Netflix's Narcos series was inspired by Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellin drug cartel and notorious for illegally smuggling cocaine into the US as well as more than a thousand murders in Colombia. For fans of the show who want to see where history actually took place, here are the top 5 locations to visit when in Colombia.
1. Hacienda Napoles
In the show, the hacienda is a 7.7 square mile parcel of land that Escobar paid $63million for in 1979. Featuring a Spanish colonial style villa, the grounds also have an airstrip, helipads, 24 artificial lakes, and a swimming pool with a marble statue of Venus, according to Curbed. The site also has a go-kart track and a zoo, which is still open today.
Currently, it is owned by the Colombian government and is the only former drug lord mansion with a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.
2. El Catedral
Notorious for being Escobar's "prison" which was actually a fortress where he ran his empire while supposedly doing jail time, the place was even referred to as Club Medellin or Hotel Escobar. Back at the time, the place had a Jacuzzi, waterfalls, a rotating bed and a soccer field.
In an ironic twist of events, the place is now inhabited by Benedictine monks, who have repurposed the place into an elderly care center.
3. Barrio Pablo Escobar
Although the shooting for the Netflix series was held in a neighborhood beside Barrio Escobar, according to Conde Nast Traveler , the community still exists with basketball courts, schools, and a residential comuna once built by Escobar for the poor of Medellin.
4. Casa de Narino, Bogota
President Cesar Gaviria was Escobar's archnemesis and held office at the Casa de Narino in Colombia's capital city. Netflix was allowed to shoot the series here and at the actual Palace of Justice, Presidential Palace and Bolivar Square, lending it authenticity.
5. The infamous rooftop in Lorena, Medellin
The actual rooftop where Escobar was cornered and neutralized by Colombian police and American DEA agents has since been built over, but the other house two doors down still maintained the rowhouse style clay tile roof from back in the day. Here, Netflix was able to juxtapose the infamous picture of Escobar's capture and kill, and fans can visit and have a feel of the neighborhood rooftop chase.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
