After looking at many breathtaking photos of Guatapé and its giant rock (El Penon de Guatapé), we took a break from the hustling city of Medellín to explore the small vibrant town.
We decided to stay in Guatapé for 1 night, giving us plenty of time to roam around its cobbled streets, and climb up the 740 stairs of El Penon de Guatapé.
However, if we could go back and do things differently, we would probably choose to do a day trip - but more on that later!
In this blog post, we have created a guide for those planning a trip from Medellín to Guatapé - including how to get there, what to see and do, restaurant recommendations, and more.
How To Get To Guatapé, From Medellín
There are a number of ways of travelling from Medellín to Guatapé, including, taking a bus, taxi, or booking a private tour.
We’re only going to talk about the cheapest and easiest way, which is by taking the bus.
To take the bus, you will need to head to Terminal del Norte in Medellín. To get to the bus station, you can either catch the metro to Caribe station, or get a taxi (Uber is very cheap in Medellín).
We tend to use Uber everywhere we go when travelling, but on this occasion we opted to use the metro due to Medellín being a well connected city.
Top tip: If you want to take an Uber, then we recommend buying a local SIM card when you are travelling around Colombia. This is so you don’t find yourself in a situation where you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no way of getting home. Believe us, we’ve made that mistake once - at night. We have definitely learnt our lesson, and won’t be making that mistake again. We use Airalo. A brilliant e-sim app, that allows you to connect to a local network for low prices. It’s easy to use and immediate on purchase. Check out Airalo HERE.
Once you have arrived at Terminal del Norte, you’ll want to head to the ground floor, where you’ll find the ticket booths. The booth you are looking for is called “Sotrasanvicente & Guatapé La Piedra”, aka, ticket booth 14.
If you get lost, ask a staff member for Guatapé, and they’ll point you in the right direction.
Bus tickets in 2024 cost COP $20,000 (£4.04) per person for a one way ticket.
The bus takes approximately 2 hours from the city. We’d recommend using the toilet at the station beforehand, as these are mini buses and do not have a toilet onboard.
The bus terminal in Guatapé is located around the corner from the main plaza. If you want to visit El Penon de Guatapé first, then you can let the driver know and they will drop you off on the way. We didn’t do this as we were staying the night, and wanted to visit early the next morning.
If you decide to check out the town before visiting El Penon de Guatapé, then you can take a tuktuk from the main plaza to the rock.
If you’re interested in having an all inclusive experience of Guatapé and would like a guided tour, there are loads of amazing experiences available on GetYourGuide. However, we don’t feel this is necessary, as we preferred doing this trip on our own - cheaper and without the time constraints.
Things To Do In Guatapé
Guatapé Village - One of the main things to do in Guatapé is to roam around the colourful streets. The town isn’t very big and everywhere can be reached by foot. There are many delicate little souvenir and coffee shops just waiting to be explored. You’ll want to be camera ready - we recommend getting up early to walk around before the shops open at 9am.
El Peñón de Guatapé - For us, this was the main attraction in Guatapé. After climbing 740 stairs you’ll be rewarded with the most stunning views of the lakes. This giant rock was first discovered and climbed in the 1950s by a group of friends. Now, it is known for being at the centre of the reservoir, and a tourist hotspot. Tickets in 2024 cost COP $25,000 (£5.05) per person and it took us around 20 minutes to climb (with breaks for photos).
The Lakes - What makes Guatapé unique, is its man-made reservoir. The lakes were developed in the 1970s, due to a hydroelectric dam. Today, the lakes are home to boat tours and water sports alike. Spend the afternoon kayaking or paddle boarding your way around the reservoir. Fun fact: There used to be a small town, which is now completely submerged underwater.
Restaurant Recommendations
As we only spent one night in Guatapé, we can’t vouch for the entire town, but we can certainly speak about the two places we did grab a bite to eat.
Restaurante Vegano Zona Prosalud - After a few days of feasting in Medellín, we were on the lookout for something a little healthier. Luckily, we found a lovely little vegan spot located on Calle 31. We had dinner here, and ordered two traditional Colombian dishes costing COP $32,000 (£6.43) per person. We liked it so much that we went back the following morning for breakfast. If you’re looking for something a little less touristy, then this might be the spot for you.
Location: Cl. 31 #28-73, Guatape, Guatapé, Antioquia, Colombia
Montano - In Guatapé, we were on the lookout for a good brunch spot. After doing a bit of research, there was only one place that kept reappearing - Montano. Here, we shared an açai bowl and a yummy bagel costing COP $41,000 (£8.24). We were desperate to go here again, but sadly it was closed the following morning.
Location: Cl. 27a #30-71, Guatape, Guatapé, Antioquia, Colombia
How Long To Spend In Guatape
We spent just one night in Guatapé, and that was enough for us. If we’re being honest, we felt we could’ve done it as a day trip. If you’re looking to get out on the lakes and explore the reservoir, then a night here will give you enough time to do everything.
After falling in love with Salento & then Medellín, we felt that Guatapé had more of a touristy feel to it.
… and it’s possible that we were not in the right mind frame at that moment in time. We still had a lot to see in Medellín and maybe our hearts and minds were still there.
Despite that, we’d still recommend checking out Guatapé, because climbing El Penon de Guatapé is a worthy and rewarding experience.
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