Unseen Pictures Of Pablo Escobar & His Estate

Escobar's notorious plane entrance

Image Source/ Laughing Squad

The entrance to Escobar's estate is one of the most-seen images of his abode. Sporting a replica of his Piper PA-18 Super Club plane, the entranceway was a reflection of Escobar's need to be powerful and grandiose, which he felt he should impose on his guests and workmen.

Escobar's estate had its own sculpture park...

Image Source/ Rare Historical Photos

Erratic was one word used to describe Escobar's buying tastes. He actually purchased a useless sculpture park for his estate, proving that he had more money than sense. The pieces were meant to be "artistic" but hit the mark and proved as underwhelming.

...and dinosaur statues too

Image Source/ CNN

As if the sculpture park wasn't enough, Escobar had to erect giant dinosaur statues around his estate. He placed them out in the open fields and they could be seen from the view of the main house. They weren't realistic or artistic in any way, and bared a cartoon resemblance.

His estate also hosted illegal bullfighting

Image Source/ The Irish Mirror

To keep his workers pleased, he mixed gambling with pleasure when he installed a bullring on his estate. It was used regularly for tantalising bullfighting spectacles. Escobar allowed guests to come and gamble resulting in a heavy movement of cash through the illegal sport.

He even had his own prison

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During the height of Escobar's power, he would face a lot of jail time. To avoid more conflict with the authorities, he negotiated a deal where he would serve prison time, but only in his privately built prison. So he built La Catedral, which boasted the fineries his mansion had, with pools and billiards.

Escobar had his very own luxury car collection

Image Source/ Atelier Eau Rouge

With as much money as Escobar, the purchases you make are going to be self-indulgent, and that's the case with his sizeable assortment of rare and luxurious cars. Many of the vehicles, including the most expensive models of Mercedes Benz, were kept on his estate.

But it wasn't just cars

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Luxurious cars aside, these weren't the only vehicles Escobar kept close by for his convenience. It's heard that he actually had a full assembly of motorcycles, alongside a collection of fully functioning airplanes. It's hardly surprising that a billionaire would have a set of planes, even if he didn't use them.

Where better to fly from than his own airstrip?

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Well, it only makes sense that if he had his own planes he would need somewhere to fly them from. Why not build your own airport? Not only was it convenient for Escobar, it also provided secrecy within his operations as he often carried illegal items into Columbian airspace.

The estate boasted several pools

Image Source/ Daily Mail

Okay so it is an absolute given that any wealthy man's mansion must have a pool. Of course, Escobar had to go above and beyond, as he was, and installed three pools on the property. They were spaced out around the estate so as to keep his guests and workmen happy.

He built a zoo on his estate

Image Source/ The Times

In the early 80s Escobar found happiness and solace in the shape of his personal zoo. He often made larger-than-life purchases to satisfy his unconventional needs, and this led him to establish his very own fully operational zoo on the grounds of his estate.

The zoo included endangered and exotic animals...

Image Source/ CNN

Escobar went to great lengths to make sure that his zoo boasted exotic animals you'd find at the biggest animal parks around the world. It's characteristic that Escobar went the full lengths when he set up his own zoo, completed with the likes of horses, elephants, rhinos, hippos and giraffes.

...and they weren't exactly legal

Image Source/ The Washington Post

I mean, the first thing that we expect with any of the purchases that Escobar made is that they probably weren't legal, and that goes the same for his smuggled animals. The acts of purchasing these exotic animals and smuggling them in was a laugh in the face of authority, which he continuously rivalled.

He erected pre-historic animal figures

Image Source/ Medellin Guru

Another boastful act was Escobar's purchasing of prehistoric animal figures. While he wasn't focused on the historical accuracies of his attractions, they became of a favourite of young children. The collection included extinct animals like woolly mammoths.

