Guatapé: 2 days in Colombia’s most Colorful Pueblo

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Once a rural farming community home to only cowboys and their cattle. Now Guatapé streets are filled with far more tourists than locals. Partially, due to its close proximity to Medellin. But mostly because of the famous colorful streets and stunning natural beauty this Pueblo has to offer.

Most travelers make it here on a day trip from nearby Medellin. But the trick to loving Guatapé is to stay overnight.

Extending your stay allows you to work around the tourists. You can see the colorful streets empty, aside from the street dogs. Or climb the Penõl and not fight for a view of the scenery below. You can watch the evening streets fill with locals.

Even if you have just one night in Guatapé, you can experience so much more than the average tourist.

Your Guide To Guatapé

Guatapé deserves so much more than a day-trip. & hopping on with one of the group tours in Medellin is just lazy. In fact, it’s one of my very favorite places in Colombia along with Cartagena and Minca.

How to Get to Guatapé

Without a tour, you’ll have to take a bus on your own. But Medellin public transit couldn’t be easier to navigate. I’ll break it down for you.

How to take the Bus to Guatapé

• Take the Metro to the Caribe station. Across the street is the North Bus Terminal.
• Counter 9 & 14 both sell bus tickets to La Piedra for 14,000 COP.
• Buses run throughout the daytime but the earlier you arrive the better.

We arrived in Guatapé at around 3:30. We walked from the bus station to the town square in about 10 minutes & found cheap accommodation. Then we headed straight for the Penõl.

Things to do in Guatapé

Although the town is quaint and sleepy there are a few things you should definitely experience during your visit.

Climb the Penõl

Piedra del Peñol is a towering rock karst wrapped in stairs. But it’s more than just a hike. It provides the most scenic views in all of Guatapé.

Tuk-Tuks line-up to drive tourists to the Penõl. You’ll find them all over town and congregating near the bus stop you arrive at. Prices are set at 12.000 COP.

The landscape here is dramatic. Skyscraper high rock karsts surrounded by deep blue reservoir lakes and red clay earth. And there is no better vantage point than La Piedra del Penõl. 750 steps coil around the tallest rock formation sitting at 200m high.

The key is picking the right time to visit. We arrived at around 4 pm. The perfect time.

The last of the tour groups had just gone home. Which left the climb relatively empty. It’s best to take the climb slow due to the high elevation of Guatapé. When you reach the peak you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the sprawling landscape far below. Vendors sell beer, sliced mango, and other traditional snacks.

To reach the highest platform you will need to enter the gift shop and find the stairs in the back.

The views here are incredible. And absolutely shouldn’t be missed.

Another option would be to make the climb early in the morning for sunrise. Before the tours arrive. Yet another reason why you shouldn’t visit Guatapé as a day trip.

Wander the Streets of Guatapé

The streets of Guatapé were colorful long before the tourists starting flocking. It isn’t uncommon to see colorful homes and storefronts dotting the streets of Central and South America. But the colorful story-telling panels called “Zocalos” are unique.

Some depict flowers, llamas, and other seemingly random objects. Others relate to the store inside like the loaves of bread painted on a bakery. And others still showed pieces of Colombian farming history.

Steep, winding cobblestone streets lined by an actual rainbow of homes. It feels a little like walking around the set of a Disney cartoon.

Eat Bandeja Paisa

My favorite plate of Bandeja Paisa was served here in town square. Bandeja Paisa is a gut-busting Colombian classic of Chorizo, ground beef, rice, beans, avocado, arepas, chicharrones, fried egg, and plantains. & it’s absolutely delicious.

Catch the Sunrise

Wake up at dawn. This is the best time to wander the streets. Even few locals will be awake. Day-trippers from Medellin arrive at around 10 AM. Which means the streets will be empty before then.

Bonus: Visit the two local mini-ponies. They are penned just outside the town square. It’s the small things, right?

Need More Recommendations for Colombia? Check Out These Posts.

• Explore the Caribbean Coast
• Isolte: Visiting the World’s Most Densely Populated Island
• Salento: Exploring the Cocora Valley
• Visiting the Amazon Rainforest on a Budget

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