Los Balsos & El Tesoro

The view corridor

Los Balsos, El Tesoro and the upper lomas are where the top of the Medellín market actually lives. Around 1,850 metres, the floorplates get larger, the towers get gated, the amenity packages get serious, and the valley opens up beneath you. The air is measurably cooler — a couple of degrees below the valley floor, which in this climate is the difference between wanting air conditioning and not.

This is also the most car-dependent place a person can live in Medellín. There is no walking to anything. The roads are steep, narrow in places, and busy at the hours you'd want to use them.

Who this actually suits

• Buyers at the genuine top of the market who want space and the view.
• Families who need square metres more than they need a street life.
• People who will have a car and, often, a driver.

The honest downside

Resale depth. The pool of buyers for a very large, very specific property at 1,900 metres is small, and it is mostly other foreigners and a narrow band of wealthy paisas. These properties are wonderful to own and slow to sell. If you might need liquidity inside five years, this is the wrong altitude.

Other zones