He installed a go kart racing track

Image Source/ Gentleman's Journal

In order to please his workmen and children, Escobar built a large go kart racing track for them to enjoy. It was useful in letting the henchmen blow off some steam by ragging Escobar's expensive car collection around. He felt that keeping his workers happy was essential to the success of his operation.

His estate had a name: Hacienda Napoles

Image Source/ Insider

Coined as Escobar's estate, the property actually had it's own name: Hacienda Napoles. This directly translated to English as Naples Estate, becoming famous during Escobar's reign in the 70s and 80s. The estate has been described as a town in itself.

Hacienda Napoles was bigger than you think...

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Okay so when I say, described as a town in itself, it was literally the size of a town. The estate comes in at 7.7 total square miles, which is equivalent to around 5,000 acres. To put this into perspective, the average football field is an acre, give or take. That's 5,000 football fields. Wow.

It was built in the Spanish colonial style

Image Source/ All That's Interesting

Driven by flaunting his wealth and bravura, Escobar was a man that relished in boasting, so it's natural that his estate must look the part. He enjoyed that which was aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, which is why he decided to build his estate in the eccentric Spanish Colonial style.

Escobar's estate was in the middle of nowhere

Image Source/ The Mirror

Located nearly one hundred miles away from its closest city, Medellin, with Bogota one hundred and fifty miles away, Escobar and his workers were able to run their operations in privacy. He was able to place workers along any of the routes that lead to his estate, giving him notice that people were approaching.

The ownership of Hacienda Napoles was disputed...

Image Source/ Flickr

When Escobar was eventually taken down in the early 90s, there was a dispute over the ownership of Hacienda Napoles. While Escobar's family argued their rights to the property, it was eventually the government who prevailed and took over the land. It was seen as a major victory by the Columbian government.

...and they did nothing with it

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Once the government had taken over the property, they allowed it to fall into ruin. While the property was left in a state of decay, the government decided not to upkeep Hacienda Napoles, seen as an act of defiance by the Columbian government who had been taunted by Escobar for decades.

The estate was worth A LOT

Image Source/ All That's Interesting

It comes as no surprise that the estate was worth a lot of money, considering the amount of cash that Escobar poured into making it a place of luxury. In 2006, Hacienda Napoles was valued at $2.23 million, which is a lot of money but surprisingly low compared to the net worth of Escobar in his prime. I guess a lot of that stuff really was junk.

Hacienda Napoles is now open to public

Image Source/ TripAdvisor

Although the Columbian government initially left the estate to decay, they eventually opened up the classic Hacienda doors to the public. It's an often visited landmark that still retains the character of Escobar, even after his passing. A developer has since restored much of the site to its former glory.

It's become a much-adored water park

Image Source/ Hacienda Napoles Theme ParkGiven that one of Escobar's aims while he ran the estate was to have children and his workmen enjoy their time there, it's somewhat satisfying to know that Hacienda Napoles is enjoyed widely by guests who come for its water park, refurbished zoo and Jurassic Style theme park.

The attraction even hosted an Escobar museum

Image Source/ Atlas Obscura

Being as widely known as Escobar you know that any attraction involving his past, his reign and his demise will generate income, so what better than an Escobar museum. They included relics of the eccentric memorabilia he owned. However, it's since been closed down, with their focus being more on the family theme than the notorious Escobar.

They removed Escobar from history...

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Despite initially opening the park with the idea of Escobar in mind, after they closed down the museum they eventually cut ties with the Escobar name. Working with the Columbian government, they decided to remove him from Columbian memory rather than glorify his once powerful standing.

...and his plane along with it

Image Source/ All That's Interesting

During their efforts to shake ties from Cocaine-lord Escobar, they actually removed the world famous plane from the entrance to Hacienda Napoles. They now pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives during Escobar's powerful reign over the 80s and 90s.

The authorities found a lot of money when they seized the property

Image Source/ KickassFacts

A lot of money was seized from Escobar's wealth when the government claimed his estate. With $10 million being found in Napoles itself, they actually found a total of $75 million in the nearby jungle and around the edges of his other homes. But is that all?

