Pablo Escobar Museum Tour Medellin: Ex-Cop Guide, Private Day Trip

5.00

(14 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed when Carlos picked us up was how relaxed he seemed—just a regular guy in jeans, but you could tell he’d seen things. He started off by sharing a bit about his years as a police officer during the worst of Medellin’s cartel days. There’s something different about hearing these stories from someone who actually lived through it, not just repeating headlines.

We headed to meet Pablo’s brother. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect—awkward? Tense? But it felt more like visiting someone’s uncle than anything else. The house smelled faintly of strong coffee and old wood. Carlos translated as we listened to stories that weren’t in any documentary I’d seen. You get this sense of how complicated everything was for families back then.

Next stop: the ruins of Monaco, once Escobar’s mansion, now turned into a public park. Kids were playing soccer where guards used to patrol. Carlos pointed out bullet holes still visible on one wall—easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. The air was thick and humid; you could hear street vendors calling out nearby.

Afterwards, we drove up winding roads to “La Catedral,” Pablo’s so-called private prison. The view over Medellin is wild—clouds rolling in fast, city stretching below. Carlos explained how Pablo basically ran things from here for a while; he even showed us where the kitchen used to be. It’s strange seeing such a peaceful place knowing its history.

We finished at the rooftop where Pablo died. It’s just an ordinary building now—laundry hanging out, neighbors chatting—but Carlos quietly told us what happened that day. No drama or glorification, just facts and memories from someone who lost friends in those years.