A guide to visiting Guatape, Colombia
In an attempt to visit as many of the colourful pueblos found around Colombia, we spent sometime getting to know what Guatape was all about. In this guide we share our experience in the beautiful pueblo including tips and tricks to help you plan your trip.
Guatape which is conveniently located just 79 kilometers (49 miles) east of Medellin, makes it an easily accessible day trip or a fantastic weekend getaway. In fact looking at information about the top things to do in Medellin, Guatape shows up on the list as a must do. We visited Guatape on a Thursday to find it full of vacationing crowds.
The drive from Medellin is easy to follow using GPS and the signs, we turned onto Calle 30 which snakes slowly up to the beautiful town. Along the way, it is pretty evident that this area caters to a lot of tourists with multiple stalls selling not just food but souvenirs and knick-knacks. Besides that, it is a beautiful drive enjoying the Colombian countryside with beautiful homes that house the wealthy. Guatape is known as an area where the rich Colombians bought vacation homes, a famous Colombian that had a home here is Pablo Escobar.
We got into the town and google leading us the wrong way sent us through the crowded center square. We waited as hordes of people crossed the roads walking with what seemed like different tour groups. Some had the same colour t-shirts while some had the same lanyards around their necks, all signifying they were part of a group. It was immediately overwhelming.
Once we managed to get out of the mess and find parking, we went walking around the little town to discover what the fuss was all about. Immediately, we got out of the square area and found some quiet streets where we were able to enjoy the art and the most famous thing about this town which are the zocalos.
Zocalos are essentially baseboards and the homes and buildings in Guatape are famously adorned with these beautiful works of art. Every building has it's own unique zocalo and walking around town and admiring them, it is easy to run out of camera battery just taking pictures of all of them. The intricate designs of the zócalos which are hand-painted depict local stories and traditions.
We spent a few hours admiring this until we got to the Plaza de Zocalos. This little pretty square was chock full of people taking photos under the umbrellas and on the benches. It was quite the site for us watching people, I think part of the shock of it all was because we had just come from spending time in Barichara, Guane and La Playa de Belen, all small and beautiful towns in Colombia but they were all so charming and quiet with what felt like no one visiting. So to have so many people in one small area felt overwhelming but we still walked around and managed to enjoy it.
Once the sunrise rolled around, the buses and the masses left and the little town's energy felt different. The lights in the square came on, little kids played in the main square by the church and we felt the charm of this town. We sat around and watched locals gather in the coffee shops sitting with friends and enjoying little cups of tinto (black coffee). I watched the older locals wondering how the felt about the masses of people that descend on their tiny town everyday.
The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast in the quiet town, quiet before the tour buses showed up. It was definitely lovely to enjoy the town and really get to appreciate the beauty of the zocalos without the crowds. Our goal for the day was to climb the famous El Penol. This is the Guatape's iconic landmark, a towering rock formation and we were going to be climbing it.
El Penol Basics
Entry is everyday from 8am-6pm
The cost as of 2023 is COP 25000 per adult or USD $6
They did not charge for the children.
Bring lots of water , sunscreen, hat, and enthusiasm.
There are 700 steps and it took us 20 minutes to get to the top with the kids.
Right away it looks intimidating by its size and the fact that it has about 700 steps but we were able to do it no problem.
We got there early right after it opened and paid COP50000 for the 2 adults, the kids did not have to pay to climb it. We started the climb and soon after we were already at the 350 step mark. The steps have numbers painted onto them showing how far you have climbed, it was pretty shocking to realize it only took about 20 minutes to climb the rock with a few rest stops. Once at the top we enjoyed the breathtaking view of the reservoir. `
What is interesting about this reservoir is that it came from the construction of a hydro-electric dam in the 1970's. There used to be a town where its inhabitants had to be evacuated to higher ground while their land, their homes and everything they knew were flooded to construct this dam. It has a significance of providing water and electricity to the surrounding areas including Medellin. n A replica of the town that was flooded is in the town of El Penol and is a quick visit to see it.
At the top is an awe- inspiring panoramic view of the reservoir, the green islands with the majestic houses perched upon them made this truly a sight to behold. At the top of the rock, there are shops selling food, drinks including the famous micheladas con maracuya o mango ( a light beer with passion fruit or mango soaked in it.
Getting down was an easy 10 minute walk even with the kids and then we enjoyed some of the cinnamon rolls from the shops beneath the rock. As we enjoyed the delicious cinnamon rolls, I couldn't help but appreciate that there was a reason why this little town had flocks of people coming to it. The climb up the rock was slightly challenging, but we were rewarded with amazing views worth more than we had put in work for.
