous most of the time. That is part of the problem: visitors relax, start treating it like home and stop paying attention.
Is the phrase victim-blaming?
It can sound that way, especially when someone says it after a person has already been robbed. Crime is always the criminal’s fault. Owning a phone or wearing a watch does not make theft acceptable.
The useful part of the expression is not blame. It is the reminder that you can control how easy a target you look. You cannot remove every risk, but a few boring habits reduce most of the problems visitors actually face.
1. Keep phones, wallets and jewellery low-key
Phone theft is one of the most ordinary risks in Medellín. A phone held near the road can be grabbed from a passing motorcycle. In a crowd, someone may take it from an open pocket or bag. The theft can happen quickly enough that you only notice after the person is gone.
Step inside a shop, café or building entrance before checking directions.
Use a zipped front pocket or a closed crossbody bag.
Do not leave your phone on a restaurant or bar table.
Avoid wearing expensive watches or jewellery you would hate to lose.
Back up your phone and turn on remote tracking before the trip.
This does not mean you can never take a photo. It means looking around first, taking the photo and putting the phone away rather than standing at the curb scrolling for several minutes.
2. Use transport you can identify
The Metro is usually the easiest way to move around during the day. At night, or when you are carrying luggage, an app-based ride or a taxi ordered by a hotel, restaurant or official desk gives you a record of the driver and the route.
Avoid getting into a random car that approaches you outside a club, bus terminal or airport. I also avoid hailing an unknown taxi from the street late at night. Most drivers are honest, but the small extra effort of ordering a ride removes a lot of uncertainty.
Check the licence plate before getting in.
Sit in the back and follow the route on your phone.
Share the trip with someone when travelling alone at night.
Do not let a driver take you to an ATM because you supposedly cannot pay another way.
For airport-specific options, see the Medellín airport guide.
3. Use ATMs and cards carefully
Colombia is much more card-friendly than it was a few years ago, but cash still matters. The safest way to withdraw it is from an ATM inside a bank, supermarket or shopping centre during opening hours.
Avoid isolated machines on the street.
Cover the keypad and do not accept help from strangers.
Take your card, cash and receipt before stepping away.
Check your banking app after using an unfamiliar machine.
Carry smaller notes so you are not constantly paying tiny bills with COP 100,000.
When paying by card, keep the card where you can see it. Check the amount on the terminal before entering your PIN. If a payment is declined, verify it in your banking app before trying several more times.
At many Colombian terminals, you may be offered conversion into euros, dollars or another home currency. That usually comes with a poor exchange rate. Paying in Colombian pesos is generally the better choice.
For a fuller explanation of ATMs, transfers and local accounts, see Banks in Colombia.
4. Be careful with distractions and unofficial “help”
Many street scams depend on creating confusion. Someone spills something on you, points to a supposed problem with your clothing or insists that you dropped an item. While you are looking in one direction, another person may be watching your bag or pockets.
The answer is not to assume every helpful stranger is a thief. It is simply to protect your belongings before engaging with the situation. If something unexpected happens in a crowd, put a hand on your phone and wallet first.
Fake officials and document checks
Be cautious if a person in plain clothes claims to be police and asks to inspect your cash, bank cards or passport on the street. Do not hand over your wallet. Ask to see identification and say that you are willing to continue the conversation at an official police station or with a uniformed officer present.
Carry a copy or secure digital image of your passport for ordinary outings and keep the original safely stored unless you specifically need it. Rules and circumstances vary, so follow instructions from clearly identified authorities, but do not allow a stranger to create panic and rush you into handing over money.
5. Take nightlife and new contacts seriously
Medellín’s nightlife is fun, but it is also where visitors are most likely to drop their guard. Heavy drinking, unfamiliar surroundings and new acquaintances are a poor combination.
Keep your drink with you and do not accept an open drink from a stranger.
Do not leave a friend alone when they are clearly impaired.
Meet new contacts in busy public places.
Tell someone where you are going and share the profile or contact details.
Do not bring a stranger to your accommodation on the first meeting.
Leave if a person is pushing you to move somewhere private or unfamiliar.
Official travel advice continues to warn that criminals in Colombia sometimes use dating apps and social media to arrange robberies. The practical response is not to avoid meeting people. It is to make the first meetings public, controlled and easy to leave.
The broader safety picture is covered in Is Medellín Safe?.
