If you’re walking through the lush, quiet streets of El Poblado today, you’d never guess that a literal war once centered on a single white apartment block. People come to Medellín looking for "the" Pablo Escobar house, but the truth is a lot more complicated than a single address. The man had hundreds of properties. Most of them are gone. Ruined. Reclaimed by the jungle or literally blown to bits by the government.
Honestly, the "narco-tourism" scene in Medellín is a bit of a touchy subject for locals. You've got to understand that for the people living here, these buildings aren't just Netflix sets—they're scars.
The Monaco Building: From Luxury to Dust
The most famous Pablo Escobar house in Medellín wasn't a house at all. It was the Edificio Mónaco. This eight-story white fortress in the upscale Santa Maria de los Ángeles neighborhood was where Pablo kept his family. It was meant to be a symbol of his untouchable wealth.
It didn't stay untouchable for long.
In 1988, the Cali Cartel detonated a car bomb right in front of it. That blast didn't just shatter the windows; it kicked off the bloodiest era of the cartel wars. For decades after Escobar’s death, the building sat there, a rotting, grey shell. It became a pilgrimage site for tourists taking "Escobar tours," which really annoyed the city officials who wanted to move past the violence.
So, they fixed it. By which I mean, they blew it up.
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In February 2019, the city held a massive public event and imploded the Monaco Building. Today, if you go to that spot, you won't find a mansion. You'll find Parque Memorial Inflexión. It’s a somber, beautiful park dedicated to the 46,000+ victims of narcoterrorism. There’s a wall with 46,612 perforations—each representing a life lost. It’s a powerful shift in perspective. Instead of staring at where the "boss" lived, you’re standing where the city began to heal.
La Catedral: The "Prison" with a View
You can't talk about a Pablo Escobar house in Medellín without mentioning the one he built for himself to stay in "jail." High up on a hill in Envigado sits La Catedral. Calling it a prison is a bit of a joke; it had a soccer field, a giant dollhouse for his daughter, a bar, and a waterfall.
Basically, it was a resort where he happened to be the warden.
After his escape and eventual death, the place was looted. People tore the walls apart looking for hidden "caletas" (cash stashes). For years, it was just a ruin. But then something weird happened. A group of Benedictine monks took over the site.
Today, La Catedral is a monastery.
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It’s called the Monasterio la Santa Gertrudis la Magna. The monks have turned the site of Escobar's debauchery into a place of prayer and reflection. They’ve built a chapel and a library. It’s still a popular stop for tours because the view of the Aburrá Valley is absolutely insane, but the vibe is totally different now. You’re more likely to hear a chant than a gunshot.
Hacienda Nápoles: The Hippo Kingdom
Technically, this one is a few hours outside the city, but it's the ultimate Pablo Escobar house experience. This was his 5,000-acre playground. You’ve probably seen the pictures of the gate with the Piper PA-18 Super Cub airplane perched on top.
That plane is gone now. The house itself? It’s a ruin.
In 2015, the main house actually partially collapsed because it was in such bad shape. The government eventually turned the whole estate into a massive theme park called Parque Temático Hacienda Nápoles.
It’s sort of surreal. You can go to a water park, see a Jurassic Park-style dinosaur display, and visit a zoo. The craziest part is the hippos. Escobar imported four hippos for his private zoo; now there are over 150 of them roaming the Magdalena River. They’ve become an invasive species nightmare for Colombia. In early 2024 and 2025, the government actually started a program to sterilize them because they’re essentially "cocaine hippos" taking over the ecosystem.
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The Rooftop in Los Olivos
If you want to see the "end" of the story, you go to the Los Olivos neighborhood. This wasn't a mansion. It was a middle-class house where Escobar was hiding out during his final days. On December 2, 1993, he was cornered here.
Most tours will take you to the street to look up at the roof where he was shot (or, as some family members claim, where he shot himself). It’s a regular residential house now. People live there. It’s a bit eerie to see tourists taking selfies in front of someone’s living room window just because a guy died on the roof thirty years ago.
What You Need to Know Before You Go
If you're planning to visit these sites in 2026, here’s the reality of the situation.
- The Museum House is Gone: Roberto Escobar (Pablo’s brother) used to run a private "museum" house in El Poblado. The city finally shut it down and demolished it in mid-2023 because it didn't have the right permits and was seen as glorifying the cartel. Don't fall for old blog posts saying it's still open.
- Respect the Locals: If you hire a guide, look for one that focuses on "The New Medellín." The city has worked incredibly hard to transform from the "murder capital of the world" into a tech and art hub. Most Paisas (people from Medellín) would much rather talk about the Metrocable or the Botero statues than Pablo.
- Logistics: Hacienda Nápoles is a full-day trip. It’s about 3.5 to 4 hours from Medellín. If you want to see La Catedral, it’s best to go as part of a guided tour because the road up the mountain is steep and can be confusing.
Actionable Next Steps
Instead of just chasing "narco" ghosts, try to see the transformation.
- Visit Parque Inflexión first. It sets the right tone. It helps you understand the weight of the history before you see the "extravagant" sites.
- Take the Metrocable to Parque Arví. This isn't an Escobar site, but it shows how the city used infrastructure to connect the poorest mountainside barrios to the center, which is what actually killed the cartels' power.
- Book a "Transformation Tour." Look for tours in Comuna 13. This neighborhood was once the most dangerous place in the city. Now it’s full of street art, escalators, and breakdancers. It’s the best example of how Medellín moved on.
The real story of the Pablo Escobar house in Medellín isn't about the bricks and mortar he built. It's about what the city chose to build over them once he was gone.
Stay at a hotel in El Poblado or Laureles. Visit the parks. Eat the bandeja paisa. Just remember that for the people living in those "houses" today, the 80s weren't a TV show—they were a tragedy. Be a guest who respects the healing.
To get the most out of your trip, check the official Hacienda Nápoles website for current ticket prices, as they change seasonally. If you're heading to La Catedral, make sure to wear comfortable shoes; the "prison" grounds are quite hilly and can be muddy after a Medellín rainstorm.