From Medellín to Mexico – the rise and fall of empires. A cinematic tribute to the real Narcos filming locations that brought history to life.
If Netflix’s Narcos had you clutching your couch cushions, muttering “plata o plomo” under your breath, you’re not alone. This mega-hit didn’t just dramatize cartel history – it practically dropped us into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Colombia and the cartel wars of Mexico.
With gritty realism, lush scenery, and an unforgettable cast, Narcos, the series, made us feel the danger, power, and paranoia that ruled two nations for decades.
Table of Contents
🎬 Where Was Narcos Filmed?
So, where was Narcos filmed, exactly? From Medellín’s hills to Mexico City’s political corridors, the show’s creators filmed across real streets, historic landmarks, and hidden corners.
Let’s break down each season, relive the stories, and uncover the real Narcos filming locations that brought the empire to life.
💣 Narcos – The Rise & Fall of Pablo Escobar
The original Narcos trilogy chronicles the meteoric rise and brutal fall of Pablo Escobar, head of the Medellín Cartel, portrayed by Wagner Moura in a performance so haunting it made viewers check their rearview mirrors twice.
Alongside him, Pedro Pascal shines as DEA agent Javier Peña, and Boyd Holbrook narrates the chaos as Agent Steve Murphy. From the 1970s smuggling routes to the 1990s manhunt, the show recreated every explosion, negotiation, and betrayal with cinematic precision.
Narcos Season 3 pivoted to the Cali Cartel, showing that even after Escobar’s death, Colombia’s drug trade didn’t slow – it evolved. Fans loved the slick shift in tone: less jungle warfare, more boardroom corruption.
And while it didn’t have Pablo’s manic charm, it proved that power always finds a new face.
💀 Narcos: Mexico – The Mexican Frontier
After Colombia, the empire shifted north. Narcos: Mexico rebooted the franchise with a new story and new kings – but the same ruthless ambition.
Diego Luna’s portrayal of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, was magnetic – a man who built an empire with charm and cruelty in equal measure.
Opposite him stood Scoot McNairy as DEA agent Walt Breslin, narrating the madness as Mexico’s drug trade exploded into a multi-cartel war.
By Narcos: Mexico Season 3, new players emerged: Bad Bunny (yes, that Bad Bunny) as a cartel enforcer, José María Yazpik as Amado Carrillo Fuentes – the infamous “Lord of the Skies” – and Tenoch Huerta as Rafa Caro Quintero.
Each brought charisma, tragedy, and swagger to their roles, making the Mexican chapters every bit as addictive as the original.
🌆 Narcos Filming Locations in Colombia
Colombia was more than a backdrop – it was a character. Its cities, jungles, and neighborhoods pulsed with authenticity. Filming here was risky, emotional, and deeply symbolic, especially for locals who lived through the real events.
🇨🇴 Medellín – The Empire of Escobar
If Narcos had a capital, it was Medellín. Once the beating heart of Escobar’s cocaine empire, the city became the visual soul of the series.
Filming in Escobar’s actual neighborhoods was dangerous and politically sensitive, so many Medellín scenes were shot in replica sets nearby. Still, the production captured the city’s restless spirit – the mix of beauty, fear, and resilience that defines Medellín today.
Filming Locations:
- Barrio Pablo Escobar (Replica): Recreated Escobar’s stronghold where deals, gunfights, and family moments unfolded.
- Edificio Monaco (Reconstructed): Once Pablo’s lavish home, destroyed by the government but digitally resurrected on screen.
- El Poblado District: Home to many DEA stakeouts and chase scenes showcasing modern Medellín’s skyline.
- Hotel Intercontinental Medellín – Stood in for “Hotel Las Margaritas” in Season 1, Episode 2, where a meeting was arranged by Escobar to found the Medellín Cartel.
- University of Antioquia Law School: Stood in for Colombia’s Congress building in Bogotá, with its neoclassical architecture and stately interiors.
