Piedra del Peñón & Guatapé
The little, colorful town of Guatape and the same named piedra (=rock) are a popular excursion destinations once in Medellin, Colombia. The spot is mainly known for its view from the “Piedra de Guatape”, which is spectacular indeed!
How to get to Guatape?
The town is only a 2 hours bus drive from Medellin. Buy your bus tickets right at the north terminal. There are 3 different operators going for more or less the same price of 3-4 EUR one way. You find a more detailed description here.
Hotel reco: there not really hostels to find in Guatape. Consequently we staid in the “Hotel Lagos de Guatape”. It has clean rooms with private bathrooms and is very close to the town’s centre. It is nothing too special but very afforfable and good enough for a one night stay.
What to do in Guatape?
The small town is located just next to a beautiful lake. All buildings are cute and painted in all colors of the rainbow. You will most likely find yourself strolling around the streets, check out the numerous souvenir shops, have a coffee or simply relax at the lake. There is not much more really. So you can easily see it in a day or stay over night if you want to take it slowly.
Lunch Reco: the “Vecchio Forno” serves delicious meals across the worlds great cuisines. The laid-back restaurant specialises in Italian food, but you find a little bit of everything on the menu. Pizza, pasta, (delicious!!) quesadillas, asian wok etc. Still every dish is made freshly and tastes delicious!
Breakfast reco: the Namaste cafe not only has a terrace with lake view, but serves (all vegetarian) good breakfast dishes. No matter if you have a sweet thooth or prefer the hearty brekki – you will get it there.
El piedra de Guatape
You can reach the rock either with a tuk tuk ride from Guatape or directly via bus from Medellin if you only visit the rock within a day trip.
The climb to the top is about 700 steps and requires payment of a rather price. entrance fee of 5 EUR per person. But well, the view up there is really beautiful and I am glad we went! On top you find a couple of cafés and a souvenir shop. Clearly you can just relax up there without buying anything too.
Overall, the short trip to Guatape is a nice escape from busy Medellin and in my opinion very much worth going.