Medellín Airport Bus at Sandiego: El Encuentro Hub Opens

Verified as of October 7, 2026, from local press reports on the inauguration. Fares and schedules can change, so confirm on the day you travel.

Quick answer: the Medellín airport bus Sandiego departure point now has a purpose-built home. Combuses buses to José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) in Rionegro already left from Centro Comercial Sandiego, in Medellín’s city core. What opened on October 6–7, 2026 is El Encuentro, a traveler hub inside that mall. Press reports describe buses leaving roughly every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, for COP 20,000 per trip, with the Cívica card accepted (360 Radio only).

What El Encuentro is

El Encuentro is an alliance between the Medellín district, the bus company Combuses, a taxi company identified only as CTM in the reports, and Sandiego mall, according to Vivir en El Poblado. The same outlet reports an investment of more than COP 300 million. It describes the project as the first intercity transport service in Colombia to operate from inside a shopping center. That is the outlet’s claim; we could not find a second source for it.

The Sandiego stop itself is not new. A guide to MDE ground transport already lists a Sandiego route that ends at the mall as a connection point for taxis. The hub adds waiting space and services to an existing departure point.

The sources differ slightly on the date: El Colombiano dates the inauguration to October 6, 2026, while Vivir en El Poblado and 360 Radio say October 7. Either way, it is new this week.

Medellín airport bus Sandiego: fare, frequency, hours

Item	What the reports say
Fare	COP 20,000 per trip (El Colombiano)
Frequency	Buses depart about every 5 minutes (El Colombiano)
Hours	24 hours a day, in both directions (El Colombiano)
Payment	Cívica card accepted (360 Radio)
Route	Via the Túnel de Oriente and Avenida Las Palmas (El Colombiano)
Expected volume	About 2,800 travelers a day (El Colombiano)
Trip time	Not stated in the reports we read

The COP 20,000 fare is not new. El Colombiano reported that Combuses raised the airport fare to COP 20,000 for 2026, up from COP 17,000. What has changed is what is around you while you wait, not the fare or the stop.

Treat “every 5 minutes” as the stated target rather than a timetable. Frequency at 3 a.m. is likely to differ from midday, which is our inference, not something the reports say.

What’s inside

According to the Vivir en El Poblado and 360 Radio reports, the hub includes:

• Luggage lockers
• Flight-information screens
• Tourist information and event schedules
• A gallery of 11 murals by local artists, which El Colombiano puts at over 200 square meters

El Colombiano also lists nearby services:

• Woosh electric scooters
• Equirent car rental
• Matt Experiencias three-wheeler tours
• TuBoleta event ticketing

Sandiego’s general manager, Alexandra Molina, said the aim was not a transport terminal: “this is a space where people will meet the city for the first time,” per El Colombiano.

What it means for arriving travelers

For anyone planning a cheap airport transfer, the practical change is simple: head for El Encuentro inside Sandiego, where you can now wait indoors. The mall sits in the Medellín city core, so it’s a sensible first stop with bags, though check your final destination’s distance before assuming it’s convenient. Lockers may help if you have a gap between hotel checkout and a late flight. Confirm current locker prices on site, since none of the reports we read state them.

Two cautions:

• The route runs through the Túnel de Oriente. When the concession closes it overnight for maintenance, buses and taxis must use Las Palmas and trips run longer. See our guide to the Túnel de Oriente closures in August 2026 for how those detours work.
• Arrival is not the same as entry. Immigration screening at MDE has tightened this year. Read our report on foreigners denied entry at Medellín’s airport before you fly.

FAQ

How much is the bus between Medellín and the airport? COP 20,000 per trip in 2026, according to El Colombiano.

Does it run 24 hours? Yes, according to El Colombiano’s inauguration report, with departures about every 5 minutes.

Can I pay with a Cívica card? 360 Radio says yes; no other outlet mentions it, so confirm on site.

For other ways to reach the city, see our getting around guide. For the newest entry-screening data, see our September 2026 report on Americans denied entry at Rionegro.

What we couldn’t confirm

The reports we read don’t give the mall’s street address, travel time, the exact boarding-bay location inside the mall, locker pricing, or whether the Cívica card is accepted on every departure. Only 360 Radio mentions Cívica. Check at the hub, or with Combuses, before relying on it. This article is a summary of published reporting, not a first-hand test of the service.