Hacienda Napoles

About

Pablo Escobar built Hacienda Napoles when he was at the height of his power in the 1970s and 80s. Around his sprawling Spanish Colonial mansion, he added a small runway and helipad, a sculpture garden, and perhaps most famously, a private zoo with elephants, ostriches, and hippopotamuses. After Escobar was killed by police in 1993, the government seized the property, and allowed it to fall into disrepair. Recent efforts have revitalized it into a family-friendly destination that’s still under Escobar’s shadow. The private zoo has been rebuilt, restored, and repopulated with exotic animals, including Vanessa the hippo, Escobar’s former bullring is now an African Museum, and there’s a small waterpark. But at the entrance, visitors are greeted by a replica of the Piper PA-18 airplane in which Escobar made his first cocaine shipment to the US, then there’s the Pablo Museum, and the rusting remains of his antique car collection that was damaged in the Monaco bombing. Please note: the stop does not include the entrance fee of $15 per person (including driver). You can also take a golf cart from the parking lot.