Comuna 13 is a neighborhood made up of houses that are typically made out of brick and concrete, closely stacked together, and wrapped around the western hills of the city of Medellín.

The narrow paths and roads between the houses meander up the slope in serpentines. Even escalators were installed to make it easier to get to the steep slopes.

Countless houses are decorated with colorful graffiti. There are hundreds of bars and now even restaurants. In addition, stalls and a lot of shops selling colorfully printed T-shirts, cheap souvenirs, all kinds of crafts and narco-kitsch. Pablo Escobar lives on here, it seems.

The former slum, which in the 1980s was characterized by high murder and crime rates, shootings and military operations, has now become the number one party stop. Thousands of tourists from all over the world, but mainly from Latin America, are pushing through the alleys. Break dance is performed, loud music booms from speakers everywhere, motorcycles burst through the narrow streets, and everyone takes selfies in front of the mountain scenery.

It's so much fun to take pictures of all the crazy people, the colorful houses, the scenes and shows. I have visited Medellín twice (2024 and 2025) and have been to the Comuna maybe five times during this time.