A visit to Guatapé is an easy day trip from Medellin and it’s one of the most popular day trips in Colombia. The gloriously colorful pueblo of Guatape is just 90 minutes from Medellin. In Guatape you’ll find fabulous architecture, whimsically painted houses, and stunning views. Known as the most colorful Colombian town is delightfully situated on the edge of a lake, surrounded by glorious scenery. The town is located close to the famous landmark known as El Peñón del Peñol and is one of the primary reasons to take a day trip to Guatape. We’ll cover the easiest way to take a day trip to Guatape, and the cheapest way too.
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Easiest Way to Take a Day Trip to Guatape from Medellin
Our complete travel guide for Guatape Colombia takes you through how to get to Guatape, what you must go to in Guatape, and when the best times to visit are. The easiest way to take a day trip to Guatape is to do it from a base of Medellin. While you can take public transport (and we’ve covered this all further down in this article), a guided tour will maximize your time, help you skip the lines, AND get the most out of a day in Guatape.
#1 WAY TO VISIT
This FIVE Star rated day trip from Medellin to Guatape is stunning. It’s the best way to visit Guatape, including a boat trip, a visit to El Penon + an English-speaking guide.
3 Ways to Visit Guatape from Medellin
There are several ways to visit Guatape. The best way to get to Guatape depends on your confidence in negotiating public transport and the amount of time you have available. You should also consider which of the activities in Guatape you’d like to take part in. How to get from Medellin to Guatape depends on how you prefer to travel. Getting to Guatape from Medellin can be as easy as calling a taxi or booking an Uber. How to go to Guatape from Medellin also depends on your budget – getting from Medellin to Guatape is the cheapest by bus, but we’ll start with the easiest way to visit Guatape.
1. Take a Guided Tour to Guatapé from Medellin
If you prefer to maximize your time in Guatape, then select a guided tour from Medellin – here are the best options for day trips to Guatape. Tours to Guatape from Medellin are easy to arrange. These Medellin Guatape tours are generally day trips including visits to El Peñón, usually lunch in Guatape, and can also include trips on the lake and other activities. There are a variety of options when it comes to Medellin to Guatape day trips – some include lunch, some include cruises and some dinners.
- Day Trip to Guatape from Medellin – visit Guatape and El Penon too
- Guatape Day Trip from Medellin – including El Penon and a Boat Trip on the Lake
- Private Day Trip from Medellin to Guatape – check prices and book NOW!
2. Go to Guatape from Medellin on Public Transport
It is easy to get from Medellin to Guatape independently. First of all, take the Medellin Metro Line A (blue) and get to the Caribe Station. If you haven’t already read it, we’ve put together a guide on the Medellin Metro for tourists.
The bus from Medellin to Guatape goes from the Medellin north bus terminal, so if you are planning to take the bus to Guatape from Medellin you will need to get to this terminal. The easiest way to get to the Caribe Station in Medellin is via the Medellin metro.
Take the Metro to Caribe Station
Caribe Metro station is connected to the Medellin Northern bus terminal (Terminal Norte) by way of several pedestrian bridges over the highway below.
Take a bus from Medellin Terminal Norte to Guatape
Several companies run this route. All the ticket booths at the north bus terminal Medellin are downstairs. You will companies running the Guatape-Medellin route at ticket booths 9, 12, and 14. The companies that operate the Medellin to Guatape bus are Sotrapenol, Sootransvincente, and Transporte Guatape la Piedra.
Buses run from 0530 until 1830 and they run as regularly as every 15 minutes. The bus to Guatape from Medellin timetable is displayed at each counter. They may also display the times for the Guatape Medellin bus, but it is more likely that the return details are displayed in Guatape.
The cost of a one-way bus ticket to Guatape from Medellin is 15,000 COP. Tickets from each bus company are the same price. The journey from Medellin Bus Terminal Norte to Guatape takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
If you are taking a day trip we recommend getting off at El Peñol. The driver will ask and stop here at the gas station at the base of El Peñol. This is about 10 minutes outside of Guatape on the bus.
You then have a choice of walking up the steps from the bus stop to the actual base of El Peñol, or you can take a tuk-tuk.
3. Medellin to Guatape Taxi
An Uber or taxi from Medellin to Guatape will take around 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel to Guatape from Medellin. The cost is around USD$35.
7 Things to Do in Guatape
Now that you’ve got to Guatape – hopefully early in the day, and hopefully not at a weekend or on a holiday – this is what you’ve been waiting for – all the best things to do in Guatape. We’ll start with visiting El Peñol, as it’s logical to visit here first en route from Medellin.
