ONCE UPON A TIME IN … GUATAPÉ (COLOMBIA)

Guatapé is a traditional town in Colombia and a great place to spend the weekend away from the city of Medellin. In fact, it’s very popular with Colombian families and they sure make their time there very festive.

HOW TO GET THERE FROM MEDELLIN

You can easily go there without having to book a car. Since it’s only 2 hours away from Medellin (if no traffic), it makes for an easy day trip. We took a bus from the North Bus terminal (Metro Caribe, Line A).

A one-way bus ticket costs 15000COP, and there is a bus that leaves every 30 minutes. You can’t book ahead, and you can’t by a return ticket. If you’re planning on returning the same day, buy your return ticket as soon as you arrive in Guatapé. This way you’ll have better luck on picking the time to leave that is more convenient for you and not waste time at the bus stop waiting to get on the next available bus. Also, this will allow you to do things at your own pace and enjoy this quiet little town even more.

How we got to Guatapé Colombia

We arrived at the Medellin’s bus terminal a little before 10 a.m. and had to wait in line for the ticket. We couldn’t get on but until 11h 30! You can withdraw cash at the bus station, and we suggest you do so as a lot of the transactions in Guatapé (Colombia) will be in cash.

It took us almost 1 hour from our hostel in El Poblado to get there using public transit and walking.

To find the right ticket boot, just go through the bus terminal on the ground floor and to the left. Luckily for us, we showed up at the gate a little before 11 a.m. and were able to get on an earlier bus. It is not uncommon for the bus driver to pick up strays along the way and people who want to sell you things like food and weird medicinal plants.

GETTING AROUND GUATAPÉ COLOMBIA

Walk, walk and walk. The town is easily walkable but if you want to get to the Piedra Del Penol and back, grab a tuk-tuk (10000COP per ride). You can also do some horse riding but seeing some of the conditions the horses were in, we stayed away.

However, in some cases, you can bring your own horse to the bar….just a thought in case you need a ride.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed in Guatapé overnight and we recommend doing so if you want to be able to appreciate the town and not have to rush to see and do everything.

Our hostel was Casa Kayam located on a dirt road, passed the bridge and across town. It was wonderful! This hostel has an artistic soul, and lots of artists have left their footprint there. You are surrounded by nature and chickens and having a beer at night in an abandoned bus was really cool! It’s a great place to stay at if you want peace and quiet. The hostel is located about 20 to 30 minutes’ walk from town or a 7000COP tuk-tuk ride.

Off the beaten path lodging in Guatapé Colombia

If you’re in the mood for something different, spend the night on Fantasia Island off-grid.  The only way to get there is by boat.  It was a municipal project at the beginning and pets are allowed there.  It is about 150000COP per day for 4 people.  You can only pay by cash and it’s Spanish speaking only.

However, I am not sure how you go about renting there as it was only mentioned on our boat tour and I can’t find it on Booking.com.  However, if you have time to spare in Guatapé, maybe you could look into it and test it out.  It looks really nice and remote.  A great place to do nothing in peace and quiet.

WHERE WE ATE

There’s a great little restaurant close to La Piedra del Peñol.  Stop there for lunch after your climb to the top of the rock.  Just go down the main road and it will be on your right just passed the car and motorcycle entrance.

Also, the prices there are cheaper than in the restaurants around the parking lot and you’ll still get a really nice view.

Kushbu

While in Guatapé, you have to eat Indian food.  Ok, not really, but if you’d like to eat something other than empanadas try Kushbu.  It’s owned by an Indian-Colombian couple and located on the upper floor of a building along the main road that circumvents the lake.  You must try the Thai Curry Red.  However, watch out for their margaritas as they are pretty strong.  The prices there are high but Indian food is always more expensive wherever you go, unless you are in India.

WHAT TO DO IN GUATAPÉ COLOMBIA

By flooding the area in order to build a dam, tons of lakes appeared.  If you enjoy water sports, Guatapé is the place to go and is not far from Medellin.

The town of Guatapé

Guatapé is a quaint little town where the bottom parts of the houses are adorned with bas-relief.  These works of art depict daily life in the area along with its flora and fauna.  The ones that are signed are made by a local father and son team.

Even though there isn’t much to see inside of the town, just walking around on cobbled stones and checking out the colorful houses is good enough.

The lake

A 1hr guided boat ride will cost you 15000COP.  I don’t know if an English tour exists, we didn’t ask.  Therefore, I only understood bits and pieces of the tour.  Avoid going on the double-deckers, especially with kids as they are unsafe.  A little while back, a party boat sunk, people died, and you can still see the sunken boat on the shores as a reminder.

Did you know that Pablo had a house and nightclub in the area? That’s all I got from the tour guide.

Also, you can rent paddle boats and jet skis as well on the lake.

Waterpark

Located right after the bridge on the road to Guatapé, just passed the rock lies Comfama Park. The entry price for foreigners is 13000COP. 

If we had had more time and had I known it was there we would have checked it out. This is not a North American style water park.  There aren’t giant slides with pools.  Everything takes place on and around the lake.

La Piedra del Peñol

This monolith is a landmark in Guatapé and the second reason people come to visit the town.  It is about 200 meters tall and has roughly 700 steps to access the top of the top.

There is absolutely no easy way to get up there.  You have to walk it.  It’s not accessible to strollers so don’t even think about it.  If you have knee problems, you might have to skip this visit.

Arrive early in the morning (before 10am) to beat the crowds and the sun or come at the end of the day when it’s a bit cooler.

Fun facts

What does GI stand for? You might have noticed the letters on the side.

The towns of Guatapé and El Peñol had long disputed ownership of the rock, and the residents of Guatapé decided to settle the matter by painting the town’s name on the rock in huge white letters. It did not take long for the residents of El Peñol to notice the work, and a large mob was assembled to stop it. Only the “G” and part of the “U” were completed (source Wikipedia).

Practical information

What will you get for the price of 18000COP? Exercise, plenty of it and a beautiful 360 view of the area. From the viewpoint, on top, you will get to see all the hundreds of artificial lakes that were created once the area got flooded to make way for a dam.  Kids who measure less than 1m get in for free.

There are two staircases on the Rock.  One to go up and one to go down.  The one leading down is in the shade which is so much better and makes your life a whole lot easier.

Make sure to bring plenty of water as you’ll need it.  You can buy food and drinks on top and even fruit.  However, I don’t know about you, but cut fruits that have been baking in the sun doesn’t seem appetizing to my stomach.

Furthermore, a tuk-tuk from Guatapé (Colombia) to the car entrance of the rock will cost you 10000COP.  However, there is a trail of steps from the gas station down below that lead up to the main entrance of the rock if you are adventurous. You can also catch a bus back to Medellin from that gas station if you don’t want to go back down to Guatapé.

For more information about Colombia, check out our Guide book to Colombia.