- Bolívar Park in Medellín: Used for a poignant scene where Pablo Escobar is seen eating ice cream and reflecting on his empire’s decline.
- The Carlos Holguin School: The base of operations for Colonel Horacio Carrillo and the Search Bloc special unit of the Colombian national police, located in Medellin.
- Narcos filming death scene: The rooftop scene of Pablo Escobar’s death is reportedly filmed just two blocks away from where it historically happened in the Lorena/Los Pinos area
Book Tours:
🏡 Where was Hacienda Nápoles filmed?
The Narcos crew didn’t get to shoot at Pablo Escobar’s real Hacienda Nápoles. His infamous estate in Puerto Triunfo is now a family-friendly theme park with safari rides and water slides (not exactly the vibe for a cocaine-fueled cartel empire).
Instead, the show built its version of paradise (and chaos) across Colombia:
- Guatapé, Antioquia: The picture-perfect town with rainbow houses and glittering lakes became the stand-in for Escobar’s jungle kingdom.
- Finca La Manuela: One of Pablo’s former real fincas near El Peñol Reservoir, which doubled as his fictional mansion. Talk about playing yourself on screen.
- Medellín & Envigado: The team shot around Escobar’s old stomping grounds to capture that “home turf” energy – minus the real danger.
- Bogotá Studios: When things got too wild outdoors, they moved inside. The mansion, pool, and office were recreated on sleek sets in Bogotá.
👉 Fun fact: The crew did visit the real Hacienda Nápoles for inspiration, but filming there was a no-go. Hard to shoot a gritty cartel drama when kids are lining up for the zoo tram.
So next time you rewatch Narcos, remember that “Hacienda” magic was movie-making at its best: fake walls, real fincas, and a whole lot of Colombian charm.
Trivia:
- Wagner Moura lived in Medellín for six months to absorb local culture and master the Paisa accent.
- Locals would cheer or heckle the cast during shoots, shouting “¡Plata o plomo!” from balconies.
- The series subtly contrasts Escobar’s wealth with Medellín’s poverty, an intentional directorial choice.
- In real life, La Catedral was Pablo Escobar’s prison compound located in the hills above Envigado, Antioquia. However, the series was not filmed there, and the filming location is not publicly documented.
🏙️ Bogotá – The Political Chessboard
Bogotá’s cool altitude and bureaucratic skyline gave Narcos its official edge. The capital doubled as government ministries, DEA offices, and even Miami boardrooms.
Producers used the city’s colonial and modern architecture to convey the political machine behind the drug war – the handshakes, bribes, and betrayals that fueled everything behind closed doors.
Filming Locations:
- Calle 26 & Avenida El Dorado: Stood in for embassies, DEA headquarters, and urban chases.
- La Candelaria: The city’s colonial core, used for surveillance scenes and secret meetings.
- El Dorado Airport: Filmed key smuggling and extradition sequences.
- Hotel Tequendama, Bogotá: Used to portray Pablo Escobar’s family in protective custody.
- Chapinero, Bogotá: The money-laundering office set in Midtown Manhattan was shot inside an office building near Avenida Chile (Calle 72), Bogotá’s financial hub.
- Teusaquillo, Bogotá: Street surveillance and informant scenes set in Brooklyn and Queens were filmed along Carrera 16 and Calle 34.
Trivia:
- Bogotá’s high altitude (8,600 ft) made breathing difficult – crew members nicknamed it “Narcos Bootcamp.”
- Many “Miami” scenes were filmed here with palm trees digitally added in post-production.
- Locals noticed U.S. flags flying in government buildings during filming – a rare sight.
🐐 Pablo’s Father’s Farm – Rural Refuge
Tucked away in Colombia’s highlands, Pablo Escobar’s father’s farm represents one of the rare quiet moments in Narcos. In the series, it’s where Pablo seeks refuge as the net tightens around him – a place of uneasy peace, framed by green hills and the sound of rain on tin roofs.
