Mar Medellín: the city's planned artificial beach

Yes, Medellín plans a man-made sea with a sand beach and a wave pool, inside a rebuilt sports park beside Olaya Herrera airport ^[1][2]. The beach is the last phase of that park, and no official date exists for it; the only dated target is the first half of 2027 for the whole park, announced in August 2025 ^[1][6].

What it is

Mar Medellín is the name the Alcaldía gave to an aquatic zone designed to look like a sea with a beach ^[1]. The city described it as a 12,000 m² body of water with a 5,000 m² beach ^[2]. Alongside it, the plans include a wave pool of 2,500 m² with water slides ^[1][2].

The water is a built lagoon, not a river or a natural lake ^[7]. The EDU, the city's urban development company, describes the future aquatic zone as a wave pool, beaches and artificial lagoons ^[7]. El Colombiano reported at the launch that the water would be heated and could host up to 39 sports, including kayaking, sailing and snorkelling ^[12].

Where it is

The beach is planned inside Gran Parque Medellín, which is the new name for the rebuilt Aeroparque Juan Pablo II ^[1][2]. That park sits beside Olaya Herrera airport in southwest Medellín ^[2].

The wider park

Gran Parque Medellín covers about 210,000 m² ^[2]. The beach is one piece of a larger rebuild that also takes in the Mariana Pajón BMX track, the María Luisa Calle sports unit and a new aquatic complex on the site of the old Carlos Mauro Hoyos coliseum ^[2][7]. The aquatic complex is a separate facility from the beach, with four pools, two of them Olympic size, plus stands and common areas ^[2][3].

Budget and builder

The Alcaldía put the cost of the whole park at more than COP 195,000 million when it announced the project in August 2025 ^[1]. That is about USD 59 million at the 1 October 2026 TRM of COP 3,312.84 per dollar ^[15]. Since July 2026, the press has reported a higher total of about COP 223,000 million (about USD 67 million at the same rate) ^[9][8][15]. We could not find the 223,000 million figure in an official source. Neither number is the cost of the beach alone; both are for the whole park ^[1][11].

The EDU runs the works ^[1]. SECOP II, Colombia's public procurement system, records the largest contract so far, as of 2 October 2026, as awarded to Consorcio SP Gran Parque, for COP 94,534 million (about USD 29 million) over 10 months ^[4][5][15]. That process received one bid ^[4][5]. The contract covers the park works and the Olympic-pool complex, not the sea or the beach ^[4][6].

Progress and dates

The first pieces of the park are done or close. El Colombiano reported in September 2026 that the BMX track was handed over on 30 July 2026, the María Luisa Calle sports unit was more than 95% complete and the central zone and track were 75% complete, all as of 7 September 2026 ^[8]. Infobae reported the same milestones on the same day ^[10]. The EDU said in August 2026 that demolition of the old coliseum was underway to make room for the aquatic areas ^[7].

On timing, the Alcaldía's original target was the first half of 2027 for the whole park ^[1]. In November 2025 it said works would be handed over gradually until the whole park is ready in 2027 ^[2]. The pool complex was planned to be built between the first quarter of 2026 and the second quarter of 2027 ^[3]. Its contract was awarded in late September 2026 with a 10-month term, and El Colombiano reported that those works would start in December 2026 ^[4][8]. A 10-month term from December 2026 runs past the first half of 2027 ^[4][8].

The beach comes after that. Telemedellín reported in September 2026 that the aquatic zone with the beaches, lagoons and wave pool will be the last stage of the park to go to tender ^[6]. A search of the EDU's SECOP II records on 2 October 2026 found no construction tender for the sea, beach or wave pool ^[5].

The debate

The project drew criticism from the day it was announced. El Tiempo reported in August 2025 that the citizen oversight group Todos por Medellín said the project was not in the city's Development Plan ^[13]. In the same debate over priorities, the report noted that the director of the Área Metropolitana put the cost of rehabilitating the Medellín River at more than COP 122,000 million ^[13].

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez defended the project as public space for everyone, arguing that many residents have never set foot on a beach, Infobae reported ^[14].

What you may hear

• An April to June 2027 opening. You may see this date given for the beach. No official source gives that date for the beach. The first half of 2027 was the August 2025 target for the whole park, and the beach is now its last phase ^[1][6].
• A cultural and creative axis with international impact. You may see the project described this way. The Alcaldía presents it as a sports and recreation facility inside a public park ^[1][2].
• A cost of COP 195,000 million for the beach. That was the August 2025 figure for the whole park, not the beach, and the press has reported about COP 223,000 million since July 2026 ^[1][9].