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Vanity upon vanity — see what Pablo Escobar's $10 million mansion looks like today

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The destroyed ruins of Finca La Manuela are becoming a tourist attraction.

Pablo Escobar named the Finca La Manuela estate after his daughter [AFP]
Pablo Escobar named the Finca La Manuela estate after his daughter [AFP]

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Finca La Manuela, named by the famous drug lord Pablo Escobar after his daughter, is an estate that was once bustling with life. Today, after years of oblivion, its ruins attract tourists from all over the world who want to see up close the traces of megalomania and violence that Escobar left here.

Pablo Escobar was a notorious drug lord [BI]
Pablo Escobar was a notorious drug lord [BI] Pablo Escobar became one of the richest people in the world in the late '80s and early '90s thanks to the cocaine trade that he controlled out of Colombia.His Medelln Cartel was responsible for 80% of the cocaine sent to the US, leaving thousands dead, per The Wall Street Journal. He became a target for the US and authorities in Colombia, so he went on the run. On December 2, 1993, Escobar attempted to escape the authorities by running across rooftops in Medellin, but he was killed in a shoot-out. His death marked the end of the country's reign on cocaine. Business Insider USA

This place was once full of luxury. Within five years, a residence was built here with a swimming pool, tennis courts, a football pitch, stables, exotic plants imported from all over the world, helipads, a guest house, a landing pad and its own bar. However, today, what was once a symbol of luxury lies in ruins.

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The Finca La Manuela estate was bombed in the 1990s [AFP]
The Finca La Manuela estate was bombed in the 1990s [AFP] Pulse Nigeria

In the 1980s, at the height of his power, Escobar invested $10 million in the construction of the La Manuela villa. Situated on the headland of the artificial Guatapé reservoir, the residence offered incredible views of the surrounding area. Escobar, who at the time controlled most of the world's cocaine trade, could admire the lake to the opposite shore.

However, La Manuela was not just home to Escobar's family. It was also a manifestation of the excessive wealth that Escobar had accumulated through drug smuggling. The beautiful facade of the mansion where cocaine and cash were hidden becomes a symbol of this contradiction. The shadow of disaster always loomed over this place.

The Finca La Manuela is a ghost of its former self [AFP]
The Finca La Manuela is a ghost of its former self [AFP] Pulse Nigeria

Despite its picturesque location, Finca La Manuela has become a symbol of the violence that Pablo Escobar's drug cartel brought to the entire country. On the estate, there was a watchtower with a tower and a contingent of about 120 soldiers. In 1993, rival drug gang Pepes carried out an attack that ultimately destroyed large parts of the villa and estate.

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ALSO READ: Who was cocaine godmother Griselda Blanco? Even Pablo Escobar was afraid of her

After the explosion, police confiscated cash and drugs from the villa. Fate did not spare Escobar himself. Just eight months after the explosion, he was shot dead by authorities in Medellín. His wife escaped with their two children, Manuela and her brother. Since then, the estate and its ruined buildings have remained abandoned.

What was once a symbol of luxury now lies in ruins [AFP]
What was once a symbol of luxury now lies in ruins [AFP] Pulse Nigeria

Today, the destroyed ruins of Finca La Manuela are becoming a tourist attraction. Tourists from all over the world are drawn to this place to see the traces of its turbulent past up close. Boat trips and guided tours offer insight into the life of Escobar and his family, and bring to life the era of Colombian cocaine smuggling.

But visitors also learn how hard Colombia is working to leave behind the dark legacy of the drug cartel era. To show that the country has much more to offer than its past characterised by drug trafficking and violence, Colombia is increasingly focusing on cultural and ecological tourism.

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Tourists are attracted to the ruins of the Finca La Manuela estate [AFP]
Tourists are attracted to the ruins of the Finca La Manuela estate [AFP] Pulse Nigeria

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This article was first published on Onet Travel.

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