While Poblado and Laureles are the most popular neighbourhoods in Medellin for tourists, Prado is the most interesting and enigmatic. Here’s to 10 facts to enrich your visit to Prado, Medellin.
1. Prado is the only officially protected barrio in Medellin
Prado is located in Comuna 10 and it is the only barrio that has been declared a patrimonio cultural of the city, which enshrines its protection and conservation. In 2006, 261 buildings were designated as special cultural heritage sites.
2. Medellin’s elites wanted to create an exclusive zone inspired by Europe
The neighbourhood was imagined in the early 20th century when Medellin’s elites wanted to recreate an exclusive enclave in their own city.
They copied everything from Europe, but they copied it well, it must be said
Reinaldo Espitaletta, Medellin historian
3. It was modelled on a ‘garden city’ in Barranquilla
Prado’s construction began in 1926, spearheaded by the urbanist Ricardo Olano, who was inspired by the barrio of the same name in Barranquilla. Its design corresponds with the idea of the garden city, popular in the early part of the 20th century, which emphasised front gardens, wide pedestrian friendly streets and an abundance of plants and trees.
4. It was built on the La Polka finca
The barrio was built on the grounds of a grand finca, known as La Polka.
La casa de alcalde, one of the most emblematic buildings
5. The architecture is eclectic.
The architecture is eclectic, reflecting a multitude of styles, including North American and European. This type of architecture was popularised in the late 19th century and early 20th and is an amalgam of different elements from different styles, with the idea of creating something new.
6. The first mansion is now a church
On carrera 50 you’ll find the first mansion built in Prado. It was commissioned for Joaquin Cano, son-in-law to Ricardo Olano and son of Fidel Cano, the founder of ‘El Espectador’, Colombia’s oldest newspaper and former employer of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The former home is now a church.
7. Casa Prado was home to one of Antioquia’s most important engineers
Casa Prado
A block northward up carrera 50 you’ll find the the mansion known as Casa Prado, which was the home of Juan De La Cruz Posada, one of the most important figures in the history of engineering in Antioquia. Juan oversaw the construction of the Antoquia railway, which was vital for the economic development of the region.
8. One home was built to look like a boat
Now home to Antioquia’s Doctor’s Association, ASMEDAS. It was constructed in 1949 for the Cohen family. The internal and external features were built to resemble a boat.
9. The Egyptian palace is a replica of an ancient temple
The Egyptian Palace is the most eye-catching building in Prado. It was the former home of Fernando Estrada, the founder of the Optica Santa Lucia, Medellin’s oldest opticians. The owner was fascinated by ancient Egyptian history and spiritualism. It is the one of the only authentic ancient Egyptian temple in the Americas. A guided tour costs 20,000 pesos.
10. The families started to leave in the 60s
At the start of the 1960s, Medellin grew rapidly as result of inward migration from campesinos fleeing the violence engulfing the country. Soon Prado was not the exclusive enclave it had been. Akin to white flight in the US, the owners abandoned their houses, moving to the more ‘peaceful’ neighbourhoods of Poblado and Laureles.
Further information:
You can reach Prado via the metro: the best stations are Prado or Hospital.
A great way to get to know the area is through a walking tour. Find out more from Alejandro.
A complaint Colombians commonly make about tourists is that their only reference to the country is Pablo Escobar and narco trafficking. What about the biodiversity, the music, dance, cuisine, amability, they might note.
Indeed, a surefire way to pierce a budding friendship with a Colombian is to respond with Escobar when they ask what you know about the country. The gripping but often factually lazy Narco netflix show made things worse.
Upon arriving to the country you quickly learn that the subject is taboo. Something not to bring up unless prompted. Any tentative enquiries heavily caveated.
The hush-hush imbues you with a guilty feeling of wanting to find more. What’s taboo is tempting.
After all Escobar was an intriguing character – someone whose face graced the cover of Forbes magazine. The 7th richest man in the world. The collection of hippos, football matches with professional footballers, piñatas overflowing with U.S dollars. The sheer audacity. His greed. The Robin Hood myth, the evil cloaked in charm.
A robin hood villain?
