Whenever I mentioned that I was going to Medellin, it was easy to figure out who’s a fan of Netflix’s Narcos. For the rest of you living under a rock, the series is about Pablo Escobar’s rise as Colombia’s most notorious drug lord (and short-lived time as congressman).
The series has brought a surge of attention to Medellin – with more and more visitors stopping here to retrace Escobar’s dark history. Many locals have mixed feelings about this kind of tour, especially given it’s not-to-distant past (Escobar was shot dead in 1993). Also, be warned, if you ask a local Colombian what they think of Narcos, be prepared (p.s. – they’re not the biggest fans!).
In any case, Medellin is a pretty compact city compared to Bogota and the mass transit is phenomenal. Below you’ll find some recommendations – covering the best of Medellin if you are short on time. We had 1 day here to fit it all in – ready, set, go!
Pablo Escobar Tour
I think a Pablo Escobar Tour is a must. And the best way to get you going in the morning (no sleep for Kevin on my trips!). Before you go though, I’d recommend brushing up on Escobar, who unbelievably rose to be the 7th richest man in the world in 1989. Pablo got into the cocaine trade in the early 1970s and formed the Medellin cartel, which eventually controlled a majority of the cocaine shipped to the United States. But he was also incredibly ruthless and would stop at nothing to gain power, killing thousands including politicians, civil servants, journalists and regular folks who got in the way.
First stop: Edificio Mónaco, Pablo Escobar’s former residence
There are several tour operators to choose from, but I went with a Pablo Escobar tour called “Do Not Say That Name Tour” led by the very friendly guide Julio. Pablo Escobar tours are a big business these days — so much that Julio rolled up in a brand new van (his first-ever purchased).
The ½ day tour starts off at Edificio Mónaco, which was Pablo’s former residence. You can’t go inside, but Julio shared stories and even pointed out where the building was bombed while Pablo and his family were inside. Pablo wasn’t harmed but his daughter lost all hearing in her one ear.
Next stop — Escobar’s final resting place in a cemetery overlooking the city. It’s also the #1 spot to visit in Medellin Julio told us.
Pablo Escobar’s final resting place
The tour also covered other historic sites, like the Bird of Peace sculpture by Fernando Botero (an artist known for his love of the rotund). The bird has a gaping hole through the middle since the paramilitary group FARC detonated a bomb between the bird’s legs (ouch!) during a concert in 1995 killing 23 people, and injuring dozens more. Botero gave the city another bird but insisted the old one stays as a reminder to all of the past. The Colombians we spoke with today are hopeful that peace will stick – since the current president recently struck a truce with FARC.
Fernando Botero’s Bird of Peace statue, bombed by an extremist group in 1995 with the new statue in the background
Other highlights of the tour included the Museo Casa Memoria, a powerful museum reminiscent of the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC. This museum isn’t mentioned in any guides that I could find – but was so well done. The museum traces the history of drugs, the various kidnappings/disappearances and other mishaps (in the not too distant past).
A must visit, and not mentioned in most guides — the Museo Casa Memoria
You’ll also get to visit the neighborhood founded by Escobar called “20 of July” and then the nearby Comuna 13 Escalators in a district famous for once being not only one of the most dangerous places in Colombia, but all of South America. It is now a completely transformed neighborhood. A good part of it was built by Escobar and produced some of his most famous killers and hired assassins.
Overlooking what was once the most dangerous place in all of South America, the neighborhood Comuna 13
The escalators were a major public project to help connect this poor neighborhood on the side of the mountain to the rest of the city.
Taking a ride through the neighborhood — the escalator goes straight up the mountainside
Kevin and I were totally obsessed with this dessert — at the top of the escalators is Cremas Caseros Consuelo, a cup of chopped frozen mango in lemon juice and salt water
Metro Cable
Up up and away – Hopping aboard the Medellin Metro Cable
The Pablo Escobar ends in Comuna 13, and we asked Julio to drop us off at the nearby Metro Cable. What is the Metro Cable? The coolest mass transit around! Think of going to an amusement park sky ride as your commute. I wish we had one of these in LA to my office!
The mass transit line goes up over the city – and more impressively, over mountains! I recommend taking a roundtrip ride on the line going to the stop, “La Aurora.” Just stay on, and take it back down for about a 30-minute ride. Along the way, you’ll pass above some of the poorer sections of Medellin. Many of the places don’t look like they have any electricity or running water.
A helpful map of the subway line and Metro Cable stops. Medellin was super easy to navigate via mass transit
Kevin checks out the homes as we fly above on Metro Cable
Parque Berrio
Once you’re done with the Metro Cable, take the subway line to “Parque Berrio.” It’s one of the busiest parts of the city and you’ll want to check out all the statues by Fernando Botero. My personal favorite was the Botero “fat dog,” which made me think of our dog Doug (who, when we first got him, got really fat since we way over fed him!).
Doing my best impersonation of the fat dog
We needed a break from the madness and were getting hungry, so decided to walk past all the shops (very tough for me) and get some lunch. One of the best meals we ate was at a place called Versailles Restaurant. It’s total old school, with wooden booths and some patrons who’ve been coming here since it first opened. We met a very chatty Colombian women who lived in the States for a while before moving back to Medellin. She was happy we found spot so popular with the locals!
The perfect resting spot in busy downtown Medellin
We ordered so much food! Two empanadas and a rib-eye steak to come!
Overnight in El Poblado Neighborhood
For the evening, head to the neighborhood called El Poblado. This is definitely a party district. There is a section near the park that is full of loud, open-air clubs. Luckily as I walked around, I found a much better section located North of the park. Since the main area was totally not our thing!
Kevin loved all the coffee shops, especially Cafe Velvet where there was some type of TV show being filmed as we were there (and taking over the place!).
Couches, fast wifi, open late — Cafe Velvet was our favorite spot in Medellin to hang out
For the evening, we went to the strip of businesses far away from the club district and had drinks at Burdo Restaurant. It seemed pretty new, with a live DJ spinning tunes and packed with young locals having dinner and drinks. You would have never guessed that the city was considered one of the most dangerous places just a few years back while sitting in this cool venue.
Burdo Restaurant, part of Medellin’s growing culinary scene
To finish the night, we walked to a live Brazilian music venue called Sin Domingo. It was like the hipsters of Brooklyn invaded Medellin. There was a full menu, and even though we were still incredibly full from Versailles earlier that afternoon, we couldn’t help ourselves from eating the complimentary popcorn that was topped with sun-dried tomatoes. Why hasn’t anyone else thought of this? It was SO good!
Live music and hipsters unite at Sin Domingo in El Poblado
Now that’s a full day! Next stop Cartagena… Unless Kevin keels over from exhaustion from all this travel. Clearly, we have long days but maximizing on just our 9 days in Colombia. Stay tuned!
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