The scene captures a man torn between empire and family, between the legend he built and the simple life he left behind. In reality, Escobar’s father, Abel de Jesús Escobar Echeverri, lived a modest life as a cattle farmer in Antioquia, not far from Rionegro and La Ceja, small towns surrounded by coffee plantations and rolling farmland.
These landscapes were the backdrop of Pablo’s childhood, shaping his early sense of ambition and power. The Narcos production, however, filmed these reflective scenes near Villavicencio, about 120 kilometers southeast of Bogotá.
The area’s lush plains and fog-softened hills perfectly mirrored the atmosphere of Antioquia’s countryside. Using local fincas, the crew recreated a believable version of the Escobar family’s rural retreat – a setting that feels both idyllic and haunted.
🌴 Cali – Where Power Wore a Suit
Cali was Narcos Season 3’s main stage – sleek, wealthy, and ruthlessly organized. Unlike Escobar’s chaotic empire, the Cali Cartel ran like a Fortune 500 company with hitmen instead of accountants.
Filming Locations:
- Downtown Cali: Featured in nightclub and business scenes that highlighted cartel opulence.
- Avenida Sexta: Seen in chase sequences involving DEA raids.
- Calle 5, San Antonio, Cali: The hair salon shootout set in New York, where Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela executes his rivals, was filmed at a real salon here.
- Plaza de Caicedo, Cali: The DEA New York Field Office was recreated inside an old municipal building.
- Cali Hills & Mansions: Served as cartel homes where high-stakes negotiations took place.
Trivia:
- The “Cali Cartel mansion” interiors were actually filmed in Bogotá for safety reasons.
- Extras included locals who had lived through the real 1990s cartel reign.
- Actor Damián Alcázar (Gilberto Rodríguez) reportedly met people who knew his real-life counterpart.
🏖️ Cartagena – Narcos’ Caribbean Disguise
Not all that glitters in Narcos is Medellín gold — sometimes, it’s Cartagena’s Caribbean sun. In Narcos Season 3, the production briefly traded the highlands for the coast, filming several sequences in Cartagena, Colombia.
But here’s the twist: Cartagena wasn’t playing itself. It doubled as Curaçao, the Caribbean island where cartel members laundered money and arranged offshore deals. Its colonial streets, pastel facades, and tropical light perfectly captured that “island paradise hiding dirty money” vibe the show needed.
Filming Locations:
- Plaza San Pedro Claver: Used for Curaçao’s old-town exterior shots.
- Plaza de la Aduana: Featured in cartel meet-and-greet scenes.
- Getsemaní & Calle Baloco: Captured narrow, colorful alleys for chase and dialogue sequences.
- Plazuela del Pozo: Served as a lively backdrop for local street scenes.
Trivia:
- Cartagena was chosen because its colonial architecture closely resembles Curaçao’s – no need to fly the crew to the Caribbean.
- Locals were thrilled to see Netflix transform their plazas into “Curaçao” with just new signs and palm props.
- Filming lasted only three days, but it brought a big buzz – crowds gathered daily just to glimpse the Narcos cast in action.
- The city’s tourism board initially hesitated, fearing a cartel association, but approved filming once assured Cartagena would appear only as a stand-in.
So next time you rewatch Narcos Season 3, when the camera pans over that breezy “Caribbean island,” remember – you’re actually looking at Cartagena, Colombia.
🌊 Santa Marta – Narcos’ Coastal Double
Santa Marta’s idyllic Caribbean coast made it a perfect backdrop for Narcos’ sun-drenched smuggling scenes. With turquoise waters, lush jungles, and colonial-era charm, it stood in for several Caribbean locations shown throughout the series.
While the show’s narrative rarely names Santa Marta directly, its coastal shots – boats gliding across bright blue waters, discreet handovers on remote beaches, and hideouts tucked along the shoreline – were filmed here.
The city and its surrounding beaches, including areas near Tayrona National Park, were used to depict tropical settings tied to the cocaine trade’s maritime routes, capturing the sense of escape and danger that defined Escobar’s far-reaching empire.
