Colombia Complete Travel Guide
A day trip to Guatapé is definitely a must do when in Medellin. You can either join an organized tour, but I recommend going there on your own.
How to get to Guatapé?
From Terminal del Norte there is a direct bus to Guatapé. The bus terminal in Medellin is right next to the metro station Caribe, therefore easily accessible. At the station go to booth #14 of the company Sotrasanvicente (GUATAPE in huge letters). The one-way bus ticket is 20.000 COP, and mention to the bus driver to get off at La Piedra. The ride took exactly 2 hours.
How to avoid the crowds?
Guatapé is an immensely popular day trip from Medellin and can get very crowded, especially on weekends and public holidays. I desperately wanted to avoid walking amidst hundreds of people going up the Piedra del Peñol. This is why I took the first bus from Medellin at 6 AM. The bus dropped me off at exactly 8 AM, which is also the time when the monolith opens. Being one of the first arriving, there were hardly any people there yet.
Piedra del Peñol
Piedra del Peñol is the highlight of a trip to Guatapé, the giant monolith offers a magnificent view of the surrounding area of the many lakes and islands. The 740-step stairway to reach the top might sound discouraging, but it really took me only 15 minutes to get to the top. And the view is absolutely worth it.
Piedra del Peñol from the bottom
View from the top of Piedra del Peñol
On top of the viewpoint without any crowds
Guatapé
After visiting Piedra del Peñol, I took a short tuk-tuk ride to the town Guatapé. By now it was still only 9:30 AM and quiet. I walked around on the completely empty streets and decided to have some breakfast first, while the town slowly woke up.
Main square in Guatapé
Umbrella street
Walking along the boulevard I was quickly approached to go on a boat tour. For 25.000 COP a boat tour took me across the lake for about an hour, showing the various mansions, including the one of Pablo Escobar and telling a bit about the area. Although the tour was only in Spanish, meaning I understood about 20% of what was being said.
Boat trip on the lakes with Piedra del Peñol in the background
After the boat tour, the town was alive and full with people. What a huge difference from 1.5 hours before. The place is very cute with all the colorful buildings, the umbrella street and the many vendors selling their items. Since the town is very small with only a few streets, it’s nice to stroll for no more than 1-2 hours.
Day trip or overnight stay?
Although many people advise an overnight stay in Guatapé, I do believe a day trip is more than sufficient. Especially when starting the day early. Being there at 8 AM, I climbed Piedra del Peñol, went on a boat trip and walked around town. By 1 PM I was good to go and took the bus back to Medellin, also before the busy afternoon traffic started.
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