Indeed, his perception as a Robin Hood hero that took from the rich to give to the poor still persists. One afternoon after hopping into an Uber my grizzled driver turned to me and without prompting exclaimed, ‘Escobar was a hero’. I nodded along politely as the elderly driver expounded on his genius and all the good things he had done for the city. ‘A genius’, he told me, ‘and he sure did much more for us than the crowd in charge …’
Over his life Escobar funded many projects to aid the poor. This generosity helped propel him to win a congress seat in 1982.
However his philanthropic endeavours were more than offset by his blood-thirsty ruthlessness. As well as fellow rivals, his victims included government officials, police, and civilians. Most notoriously, the cartel placed a bomb aboard an aeroplane in an attempt to kill an alleged informant, resulting in the death of 110 people.
Botero’s portrayal of the assassination of Escobar. Photo taken in the Museo de Antioquia
Amid rising bloodshed, a massive manhunt sought his capture. On the same day in 1991 that the new Colombian constitution outlawed extradition, Escobar surrendered. He was jailed in a self-built luxurious prison known as La Catedral, where he could enjoy a private nightclub, sauna, waterfall, and football pitch as well as take advantage of the time’s latest technology, including telephones, computers and fax machines, to communicate with his crime empire.
Pablo Escobar’s death
Pablo Escobar died on a rooftop in the Los Olivos neighbourhood in Laureles, Medellin on December 2nd 1993.
His death came 16 months following his escape from from La Catedral. After he tortured and murdered two of his associates, the authorities wanted to incarcerate him in a more traditional prison, prompting his flight.
On December 2nd, the Colombian task force specifically created to find him intercepted a call he made to his son from the Los Olivos neighbourhood in Laureles. The call immediately identified his hiding place. Only hours before he was celebrating his 44th birthday, reputedly gorging on cake, wine, and marijuana.
The hunting party surrounded the house while others stormed through the door. Alerted, Escobar and his bodyguard stumbled out a back window onto an orange-tiled roof. They were met with a barrage of gunfire, and both fell from shots to their heads — Escobar with one that entered his right ear and killed him instantly.
Members of the task force pose in front of Escobar’s body
It is still debated as to who was responsible for the shot that killed Escobar – the task force claim it was their men, the rival vigilantes Los Pepes, led by Don Berna (and future instigator to a Medellin Christmas tradition), say they contributed , while Escobar’s family have insisted that he took his own life.
A visit to the house where Escobar died
By chance I discovered that the house was only a five minute walk from where I had been staying in Laureles, one of the more popular neighbourhoods for expats. In fact I had jogged past the house a number of times without knowing its significance.
Sensitive to the preference of the locals, I had been reluctant to participate in any narco-tourism. However, its close location, I felt, gave me an excuse…
It’s a quiet and leafy middle class neighbourhood. When I turn up, the streets are empty apart from the odd elderly person shuffling along. Away from the traffic you can hear the sound of the rushing river opposite the house.
There’s nothing in the vicinity to signal its significance. To be sure I check Google, which solemnly marks the locations as ‘casa donde se escondía Pablo Escobar’, the house where Escobar hid. I notice the orange tiled roof where Escobar is said to have scrambled across.
My photo of the house where Escobar hid
Its anonymity is the intencional there are no signs, no memorials, no kitschy museums. It’s simply a run-of-the mill Medellin suburban house. I sheepishly take a photo. An old man lounging on balcony of the adjacent building exchanges eye contact as if to shame me and would be tourists.
The next day, a Saturday morning, I turn up again. This time there’s already a yellow taxi. A Latin American man stands gleefully in front of the house, arms aloft, directing the taxi driver to take photo after photo. Another yellow taxi pulls up. A shier European hops out, not sure what he’s supposed to look at, his taxi driver points to the roof. I walk on.
Medellin today, a city transformed
Today the city once known as the ‘murder capital of the world’, Medellin, is much safer. The murder rate has plummeted, falling from 350 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1992 to 10.2 per 100,000 in 2022, placing it just above Florida (10.15) and just below Fresno in California (10.6) in the United States rankings.
It’s become a haven for back-packers and digital nomads, wanting to take advantage of the temperate climate. 1,4 million international tourists visited in the city in 2022. A tourist report showing the growth in popularity, noted that prior to 2010 there were only five hostels in the city catering to tourists – before the pandemic this number had risen to over 150.