🌴 Panama – The Stand-In for Miami & Beyond
Panama may have been used primarily for scenes meant to depict international locations, such as Miami or Central American countries involved in the drug trade.
According to some sources, the Panama Canal area and certain colonial districts of Panama City (like Casco Viejo) were featured in several episodes, especially in later seasons, where the storyline expanded beyond Colombia.
The country’s modern skyline, colonial neighborhoods, and neutral look made it a great stand-in for multiple places.
🇲🇽 Narcos: Mexico Filming Locations
When the show crossed the border, it didn’t just shift location – it evolved visually. Gone were the lush Colombian jungles; in came dusty deserts, neon cities, and endless highways of corruption.
🌇 Mexico City – Power, Politics, and Paranoia
Mexico City was where ambition met bureaucracy. The show filmed extensively here, portraying government power brokers, DEA briefings, and cartel headquarters hidden in plain sight.
Filming Locations:
- Chapultepec Castle: Appears as an elite meeting room for Félix Gallardo’s political dealings.
- Colonia Roma: A posh neighborhood doubling as Félix’s residence and social circle.
- Paseo de la Reforma: The stage for car chases and surveillance scenes.
Trivia:
- The crew used authentic 1980s furniture and props sourced from local antique dealers.
- Some government scenes were filmed in actual ministries after hours with official permission.
- Mexico City’s skyline was digitally aged to resemble the 1980s – right down to vintage billboards.
🌵 Guadalajara – The Cartel’s Birthplace
If Medellín was Escobar’s kingdom, Guadalajara was Gallardo’s. The city and surrounding Jalisco countryside became the epicenter of Mexico’s first organized drug empire.
Filming Locations:
- Tequila Valley: Served as cartel-controlled fields and ranches, with real agave farms.
- Tlaquepaque: Featured in early cartel expansion scenes, full of colorful markets and narrow alleys.
- Guadalajara Cathedral: Used for symbolic scenes showing the cartel’s grip on every level of society.
Trivia:
- Locals recognized real locations tied to Gallardo’s history – adding eerie authenticity.
- Diego Luna’s first day of shooting was in a blazing 40°C agave field.
- Several background extras were descendants of people connected to the original cartel era.
✈️ Juárez – The Lord of the Skies Takes Flight
In Narcos: Mexico Season 3, Ciudad Juárez became the new epicenter. Here ruled Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as “El Señor de los Cielos” – a man who controlled the skies and defined a new age of drug trafficking.
Filming Locations:
- Ciudad Juárez Border Crossing: Used for tense smuggling sequences.
- Desert Airstrips: Filmed in remote regions near Chihuahua to depict Amado’s clandestine flights.
- Local Cantinas: Served as meeting points and emotional set pieces between cartel allies and rivals.
Trivia:
- The “airport hangar” scenes were shot at a decommissioned airbase near Mexico City.
- Real aircraft were used for Amado’s fleet, adding realism to his aviation empire.
- The final montage of Narcos: Mexico used real archival footage of 1990s Juárez.
🎬 Final Take – The Real Narcos World
So, where was Narcos filmed? Across mountains, jungles, and deserts that were as dangerous as the stories they told. The Narcos filming locations in Colombia and Mexico weren’t just sets – they were living, breathing witnesses to history.
From Medellín’s barrios to Ciudad Juárez’s dusty runways, the show blurred fiction and reality so perfectly that it’s easy to forget where one ends and the other begins. For fans, these aren’t just filming sites – they’re modern relics of a story about greed, power, and survival.
Whether you’re obsessed with Pedro Pascal’s Narcos, fascinated by Amado Carrillo Fuentes’ Narcos, or just humming the hypnotic Narcos theme song, visiting these real-world locations feels like stepping into television history.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is inspired by the Netflix series, Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. All trademarks, characters, and related elements remain the property of Netflix, Gaumont Television, and their respective copyright holders. This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
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