Some say there's still lost treasure

Image Source/ New York Post

Escobar super fans have actually been known to sneak their way into Hacienda Napoles for the purpose of digging up any lost treasure that may have been left behind by the notorious drug-lord. While it's unknown if there has ever been any found, it wouldn't be surprising to find out if there was some sort of hidden bunker Escobar created to store his most-valued possessions.

A happy ending for Escobar's zoo animals...

Image Source/ Travelogue

Although they let Hacienda Napoles go to ruin, they did take care of the animals before they did so. The lions, elephants, giraffes and rhinos were all sold and donated to sanctuaries and zoos so as to conserve these animals. I can imagine it was hard to integrate the animals into their new environment!

...especially the hippos

Image Source/ BBC

During it's period of abandonment, the hippopotamuses actually managed to escape confinement and settled in the surrounding jungle. They've managed to populate themselves and have formed a feral commune on the outskirts of Hacienda Napoles over a few decades.

His prison is also known as "Hotel Escobar" or "Club Medellín"

Image Source/ allthatsinteresting

It makes sense that the most luxurious 'prison' ever has been renamed by people as "Hotel Escobar" or "Club Medellín". Due to it's extravagant, grand amenities and luxurious comforts the only discernible feature that made it prison like in any way is the fact that there were guards outside and he could not leave.

It had a giant doll house

Image Source/ DailyStar

His 'prison' also had a giant doll house inside it.But,this was not incase of family visits for his daughter. In fact allegedly this was filled with prostitutes. He had a reputation for sleeping with a lot of different women, despite being married to his wife.

As well as a bar

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La Catedral also had a bar inside...not exactly the usual commodity that we expect to find in a so called prison. But, Pablo Escobar did nothing by halves, and his prison was as luxurious and comfortable as he could possibly make it, considering he had to spend five years there.

And a jacuzzi

Image Source/ wiki

It now comes as no surprise that it also had a jacuzzi inside La Catedral prison. Which not only Pablo Escobar enjoyed alone but he also enjoyed it with the multiple prostitutes who were somewhere allowed to visit him despite technically being in jail.

Hacienda Napoles Had Several Pools

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No grand estate and mansion is complete without swimming pools. And of course Pablo Escobar's Hacienda Napoles did not just have one pool, nor two, but he had several swimming pools built all of impressive sizes. Money was never an obstacle for Escobar.

He also had a telescope to look down at his daughter's residence

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Pablo Escobar did love his children, and he had a telescope inside the prison within his estate that he used to look down at his daughter's residence in his local town. This was for when the two of them were chatting on the phone with one another so that he could almost see her.

He chose his own guards

Image Source/ BBC

Of course when you are one of the riches drug lords in the whole entire world, laws and rules work a little differently. As part of his bargain with the Colombian government he was allowed to choose his own guards to guard his prison. So, he chose his closest men to allow himself maximum freedom.

His Illegal Activities Continued Inside

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Considering the fact that he used his own trusted men as guards, of course his illegal activities and operations kept running as usual From Pablo Escobar's prison. It was business as usual as far as this was concerned and it was known but never raised as an issue.

But this changed when he killed four of them

Image Source/ Theairship

But, all of this changed for Pablo Escobar when he killed four of his lieutenants who he had chosen to guard him at his prison. He had broken the terms of the deal and so the government decided to take away these privileges and send him to a community jail.

Hacienda Napoles Had A Bachelor Pad

Image Source/ Eurpoeancities

Hearing about his prostitute filled life-sized doll house it may come as no surprise when we tell you he had a full bachelor pad built in his estate. His affairs and  romances with multiple women was well known. So hiding it wasn't really on his radar.

You can even stay on the estate now

Image Source/ Travelandleisure

As we know the estate has now been turned into a fun park and water park. But, you can also stay there because part of the estate has been turned into a hotel. But keep in mind that the rooms are around $500 dollars. In keeping with Escobar himself, the hotel is luxury.

