Yes. You can smoke at José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) — outdoors only, on the landside, away from the terminal entrances. There are no airside smoking areas and no indoor smoking rooms anywhere in the terminal, so smoke before you clear security.
José María Córdova is Medellín’s main international gateway, located in Rionegro about 35 km southeast of the city, and it is Colombia’s second-busiest airport after Bogotá.
Where to Smoke
Smoking is permitted only outdoors and only landside — outside the terminal building, away from the doors and entrances. There is no marked airside smoking area and no indoor smoking room, because Colombian national law and the airport’s health regulation prohibit smoking inside enclosed public spaces. Published sources do not pinpoint a signed designated spot, so plan to step outside the terminal, onto the curb or forecourt, and keep well clear of the entrances.
The single passenger terminal splits into a domestic area and an international area under one roof, and neither side has an indoor smoking room. Whether you are flying out on a domestic hop or an international departure, the rule is the same: finish your cigarette outside before you check in and pass security, because once you are airside there is nowhere to smoke.
Transit and Connections
Transit and connecting passengers should note an important caveat: there is no airside smoking area at José María Córdova. A passenger on an international connection cannot smoke without entering Colombia — you would have to clear immigration, smoke landside at the curb outside the terminal, then re-clear security (and immigration) to return to the departure gates. On short connections this is usually not practical, so many transit smokers simply wait until they land.
If your layover is long and you have already cleared into Colombia, you can step out to the landside curb between flights, smoke in the open air away from the doors, and head back through security when you are ready to fly.
Vaping
Colombia’s Law 2354 of 2024 regulates e-cigarettes, vapes and heated tobacco products the same way as cigarettes. Vaping is banned in enclosed public spaces, including the terminal. As with smoking, vaping is allowed only outdoors on the landside, away from the entrances.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor | No | No indoor smoking rooms anywhere in the terminal |
| After security / airside | No | No airside area — must exit, clear immigration & re-clear security |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Outside the terminal, away from entrances |
For Colombia’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Colombia airport guide.