The best Colombian telenovelas of all time
The top 3 according to 19 votes from people: Los Reyes · Pasión de Gavilanes · Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord. (Updated Dec 30, 2025.)
The Colombian telenovelas and series with the biggest audiences, the most exports and the fondest memories, according to El Tiempo, El Colombiano and readers' rankings.
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 20
-
1
Los Reyes
RCN, 2005. A poor family that suddenly becomes rich; a comedy with huge ratings.
-
2
Pasión de Gavilanes
Telemundo/Caracol, 2003. The Reyes brothers seek revenge on the Elizondo family; an international hit with a sequel in 2022.
-
3
Pablo Escobar: The Drug Lord
Caracol, 2012. Andrés Parra as Pablo Escobar, told from the victims' side.
-
4
Las aguas mansas
RCN, 1994. Julio Jiménez's first story of the Reyes brothers; the origin of Pasión de gavilanes.
-
5
The Queen of Flow
Caracol, 2018. A reggaeton songwriter seeks revenge after 17 years in prison; International Emmy.
-
6
Señora Isabel
Coestrellas, 1993. A 50-year-old woman rebuilds her life after her husband's infidelity.
-
7
Rafael Orozco, el ídolo
Caracol, 2012. The life of the vallenato singer murdered in 1992.
-
8
Diomedes, el Cacique de La Junta
RCN, 2015. The life of Diomedes Díaz, the most famous vallenato singer.
-
9
La mala hierba
1982. The adaptation of Juan Gossaín's novel on La Guajira's marijuana bonanza.
-
10
Padres e hijos
Colombiana de Televisión, 1993–2009. Sixteen years of the Franco family; Colombia's longest telenovela.
-
11
El man es Germán
RCN, 2010. Santiago Alarcón as a neighbourhood womaniser in Bogotá.
-
12
Ugly Betty (Yo soy Betty, la fea)
RCN, 1999–2001. Fernando Gaitán and Ana María Orozco; a Guinness record as the most successful telenovela, adapted around the world.
-
13
Coffee, with the Scent of a Woman
RCN, 1994. Gaviota, a coffee picker, and Sebastián Vallejo; also by Fernando Gaitán.
-
14
Pedro el escamoso
Caracol, 2001. Miguel Varoni as the roguish Pedro Coral Tavera and his dance.
-
15
Without Breasts There Is No Paradise
Caracol, 2006. Drug trafficking seen through a teenager; remade in the US and Spain.
-
16
La saga, negocio de familia
Caracol, 2004. Three generations of a mafia-linked family, by Gustavo Bolívar.
-
17
Hasta que la plata nos separe
RCN, 2006. A salesman and the manager he accidentally ran over; another Fernando Gaitán comedy.
-
18
Gallito Ramírez
Caracol, 1986. Carlos Vives as a boxer from Barranquilla, with Margarita Rosa de Francisco.
-
19
The White Slave
Caracol, 2016. A white orphan raised by slaves in the 19th century; a big success on Netflix.
-
20
Amor a la plancha
RCN, 2003. A romantic comedy in a Bogotá laundry.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (5)
Betty la fea sigue siendo la mejor telenovela del mundo, la vuelvo a ver cada año.
Pedro el escamoso es lo más chistoso que ha hecho la televisión colombiana.
Café con aroma de mujer, la original de 1994 es mucho mejor que la nueva.
Pasión de gavilanes la vi entera dos veces y lo volvería a hacer 😂
Betty la fea primera, obvio, la telenovela más exitosa de la historia según Guinness.