1. Climb El Peñón
Climbing El Peñón is the number one reason to come to Guatape. If you’ve walked up from where the Medellin-Guatape bus dropped you off you will have made it to the actual base of the rock. Here you’ll find a car park (If you take a guided tour, then this is where you’ll start your exploration of El Peñón), cafes, and souvenir stalls.
The ticket booth for El Peñón is also here. The ticket for El Peñón is 18,000 COP.
There is also a café and more souvenir stalls at the top of El Peñón, but everything is more expensive at the top!
Facts about El Peñón
El Peñón weighs approximately 66 million tons and is the 3rd largest monolithic rock in the world. El Peñón is composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica.
El Peñón is 385 meters long and has an elevation of 2,135 meters above sea level. At the top El Peñón has an average temperature of 18 °C. Please make sure that your travel insurance covers you at this altitude. You can read our guide to Colombia Travel Insurance here.
There are 740 concrete steps from the bottom of El Peñón to the very top, although the final few steps will cost you an extra 2,000 COP to climb there if that section is actually open.
You can track your progress, as the steps are numbered, with every 25th step noting your progress. Apart from a small section at the top, the up and down steps are separate.
The steps to return to the base are closer to the rock and do not have viewpoints. There are also small resting areas on the way up.
And you’ll want to use these rest stops, the views from El Peñón just keep getting better as you get higher. Be sure to take photos on the way up – the downward steps are located on the inside of the upward steps, so you don’t have a clear view.
The view from the top is spectacular, just be sure to visit on a clear day!
Visiting El Peñón from Guatape
If you took the bus from Medellin to Guatape, then getting to El Peñón is easy and you have 3 options.
- Take the road out of town back towards Medellin. It will take about an hour.
- Take a tuk-tuk or a taxi. This will cost 30,000 COP but will take you directly to the ticket booth.
- Take the Medellin Bus. You’ll find this at the corner of Carrera 30 and Calle 32 on the waterfront. This bus from Guatape to El Peñón costs 2,000 COP. From where the bus drops you, you can walk either up the road or the steps or take a tuk-tuk for 10,000 COP.
When you have finished marveling at the views and got your breath back, it’s time to head from El Peñón to Guatape – here’s how to do that.
How to get from El Piedra to Guatape
After you’ve taken in all the views you can from the top of El Piedra, then you’ll want to head from El Peñón to Guatape. There are several ways of getting there.
- Take a taxi or a tuk-tuk – costs around 5,000 COP Per person from the ticket booth
- Walk, simply follow the road down and turn right when you join the main road. Walking from El Peñón to Guatape will take about an hour, but is along the side of the main road.
- Walk back down to where you got off the bus and take the next bus for 1,500 COP.
Once you’ve arrived in Guatape it’s time to take a look at the other great things to do in this colorful Colombian pueblo.
2. Now buy your bus ticket from Guatape to Medellin
If you are taking a day trip from Medellin to Guatape then the first thing you must do when you arrive in Guatape is to buy your ticket for your bus from Guatape to Medellin. The Guatape to Medellin bus fills up quickly. If you’ve taken a taxi or tuk-tuk to Guatape from Medellin, then they will drop you at the bus ticket office. The Medellin bus is located at Calle 32 – right opposite the waterfront as you enter Guatape.
Here is a map to show you where to buy tickets to get back to Medellin.
Buses from Guatape to Medellin return at set times, especially in the offseason, which is why you want to book your return bus to Medellin as soon as you arrive.
3. Visit Guatape’s Main Square
The Parque Principal is Guatape’s main square. Here you’ll find tree-shaded spots to while away the time, while people watching. The square is surrounded by cafés and bars and is the center of the town. You’ll find Guatape’s church here too, Parroquia Nuestra Señora Del Carmen Guatape
4. Discover the Zócalos of Guatape
A zócalo is the term for a coat of cement that creates a façade along the lower 80 centimeters of the houses in Guatape. Many of the houses in Guatape have these facades painted with vibrant colors and decorated with patterns. Zócalos usually celebrate the cultural heritage of the family living there.
The custom was likely brought from Spain and was originally used to protect the house from erosion.
5. Hang out in La Plazoleta de los Zocalos
This pretty small square is the place to admire painted steps, yet more colorful buildings and a great place to enjoy coffee. There are also plenty of souvenir shops around here!
6. Drink Coffee from Fine China in Guatape
Order a coffee from any of Guatape’s cafes or coffee shops and you’ll get a great cup of Colombian dark, rich coffee. What’s unique about coffee in Guatape is that it’s served in a gorgeous china cup perched on a saucer. Order two cups of coffee and you’ll likely get an even more original cup and saucer option.
