Guatapé is home to Colombia’s most famous rock. The rock is really big. It rises up rugged and grey from the surrounding lush green landscape. Did it come from space? Did it fall out of the pocket of some rock collecting giant? Geologists have probably come up with a reasonable explanation, but to me, El Peñón de Guatapé remains a mystery.
Aside from the really big rock, Guatapé is a charming and colorful little town and a pleasant place to spend a couple of days. The buildings pop with vibrant colors and almost every home and business has a small relief painting on its façade called a “zócalo.” Some zócalos are abstract, some represent local stories or the hopes and dreams of the family who made them.
Between the really big rock, the colorful zócalos, the surrounding reservoir and the lush landscape, Guatapé attracts a lot of tourists. The town center is crammed with souvenir shops and slightly overpriced restaurants. However, Guatapé never quite feels over-touristed. It’s a charming little town, just a stone’s throw from the big city of Medellín.
A Short Summary of Guatapé’s History
Guatapé is located in Colombia’s Eastern Antioquia Department. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples, some who were ruled by a chief named Guatapé. Appropriately, Guatapé means “stones and water” in Quechua.
The Spanish founded a town here in 1811 and named it in honor of the chief whose people they had killed or displaced. The sleepy town became a local agricultural center with some mining and herding and whatnot.
In the 1970s, the government of Antioquia decided to build a dam in the region. This dam was to provide not only hydroelectricity but also drinking water to the city of Medellín. The dam became a major infrastructure project and provided enough electricity that the city was able to use the funds to build its public transit network and fund various social programs. It also created the reservoir and waterways you see near Guatapé today.
Dam It
There was, of course, a downside. Despite massive protests, the residents of Guatapé’s neighboring town, El Peñol, were forced to evacuate by the thousands. The government built a new town for the residents, essentially moving El Peñol a few kilometers away, but it’s still no easy thing to have your life uprooted. Farmers lost their fields and their livelihoods, and families saw the homes they’d occupied for generations disappear underwater.
Do the energy and water needs of a big city outweigh the lives and homes of people in a rural town? How can a country modernize and update its infrastructure without displacing people or damaging the local ecosystem? These are interesting questions and I won’t claim to have any answers to them.
All I can say is that the winding inlets and bays of the reservoir around Guatapé are kind of pretty, at least. Guatapé itself, for what it’s worth, was mostly spared from the flooding. However, the dam and reservoir changed the landscape forever, and began a shift in Guatapé’s economy from agriculture to tourism. Damn.
How to Get to Guatapé
Part of Guatapé’s appeal as a tourist attraction, aside from the rock, reservoir and colorful buildings, is its proximity to Medellín. Guatapé only takes about two hours by bus. In theory anyway. Buses leave regularly from Medellín’s Terminal del Norte. Coming from any other city, you’ll have to transfer in Medellín.
You could also, theoretically, take a taxi to Guatapé, but Colombia’s buses are pretty reliable and comfortable. They’re also far, far, cheaper than a taxi. The only disadvantage is that the schedules are more suggestions than hard and fast rules.
A lot of people just visit Guatapé on a day trip from Medellín. I suppose you could do this if you’re short on time, but it’d be a pretty packed day. Guatapé doesn’t have a ton of things to do, but it’s a nice enough little town that I think it’s worth staying at least a night or two.
Also, by sticking around a little longer there’s more of a chance your tourist dollars will go to help support those families whose lives were disrupted by the dam rather than just to tour groups based in the city.
The Longest Bus Ride Ever
We actually came to Guatapé from Minca. This meant we had to take the night bus. Night buses are also a great idea in theory. You save money on a hotel and wake up the next morning at your next destination, refreshed and ready to explore. In reality, it’s almost impossible to sleep on a night bus. The driver is either blasting the A.C., blasting music, blasting lights or sometimes all three.
Our bus was blasting the trifecta. Despite all that, I managed to drift off into an uneasy sleep, only to be awakened when the bus lurched to a sudden stop at around three in the morning. We had a flat tire. It took at least a couple of hours before we were on the road again.
We arrived into Medellin´s northern bus terminal wrinkled, bleary eyed and with horrible morning breath. After freshening up in the bus station bathroom, we got our tickets to Guatapé and dreamed of resting in our hotel. A nice shower and a nap on a bed were only two hours away. In theory.
Traffic That Makes You Contemplate the Value of Life
Just about when the famous El Peñón de Guatapé finally came into view, we hit the worst traffic I’ve ever seen in my life. And I’ve been to L.A. Cars stretched for miles along the winding road. We sat still for what felt like hours. We’d feel a surge of joy and excitement when the engine sputtered on and the bus drove forward a few feet, only to be cast back into despair when traffic stopped again.
This went on for hours. The bus, of course, didn’t have a bathroom. I got off and peed in a nearby restaurant. Of course, there was also a traffic jam to the bathroom. By the time I finished, traffic was moving again and I had to run down the road to catch up to our bus.
Most of the other passengers on the bus decided it’d be quicker to walk. They were probably right. But we were exhausted. We stuck with our bus till the end. Finally, countless hours later and long after nightfall, we arrived in the center of Guatapé. It was the longest two-hour bus ride I’ve ever been on.