Part of the improvement has been attributed to an unofficial agreement between drug traffickers and security services.
Peace is good for business, a drug trafficker told France 24, in a news article released in 2022. As long as they keep the streets peaceful, the police turn a blind eye to their lucrative illegal dealings, the gang-member said.
Another factor behind the improvement has been the employment of “urban acupuncture”, a tactic that employs urban design to solve social problems. In some of the deprived neighbourhoods that snake up the hills of Medellin, the authorities built cable cars to enable residents reach other parts of the city. The increased accessibility helped the locals find jobs, and feel more part of the city. Elsewhere, there was greater investment in the provision of basic services – particularly libraries and schools.
Paisas look out at the city from the cable car
Indeed a change to the Colombian constitution in 1991 (the same constitution that outlawed extradition) devolved more power to municipal authorities, which laid the groundwork for creative local governments to experiment in social initiatives. In 2013, Medellin was named the world’s most innovative city on the back of its civic spaces, libraries, and art galleries, as well as its infrastructure, including escalator and cable car to improve accessibility.
The relationship between Medellin and narco-traffic
Dealing with the narco-traffic past has been a tricky balancing act for Medellin. On one hand, it’s been important to look to the future and not to romanticise its tortured past, whereas on the other hand it’s vital to confront its history so that mistakes aren’t repeated. Education rather than ignorance. The results have been mixed.
The Museo Casa de la Memoria (the memory house museum) is an excellent example of how to confront past trauma and to commemorate victims. It doesn’t glorify the perpetrators but ensures those that paid with their lives have a legacy. It’s somewhere you could spend a whole day perusing all the extensively resources.
Generally, it’s rare that you come across Escobar’s image and while narco tours happen they are hush hush and tend to be run informally. In general, the tourist industry has not exploited the renown of Escobar and his cartel, despite an obvious financial incentive.
His famous finca, the Hacienda Napoles, was turned into a theme park (read about my visit here) and tour guides aren’t allowed to mention his name explicitly, using the ‘old owner’ as code. It contains a memorial museum that dramatically condemns his atrocities. However, despite these attempts, the theme park’s grandeur and popularity have become, at least indirectly, a tribute to the mob boss’s eccentricity.
In contrast to the house where he died, Pablo’s mansion in El Poblado was demolished in 2019. The mayor at the time said, ‘this symbol, which is a symbol of illegality, of evil, will be brought to the ground’. Burying its past and / or reinventing the future?
However, the site of his downfall survives, albeit in relative anonymity. A contradiction perhaps? Or maybe its survival serves as a reminder of his demise and the resilience of the city.
After spending four fantastic months in Colombia’s second city from October to the end of January, I learned a lot. Here’s what I wish I knew about Medellin sooner:
A typical address will look like this: Calle 8 # 43A – 89.
The first number indicates the street the address is on, the second indicates the cross street, and the third number indicates, in metres, how far the address is from the cross-street. The example above shows the address is on Calle 8, the cross street is Carrera 43A, from which the destination is 89 metres away. It’s very precise.
Drivers don’t respect zebra crossings
Traffic rules are advisory rather than mandatory. Nowhere is this more dangerous than when you attempt to negotiate a zebra crossing (marked sidewalk). Most of the time drivers ignore your right of way: the oncoming car is more likely to speed up than slowdown.
You’ll also notice that drivers will pass red-lights if they ‘perceive’ that there is no other traffic, much like how a cyclist might treat traffic lights in western Europe. Caution advised.
It has one of the best climates in the world.
Medellin lives up to its moniker as the city of eternal spring (La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera). It’s consistently warm without getting too hot or humid, averaging 22.5 degrees across the year. Watch out for the rainy season – October to December – when an umbrella becomes essential.
Another advantage of living in such a mountainous region is that you can choose your climate depending on your preference. Increase your altitude if looking for cooler climes (for example Santa Elena on the outskirts of Medellin) or Santa Fe De Antioquia for something warmer (the former capital).
Avoid getting taxis at rush hour
It’s called the hora pico (the peak hour), although it lasts more than an hour, extending from 5pm to 8pm. The hour between 6pm to 7pm is the worst, when the roads come to a standstill.