6. Watch for tourist pricing without arguing over everything
Not every high price is a scam. El Poblado, Provenza and popular attractions are genuinely more expensive than local neighbourhoods. The problem is a bill that changes after you order, a menu without prices or a card terminal showing a different amount from the one you agreed to.
Check menu prices before ordering.
Ask whether service is included; voluntary service is often suggested on restaurant bills.
Confirm taxi or tour prices before the service begins.
Read the final total on the card terminal.
Keep a receipt for expensive purchases.
If a price seems absurd, ask calmly for the printed menu and an itemised bill. A public argument late at night is rarely worth it. Pay an undisputed amount when possible, document the problem and raise it with management or the relevant authority from a safe place.
7. Verify tours, rentals and online payments
Some scams begin before you arrive. A fake apartment listing, a copied tour page or a WhatsApp account pretending to represent a real business may ask for a transfer to reserve something that does not exist.
Book through the company’s official website or a recognised platform.
Check that the account name matches the business or host.
Search the phone number, address and business name separately.
Be suspicious of large discounts that require immediate bank transfers.
For longer rentals, see the property in person or use a trusted local contact.
Reviews help, but reviews can also be copied or manipulated. A real address, an established website, consistent social accounts and a payment method with buyer protection are stronger signs than a perfect five-star score.
8. Do not overshare your plans or finances
Friendly conversations are part of what makes Colombia enjoyable. You do not need to treat everyone with suspicion. Still, a stranger does not need to know that you are travelling alone, carrying several cards, staying in a luxury apartment or leaving town for the weekend.
Be especially careful with photographs of boarding passes, passports, apartment access codes and banking screens. Small pieces of information can be combined into a much bigger problem.
What to do if something goes wrong
If you are being robbed, do not fight over a phone or wallet. Move to a busy, safe place as soon as you can. Then deal with the practical steps in order:
Call 123 if there is immediate danger, an injury or an urgent crime in progress.
Freeze bank cards and contact your bank.
Lock or erase a stolen phone remotely and contact the mobile provider.
File a police report. You may need it for insurance, a stolen passport or a replacement phone.
Contact your embassy or consulate if your passport was taken.
Change important passwords if the stolen device was logged into email, banking or social accounts.
Colombia’s online police-report system notes that online reports may take several days to validate. For urgent help, go to the nearest police or prosecutor’s office rather than waiting for the online process. The police citizen-service portal is available here.
A simple no-dar-papaya checklist
Phone out of sight while walking.
Small amount of cash in an easy-to-reach pocket; the rest stored separately.
Ride ordered through an app or known dispatcher at night.
ATM used inside a secure building.
Card amount checked before entering the PIN.
First meetings held in public.
Drink kept in sight.
Passport copy carried; original stored safely when possible.
Accommodation address and emergency contact saved offline.
Bank and phone security set up before the trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is the literal meaning of no dar papaya?
It literally means “do not give papaya.” In practice, it means do not create an easy opportunity for someone to steal from you, scam you or take advantage of your lack of local knowledge.
Is Medellín too dangerous for tourists?
No. Large numbers of visitors travel through Medellín without serious problems. The most common visitor risks are theft and scams. Sensible transport choices, discreet valuables and awareness around nightlife reduce those risks considerably.
Should I carry my passport in Medellín?
You may need the original for certain official tasks, hotel check-in or travel. For ordinary sightseeing, many visitors keep the original secure and carry a copy or digital image. Follow instructions from properly identified authorities if you are asked for identification.
Are taxis safe in Medellín?
Most taxi journeys are uneventful. At night, it is safer to use an app, a hotel-arranged taxi or another service that creates a record of the driver and route rather than entering an unknown car from the street.
What should I do if someone claims to be a police officer?
Stay calm and ask for identification. Do not hand over cash or bank cards for inspection. If the person is in plain clothes or the situation feels wrong, ask to continue at an official station or with uniformed officers present.
Does no dar papaya mean I should distrust Colombians?
No. Most people you meet will be helpful, and many will warn you when you are being careless. The point is not distrust. It is avoiding obvious risks while still enjoying the city.
| No dar papaya is not a reason to be afraid of Medellín. It is a reminder to stay switched on. Keep your valuables boring, slow down when a situation feels rushed and use the same judgment you would want a friend to use in any unfamiliar city. |