He owned 32 Yachts...

Image Source/ TheHullYouth

There are not many people in the world, even among the super rich, who have a yacht collection. And not a few yachts but a whopping 32. Which is billions and billions of pounds just spent on his boats. The majority of these were kept near his estate.

And 141 houses

Image Source/ Gobackpacking

There's no need for 141 but when you are Pablo Escobar the biggest criminal in the world money is no object. And he used these houses for a variety of purposes. Some were to live in, some were where his most trusted comrades stayed and some of course helped him carry out various operation.

His estate had man made lakes

Image Source/ BBC

We already know that the estate had a zoo, a theme park, a football pitch...but he also commissioned man made lakes to be made in his estate. Turning, the excessive land around into a natural and wild habitat. Also, for the likes of his beloved hippos.

And even waterfalls

Image Source/ ExpeditionColombia

If there's anything that is possibly even more extravagant than creating your very own lakes it is having waterfalls created within your estate. There was so much money spent within the estate that the natural features he had created ended up looking like a natural paradise.

The Piper PA-18 Super Cub

Image Source/ TripHobo

The plane above the entrance to Pablo Escobar's estate, also known as Hacienda Napoles was actually the The Piper PA-18 Super Cub. This was a rare single engine monoplane dating back to the 1930s, highlighting his fascination and passion for expensive and rare motors.

It now has a butterfly farm

Image Source/ Eurpoeancities

Now, the estate is very different. And, a butterfly farm has been created. Butterflies are not something that we would veer associate with Pablo Escobar. Their dainty and fragile beauty contrasts sharply to the man who once used to live here. Another attempt to erase him completely.

There are now a lot of non-native animals

Image Source/ BBC

The zoo (since first opening up after the government took control) has grown and expanded. There are now ostriches, zebras, meerkats, monkeys, and a whole host of other exotic creatures. The majority of these animals are not native to Colombia, but in fact Africa.

Pablo Is Still The Main Attraction

Image Source/ IMDb

Of course, no matter what attractions and entertainment Escobar's old estate now offers, The real and main attraction will always be Pablo Escobar himself. To see where this prolific criminal lived and worked is the main reason people visit to this day.

Pablo And His Daughter Manuela

Image Source / All That's InterestingA lot of people might forget that Pablo was a family man, with a normal family life behind the scenes. He met the woman who would become his wife when she was just 13, and they remained together until his death. They shared two children - his daughter pictured here, and a son.

His Wife Was Just 15 On Their Wedding Day

Image Source / All That's InterestingPablo had been 24 years old when he started dating 13 year old Maria Victoria. They dated for 2 years before getting married when she was 15. Victoria's family did not approve of their relationship, but despite the odds, they remained together for Pablo's entire life.

Pablo And His Son Juan

Image Source / All That's InterestingIt wasn't long after Pablo and his wife married that they had their very first child together, a boy who was born in 1977 and named Juan Pablo. With such a large estate, it's obvious that Pablo would have many ways to keep his children entertained at home.

Pablo's Mugshot

Image Source / All That's InterestingDespite evading the police for so long, Pablo did get caught for long enough to have a mugshot taken. This mugshot was a result of his brief arrest, the same year his son was born, but he doesn't look too phased by it - and understandably so, as he went on to evade the law enforcement for ten years after.

Pablo Still Did Simple Things Like Watching TV Inside His Vast Estate

Image Source / All That's InterestingDespite his sprawling estate including a sculpture park, airport and zoo, Pablo wasn't averse to sitting down to relax in his living room with this son to watch TV. It seems a strangely normal family activity for someone inside the newly constructed Hacienda Napoles estate.

But His Son Did Get Out And About, Too

Image Source / All That's InterestingAs his son got older, there would have been many more things for Pablo and his family to do together on such a large estate. With a private airport to drive around, too, it's no wonder his son looks happy to be taking a ride with his dad in the grounds to tour the zoo.

