Travel: How ‘Narcos’ fuelled tourism in Medellín
Lord of the Rings movies. London’s King’s Cross train station, specifically Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, has been under a powerful Harry Potter spell for a good part of the 21st century. Iceland and Northern Ireland are still caught in Game of Thrones.
That movies can trigger a tsunami of tourism is common knowledge. But nothing compares to what has happened in Medellín, Colombia’s city of eternal spring. Post-2018, the Netflix super hit show, Narcos—much like its main character the ruthless drug lord Pablo Escobar did for years—has had a hand in shaping Medellín, especially the district out of which Escobar and other drug lords operated.
Had it not been for curious tourists eager to see Escobar’s hometown and territory that was successfully recreated in the series, Comuna 13 would not have become Medellín’s biggest tourist attraction. The city has a vibrant night life, great party vibes, gorgeous hikes, adventure sports such as paragliding and mountain biking, loads of football and enough dancing, including salsa, bachata, zouk and more to turn your feet to jelly. Medellín is also the birthplace of Colombia’s most famous painter and sculptor Fernando Botero (1932-2023), who is known for his unique style of depicting all humans as a bloated, plus-sized, exaggeration of their real selves.
Among Botero’s most important paintings are his hilarious 1978 version of the Monalisa and the two 1999 paintings Death of Pablo Escobar. The first time I visited Colombia in 2016 only one season of Narcos was out. That year I didn’t make it to Medellín. The locals in Bogotá and other travellers spoke about its excellent weather, culture and nature but no one spoke about Comuna 13.
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