Medellin, Colombia is fashionable, sleek, up and coming and so different now from when notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar ruled over 20 years ago. Travelers today can walk back to this violent, tumultuous time in history on a Pablo Escobar tour on offer in Medellin. With the popularity of the hit Netflix series ‘Narcos’ and Sebastian Marroquin’s new book, even more international travelers are signing up for this somewhat morbid tour to see where the world’s all-time richest cocaine kingpen lived, worked, hid out and died.
Here are some of the highlights.
#1 Monaco Building (Pablo’s Penthouse)
Pablo and his family once lived in the Monaco Building located in an upscale area of Medellin. It was during that time in 1988, that a rival cartel attempted to kill Escobar by bombing the Monaco. Now uninhabited, some folks believe cash may be still buried within its walls.
#2 Los Olivos (Pablo’s Final Hideout)
The house where Escobar was hiding before he finally met his demise at the age of 44 is located in an unassuming residential neighborhood. On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar fled from this safe house to the roof in the final battle of his life.
#3 Cemetario Jardins Montesacro in Itagui (Pablo’s Gravesite)
Visit the cemetery where Pablo Escobar is buried alongside several family members. On your visit, fresh flowers will likely adorn his well maintained gravesite. A cemetery custodian told us on our visit that though it’s not heavily promoted to tourists, the gravesite is frequently visited.
#4 Comuna 13 (Pablo controlled neighborhood)
Last but not least, visit Comuna 13, once one of the city’s most violent barrios or neighborhoods, controlled by groups loyal to Pablo Escobar. In positive transition today, travelers can join Comuna 13 locals on a tour of this area to see the revitalization in action and take in stunning views of modern Medellin.