Pablo's Daughter Is Born

Image Source / All That's InterestingPablo's second and final child, a girl name Manuela, was born in 1984. Pablo and his wife were now bringing a second child into the world of the cartel and welcoming Manuela onto the sprawling estate with plenty for her to see and do when she grew up.

And Pablo Made A Unicorn For Her

Image Source / All That's InterestingThere are some things that even the most money in the world can't buy, and one of those is a unicorn. But this is what Manuela asked her father for her birthday, and he instead bought her a horse - which would be gift enough - and attached a cone to its head and wings on its back.

Escobar Poses As An Old West Gangster

Image Source / All That's InterestingIf there's anything Pablo looks a natural with, it's posing as a gangster. Picture with him is his cousin, Gustavo Gaviria, who was apparently his most trusted confidant as well as being the head of the cartel. This pic was taken during a trip to Las Vegas.

Pablo And The Popsicle

Image Source / All That's InterestingEvery parent will know the popsicle drama that can happen with a young child on a hot day. It seems strange to see Pablo doing something as everyday as this with his son's popsicle during a casual family outing.

Pablo Runs For Congress

Image Source / All That's InterestingIn case you didn't already know, Pablo actually did run for Congress in Colombia - and not only that but he successfully ran. But his victory shot him in the foot, as it brought to light his criminal activities - including a history of murdering politicians.

Escobar Was A Fan Of Football, Too

Image Source / All That's InterestingNot only was he a fan who simply enjoyed watching the games, he invested millions of his money into the National team of Medellin. When you've got that much money and you love football, of course you would. The team went on to win several international championships.

The Leaders Of The Cartel Would Often Visit Pablo's Massive Estate

Image Source / All That's InterestingWhen you have an estate that big, of course you're going to have the cartel leaders as regular guests - there's plenty of room for them. And maybe they'd want to visit the zoo, too. The leaders of the cartel were frequent visitors to the estate.

Pablo Poses In Front Of White House

Image Source / All That's InterestingIt seems almost brazen to see Escobar and his son posing infront of the White House when he eluded the cops for so long. Pablo took many trips with his family, and undoubtedly his son just thought it was a nice day out with dad.

But He No Longer Saw His Family When On The Run

Image Source / All That's InterestingBut those family days out weren't to last. When the law eventually caught up to Escobar, his freedom was limited and he was moved away from his family when he stayed in a variety of safe houses. The best he could do was a few minutes phone call with family members.

Pablo's Death Photo (Graphic)

Image Source / All That's InterestingBut Pablo couldn't run forever, even when taking precautions to avoid contact with his family. Escobar was located after Pablo phoned his son, and within minutes, special forces had found Escobar's hiding place, resulting in a roof chase where Pablo was fatally gunned down.

More Than 25,000 People Attended His Funeral

Image Source / All That's InterestingDespite being a dangerous criminal, Pablo had a lot of mourners. Among the attendees of over 25,000 people to his funeral, was his mother, Hermilda. His funeral took place in December in 1993.

Pablo's Relationship With His Son Wasn't To Be

Image Source / All That's InterestingDespite these treasured family moments when Pablo's son was younger, Juan Pablo grew up to renounce what his father had done. He's spoken openly, including a documentary called Sins Of My Father, and has also attempted to make amends with the sons of politicians murdered by his father.

Graffiti Of Pablo Still Appears In Columbia

Image Source / All That's InterestingEven though it's been many years since Pablo's passing, many people of Colombia still regard him either as a hero or villain. In the streets of Pablo's hometown of Medellin, you can still see graffiti celebrating Escobar.

Pablo's Son Went On To Change His Name

Image Source / All That's InterestingJuan Pablo Escobar, Pablo's son, went on to officially change his name to Sebastián Marroquín, evidently wanting to completely shed the name of his father. He also wrote a book about his father, some of the proceeds for which he wanted to donate to the victims of his father's actions.