An Independent Guide to Guatapé, Colombia
Located just 2 hours from Medellín, Guatapé is a popular day trip for visitors to Colombia. The little town is known for the colorful frescoes on the front of homes and businesses and La Piedra – a giant rock (7,000 feet above sea level giant) that you can climb for amazing views of the lake in the area. I read several blog posts leading up to my two-week trip to Colombia in September of 2022, and rather than take a day trip with a tour group, I decided to travel to Guatapé on public transport and stay overnight to get to know the vibrant town a bit better. Here’s my guide to getting to Guatapé on your own and enjoying everything the town has to offer.
Some of the Basics
Weather
Medellín is called the City of Eternal Spring because they have Spring weather year-round. When I visited in September 2022, it was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 24 degrees Celsius each day. It did rain each afternoon that I was there, and the temperatures did cool after the storms and in the evening. I recommend packing loose, comfy clothing or shorts and T-shirts to stay cool as well as a jacket to wear when the temps drop.
Getting There
I used this very helpful step-by-step guide to taking the bus to Guatapé. I took the metro right to the Terminal Norte bus station, grabbed my ticket and some snacks, and then was off to Guatapé. The only difference that I found is that a one-way ticket now costs 17,000 pesos (about $3.80 USD). The bus ride is easy, pretty comfortable, and only takes 2 hours.
To get back to Medellín from Guatapé, just head back to where you were dropped off or type ‘Guatapé bus terminal’ into Google Maps, and then buy your ticket at the window. When I was there the buses back to Medellín left every hour on the half-hour throughout the day.
Where to Stay
I highly recommend staying the night in Guatapé to explore the colorful streets more and hike La Piedra early in the morning before the tour buses show up. There are a few hostels in Guatapé and the surrounding area, so I chose to stay at the Lake View Hostel right on the edge of town. It’s only a 10-minute walk from the bus station and the center of town and costs $9 USD a night.
The Lake View Hostel also has a Thai restaurant in it called Thai Terrace that has pretty good Thai food. After a week of eating only Colombian food, I was happy to switch things up again, and my portion of Pad See Ew was huge.
Safety
While I personally felt safe throughout my entire trip to Colombia, Guatapé felt exceptionally safe. The locals were super kind and the area was nice and quiet after the day trip tourists left in the late afternoon.
Things to Do
Climb La Piedra
This is the thing to do in Guatapé area. La Piedra del Peñol is a gigantic rock standing 200 meters tall between the towns of Peñol and Guatapé. It is surrounded by a beautiful lake with islands dotted all around it. Visitors can climb the 659 steps to the top of La Piedra for an absolutely incredible view of the area.
Getting There
To get to La Piedra, you can get off of the bus from Medellín below the rock, or you can grab a tuk tuk to the rock from Guatapé for 10,000 – 15,000 pesos one way (about $2.15 – $3.25 USD). Some blogs I read said that you can also walk to the rock in about half an hour, but do this with caution as you’d have to walk there on the main road with lots of vehicles.
I recommend taking the tuk tuk from the town center early in the morning in order to beat all of the day trippers to the top. La Piedra opens at 8, and getting there around 8:45 gave me plenty of time to leisurely climb the many, many stairs mainly by myself.
The Climb
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The climb is tough. I’ve climbed to the top of Mua Cave Viewpoint in Vietnam, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China, the Duomo in Florence, and more, but this climb was one of the most difficult climbs I’ve done. The steps weren’t very steep, but nearly 700 stairs is quite a lot.
The hundreds of stairs up to the top of La Piedra zig-zag back and forth along a crack in the front of the rock. People ascending the rock climb up the outer stairs and visitors headed back down use an inner set of stairs.
When I was climbing down later in the morning, there were tons of people headed up – so many that people were in a single-file line at some parts. Being able to get to La Piedra early in the morning is the main reason why I recommend staying overnight in Guatapé.
The View
After catching my breath a bit at the top of La Piedra, I was able to take in the incredible view. The rock is surrounded by blue water and bright green islands. 100% worth the climb. I also enjoyed a passionfruit smoothie at the top. It was pretty baffling to think about people carrying the supplies for it and the other drinks and snacks available up to the top, but it was definitely refreshing after the climb.
Wander Around the Colorful Streets
I live for vibrant color, and Guatapé’s beautifully painted streets were a breath of fresh air. I spent hours one afternoon simply wandering around the streets of the town, admiring the frescoes that families and business owners painted on the front of their buildings. Some have frescoes depicting their occupation, such as trucks for drivers or bread for bakers while others have bright flowers or other decorative motifs.
Enjoy Activities on the Lake
While I didn’t personally do anything out on Lake Guatapé, there are plenty of activities available for visitors – boat rides, jet skiing, wakeboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, and more. You can book tours or rentals with your hotel or hostel, through booking sites like Get Your Guide, or with some of the travel groups in town.
Enjoy a Great View of La Piedra from Mirador Alto de la Virgen
The view from La Piedra is great, but you can’t visit Guatapé without getting a great view that includes the famous rock. One of the best and easily accessible viewpoints of La Piedra is the Mirador Alto de la Virgen. I didn’t come across this viewpoint in any of the blog posts I read prior to my trip, but learned about the viewpoint while chatting with a nice guy in my hostel who had been in Guatapé for a few days already.
The viewpoint is only about a 10-minute walk from the center of town, and when I went up at sunset on the night I was in Guatapé, I was only up there with a local family that was repainting the virgin statue at the top. The view is blocked a bit by a fence, but it’s still a gorgeous view of La Piedra and the surrounding area.
Guatapé is an absolutely lovely place to explore and relax for a day or two during a trip to Colombia. I really enjoyed taking the extra time to find the best frescoes, take in amazing views, and climb the many, many stairs up to the top of La Piedra at my own (slow) pace.