A funny story we learned about the El Penol rock is that, there are two towns that have fought over who the rock belongs to. The towns of Guatape and El Penol which is right next to it have had this dispute for a while and this escalated one day when some residents of Guatape went to the rock with the intention to paint their town name on the rock. However, this plan was quickly thwarted by the residents of El Penol that showed up in protest and stopped the plan. The only letters that the residents of Guatape had time to paint were GU and that still remains on the rock to this day.
Practical tips to visit Guatape and El Penol rock:
How to get to Guatape:
Being only about 80km from Medellin, Guatape is an easy day trip. Buses running from Medellin with Guatape as the destination are abundant as well as taxis.
Various tour companies in Medellin and online will advertise trips going to El Penol as a day trip.
I recommend to take a bus directly from the stations in Medellin as opposed to booking online. This is because in most Latin American countries, booking buses online is not reliable as the buses will sometimes get cancelled or delayed. It will also be easier to get a better price right at the bus terminal.
How long should I stay in Guatape:
Being in the town for 2 days, we were able to appreciate the town without the masses and this was where the beauty and the charm of it shone through. While the town is an east day trip from Medellin, I would definitely recommend staying at least one night in one of the many accommodations provided at different price points. With our van, we were able to camp at the main parkade in town where the tour buses park. We had no facilities which is not a problem with our little house on wheels but the convenience of it was worth it.
Things to do in Guatape:
Climb El Penol rock, this was the highlight of this area. The climb itself was a fantastic workout with a great view at the end. In the 1950's, a man named Luis Eduardo Villegas Luis recognized the gem that this rock was. While the rest of his colleagues turned to agriculture and wanted nothing to do with this rock, he stubbornly saw the potential in this monolith. He acquired the land that the rock sat on and became the first person to summit it.
The other great story about this rock is that because it sits between two towns, Penol and Guatape, there has been some disagreements about who it truly belongs to. Apparently, some residents of Guatape took it upon themselves to mark the rock as their own. They planned on painting the town's name on the rock but in the process of it, word got out and the residents of Penol came to the rock in protest, fights ensued at the base of the rock and the painters had to abandon the plan. They only got to paint GU on it, letters that can still be seen on the rock. Despite who it belongs to, the whole area has been able to enjoy the tourism that the rock affords.
How to get to El Penol rock.
Most visitors come to Guatape as part of a tour and therefore have transportation covered. However for anyone who would like to do it on their own, getting to the rock is not difficult at all.
If staying within the town of Guatape, getting to the rock is very easy. Taking one of the colourful mototaxis will be a quick and enjoyable way to get there.
Strolling through the town: Getting to know Guatape and exploring the zocalos was a great time especially once the crowds were gone. We loved the different art displayed on the baseboards and the stories they told. The difference about strolling in the early morning or evenings is that without the crowds, it is easier to take photos of the magnificent zocalos.
Enjoy the art of people watching: There is no shortage of people around Guatape, what I found intriguing is watching the difference the town had in the day and in the night. While the day brought bus loads of visitors, the evening felt like a different place watching the locals sit around the cafes sipping on coffee, I couldn't help but wonder what their thoughts were about how their town was inevitably changing. The one thing I could appreciate is that the economy was booming with how much tourism the town was accommodating.
Calle de Recuerdo: This is one of the beautiful streets in Guatape but this one holds a special historical significance. It is a replica of on the old streets in El Penol before it was flooded to construct the hydroelectic dam. It has some of the most stunning zocalos. This street is easy to find and is a must to visit.
Shopping for souvenirs: Guatape so far has had some of the best looking and best made souvenirs due to the fact that it is a town that caters to a lot of tourists. If it wasn't for the fact that we have a limited budget and limited space for things, I would be spending more money buying things there.
What to eat:
No visit to Colombia is complete without eating the famous Bandeja Paisa. It is a large meal and will vary from place to place in flavour but has the same basic components which are usually ground beef, chicharon ( crispy pork belly), rice, beans, plantain (green or sweet), avocado, arepa and some have blood sausage. One plate is enough to feed 2 people. While visiting Colombia, we tried to have this meal as much as we could because we knew once we left Colombia, we would not be able to find it anymore.
I absolutely fell in love with the typical breakfast in Colombia of eggs with a side of arepas and a slice or 2 of cheese, the Huevos y Arepas con queso. The arepas will sometimes come with butter melted on them, Add the cheese and eggs on the arepa and you have the perfect breakfast. Pair that with a Colombian hot chocolate or in my case a cup of black tea and this breakfast will make you enjoy waking up.