The traffic can be so bad that I would travel early to avoid it, preferring to spend the extra time in a cafe or bar, rather than sit in traffic. Another option is to take the metro, which despite being full of people at rush hour, doesn’t suffer from delays:
The metro is very comprehensive and safe
The metro covers most of the city. It’s clean, reliable and affordable. The locals are justifiably proud (Bogota, with worse traffic, doesn’t have a metro). A single ticket, which allows you to switch to other lines, costs just under 3,000 pesos. Best to get a loadable metro card (costs 10,000 pesos) at one of the stations.
Stay in Laureles
Most travellers stay in El Poblado. It’s where you’ll find most of the nightlife, back-packing hostels and a great selection of restaurants and cafes. However, if looking for a more authentic, relaxed and affordable experience better to go for Laureles. It’s probably safer than Poblado and also counts on excellent restaurants and cafes
If looking for a Spanish school, use Mr. Fox school in the heart of Laureles. The teachers are great, it’s affordable and the flexible scheduling gives you plenty of time to fit in other activities, such as remote working / tourism.
Traditionally lunch is the most important meal whereas dinner tends to be more of a snack. Eat like a local by availing of the affordable menu del dia at lunchtime.
The menu can be found in the majority of the restaurants, normally a board outside will advertise that day’s specials. The fare varies but typically you’ll get a soup, a main meal – often rice, salad, and meat – often accompanied with beans and plantain – usually for about 15,000 pesos. Some places will offer coffee and a small desert too.
My favourite place was Salud Pan in Laureles, which offers healthy and delicious food, with great vegetarian options.
Avoid narco-traffic chat
To its credit for the most part Medellín does not try to exploit its murky past in narco-traffic and paramilitarism, despite an interest among tourists. Images of Pablo Escobar are rare and narco tours are hard to find.
In general it’s a taboo subject (see my post on how Medellin deals with its murky past), with locals preferring to look to the future and concentrate on the positive aspects of the city. If wanting to engage positively with the subject, a tour of Comuna 13 and a visit to the Museo Casa de la Memoria are good suggestions.
Paisa is a distinct identity.
People from Medellin will often describe themselves as Paisa first before Colombian. Paisas are fiercely proud of their identity, which includes an attachment to their land, family and cuisine. The Paisa region encompases the departments of Antioquia (Medellin’s department), Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío.
The collectivo to and from the airport is much cheaper than a taxi, costing 20,000 pesos as opposed to up to 100,000 pesos. It’s very safe and leaves regularly. On the way to the airport, the collectivo departs from near Exposiciones metro station and the San Diego Centro Comercial (mall). Buses also leave nearby for a cheaper cost (13,000 pesos).
At the airport, the collectivo departs right beside arrivals (simply ask if in doubt).
Don’t slam doors
This is an odd one but Colombians treat car doors very gently. My more assertive approach, which I’d employed all my life without comment, was perceived as aggressive and rude. Gently closing the door (or suavecito as one driver requested) is the way to go.
Embrace the street food
Empanadas, arepas, palitos de queso..the mouth waters. While the street food doesn’t have the renown of Peru’s or Mexico’s, it’s so rich and delicious. It’s economical and easy to find – every street will have stalls or holes in the walls, while most grocery shops will offer a selection. A perfect evening snack after you’ve filled up on a menu del dia at lunchtime.
Say gracias (instead of no gracias)
It’s inevitable that you will be approached by people trying to sell you all manner of things from lollypops (for some reason very popular) to full-day tours. This is especially the case if staying in a tourist spot such as El Poblado. At times it can get a little annoying. However the best response, assuming you’re not interested, is a simple “gracias” – firm but empathetic. Responding with “no gracias” is considered rude.
It’s easy to extend a tourist visa
Most tourist visas last for 90 days from the day of your arrival (marked in your passport). It’s easy to extend for another 90 days. It can be completed online and the cost is free. There’s a step by step guide provided by this blog. Best to do it about two weeks before your visa is due to expire.
Tinto means coffee (not red wine)
When you’re offered a tinto to accompany your breakfast arepa and eggs, it’s not the alcoholic variety. Instead it’s the Colombian term for coffee, usually the bland instant stuff that is most common (despite producing some of the world’s best coffee beans). See my post on visiting Colombia’s coffee region,
Do you have any further tips or questions? Post a comment below