Later, I found out that a gasoline truck had exploded. The driver was killed and fifteen other people were injured. Suddenly, complaints about being tired or stuck in traffic suddenly seemed petty and insignificant.
Where to Stay in Guatapé
Luckily, we had a very nice little hotel waiting for us when we finally did arrive in town. Guatapé is a tourist town, through and through. One advantage of being a popular tourist destination is that there are about a million options for accommodations. However, I wouldn’t stay anywhere else besides our little hotel: the Oak Tree House.
The Oak Tree House is a very lovely, but not too fancy, family-owned small hotel. It’s located just far enough out of town to be quiet, but still well within walking distance of the center. The family that ran the place was incredibly nice and helpful and the included breakfast was pretty darn good, too.
You can click this link to book a stay at the Oak Tree House. You won’t regret it. If you do book through this site, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
On one of the most fun, but also most stressful, aspects of travel is finding and booking places to stay. These days you have options ranging from dirt cheap hostel dorms to luxurious White Lotus style resorts. Thankfully, the internet is here to make finding accommodation easier.
Hostelworld is the go to app for finding hostels. For everything else, there’s Booking.com. If you book through either of the previous links, I’ll gain a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What to Do in Guatapé
Guatapé is very nice, but it’s a small town without a ton of things to do. Or, maybe I should say it doesn’t have a ton of things that I particularly want to do. You can find so-called watersports on the reservoir, jet-ski rentals for example. You could also go paragliding and apparently take a helicopter ride. No thanks.
It’s also possible to rent a kayak to explore Guatapé’s reservoir. We didn’t do this, and for the life of me I don’t remember why not. Maybe next time.
Walk To and Climb El Peñón de Guatapé
Guatapé’s main attraction, of course, is El Peñón. That is, the really big rock. Locals sometimes refer to it as “la Piedra” which means “the rock” in Spanish.
El Peñón de Guatapé is a huge rock. It’s made up of mostly granite, and almost looks like something you’d find in South East Asia rather than South America. The rock is apparently 65 million years old. I’ve yet to find an explanation of the rock’s formation and what factors caused it to look the way it does. Maybe aliens really did just drop it there?
Regardless of the geology, La Piedra is a huge tourist attraction. The base is absolutely swarming with restaurants and souvenir shops. Someone had the genius idea to build a staircase into the rockface, and you can now climb up the roughly 700 stairs to the top.
The touristyness of El Peñón de Guatapé seems to be geared more towards Colombians than international travelers, however. In fact, most of the crowd at the rock seemed to be Colombian. I don’t know why, but I like to experience tourism geared more towards locals. It feels more interesting and less generic than the all-purpose ex-pat/backpacker hotspots you find all over these days.
Also, the views from the top are pretty nice.
You can take any Medellín bound bus to El Peñón, or catch a taxi from Guatapé. Or you could walk, like we did.
I would really recommend the walk, actually. If you have the energy, the trail from town is actually quite nice and provides some good views of both the rock, the reservoir and the surrounding countryside.
You’ll probably be pretty tired from walking to and up the rock, so plan on taking a taxi or the bus back to town.
Wander Around Town and Admire the Zócalos
The town of Guatapé itself is quite attractive on its own. The buildings don’t quite have the colonial history of other Colombian towns, but they are bright and cheery. The zócalos, the colorful relief paintings that decorate almost every house, are also quite fun to look at.
Some zócalos represent the business inside the building. For example, a music shop had a guitar and a keyboard. Others maybe tell a story about the town or the family living inside. Others represent the owner’s beliefs or maybe their wishes. I’m convinced some people just made zócalos they thought looked cool.
You’ll find the colorfully painted houses and zócalos not just in Guatapé’s touristy town center. Up the hill and in the local neighborhoods, everyday residents have really gussied up their homes. It’s a cool tradition, made even cooler when you realize they aren’t doing it just for the tourists.
All in all, Guatapé is an adorable, safe, little town and a fun place to aimlessly wander around.
I usually like to travel and do activities independently, but sometimes you want to relax and let someone else take over. For those times, I suggest using Get Your Guide. Prices are reasonable and they have numerous tours available. Click here to explore options in Colombia. Tours booked through these links help support this blog at no extra cost to you.
Final Thoughts on Guatapé
There’s more to Guatapé than just the really big rock. The surrounding reservoir and waterways are beautiful, despite the questionable ethical implications of dam building. The town of Guatapé itself is bright and colorful and a fun place to walk around. And, okay, the rock is really big.
While Guatapé is a touristy place, it doesn’t feel as soulless as some other over-touristed destinations. The tourism here seems more geared towards visitors from Medellín than to the hordes of digital nomads. You’ll still find vegan restaurants and crepe shops, but you can also find plenty of chicharrón and sancocho. To me, that’s a much more interesting kind of touristy.
Come to Guatapé for the big rock and stay for the colorful buildings and experience tourism like the locals.
Want to discover more destinations in Colombia? Click here for our guide: Covering Ground in Colombia: A Travel Guide to One of the World’s Most Magical Countries