7. Take a Trip on the Lake in Guatape
If you’d like to explore the lake at Guatape, you have the option of taking an organized boat trip or renting kayaks. If you’ve elected to take a guided tour to Guatape, then an option will have been to take a boat trip. If you are traveling independently, then you’ll find the boat operators on Calle 32. If you are traveling to Guatape at the weekend or over the Colombian holidays we recommend that you pre-book. Guatape is very popular at these times.
Looking for another awesome trip from Medellin? Explore Comuna 13 – here’s how.
Boat trips on the lake will visit several islands and, so long, as the lake levels aren’t too high, you’ll get to see evidence of the old town of El Peñól that was submerged with the building of the reservoir in the 1970s.
A Brief Guatape History
Guatape was originally inhabited by indigenous ethnic groups, the chief of whom was named Guatape. The town of Guatape was founded in October 1811, by the Spanish conquistador, Don Francisco Giraldo y Jimenez. To honor the old chiefs, the pueblo was named Guatape.
Guatape was primarily a farming town – the economy of the region was agriculture and a little mining. It was declared a municipality in September 1867. In the 1970s an enormous hydroelectric project created a man-made reservoir and today’s landscape. The Gautape reservoir and dam not only creates more than 30% of Colombia’s energy but supports the tourism industry of Guatape.
In the creation of the reservoir, the old town of El Peñol was submerged and has lain under the water since. The new town of El Peñol is now en route to Guatape from Medellin.
Where is Guatape?
Guatape is located in the Antioquia province of Colombia. It is about 2 hours east of Medellin on a public bus. How far is Guatape from Medellin? It’s an easy trip from Medellin. You will find Guatape 85 kilometers from Medellin. Guatape is perfect to visit as a day trip from Medellin. If you have more time, once the day trips from Medellin have gone home, Guatape is fabulous for an overnight stay. Here are our recommendations for staying longer in Guatape!
Hotel Bosko – Amazing location on the lake, this is adult-only Guatape accommodation with incredible views. Breakfast is included, wifi is amazing and the luxury is just superb! Reserve your room now!
Balcones de la Casona – a little further out this is a quiet location, with great value and fabulous terraces (plus there’s also a bar. All rooms have wifi, and you can also rent bikes from here too – check prices and book your room now!
Hotel Real – great location near the central square of Guatape – you’re right in the middle of things, but don’t worry it’s quiet once the day-trippers go home! A great simple hotel, with very friendly people. Private rooms are very spacious! Reserve your room now!
Map of Guatape
Here’s our map of Guatape. This map shows where you can find Guatape, El Peñol, and Medellin.
Understanding Guatape, El Peñón, El Peñol and El Piedra de Penol
You will often read (and hear) El Penon de Guatape, El Peñol, El Piedra, Piedra de Penol and Guatape used interchangeably. It’s confusing.
Guatape is the name of the town of 5,000 residents, 90 minutes from Medellin. (read our post on what to do in Medellin too!)
El Penon de Guatape, Colombia, or the Rock of Guatape is the monolithic landmark located in the municipality of Guatape. The rock is also claimed by the nearby town of El Peñol, residents of which call it El Peñón de El Peñol. The rock is also called El Piedra (the stone). For the purposes of this article, we’ll call it El Peñón.
To add further to the confusion the original town of El Peñól lies under the waters of the lake, submerged since the hydroelectric project of the 1970s, which flooded thousands of hectares and created the Guatape reservoir.
If you’re staying longer then it’s also possible to book dinner cruises on Laguna Guatape – ask at your hotel or hostel for more information.
To explore the lake under your own power, then rent a kayak. You can rent kayaks at the Lakeview Hostel and the Hostel Galeria for an hour or longer. If you decide to rent for the day kayak rental on Guatape Lake will cost around 20,000 COP.
If you’re reading this on public WiFi and plan to book a trip, a walking tour, or accommodation, then check out my guide to the best VPNs for Colombia and why (and how you should protect your personal login details).
Guatape One Day Itinerary
If you’re looking to spend just one day in Guatape, follow our 1-day Guatape itinerary to maximize your time here.
- Take an early bus (0730-0800) from Medellin to arrive at El Peñon by 1000
- Climb the 740 steps to the top of El Peñon and treat yourself to the views and a michelada at the top of El Piedra
- Take a tuk-tuk from El Peñon to Guatape
- Book your return bus trip as soon as you arrive in Guatape
- Get lunch from one of the myriad restaurants in the Parque Principal, people-watching as you enjoy the weather.
- Take a self-guided walking tour of the famous Guatape zocalos
- Head to the lakeside and take a tour of the lake to explore the area you’ve seen from the top of El Peñon
- Grab a cup of coffee in fine china cups at the square before heading to the bus station to return back to Medellin.
What is the Best Time to Visit Guatape?
Your visit to Guatape should be dictated, though, by when other people are likely to go to Guatape.
Guatape is a great weekend escape for those living in Medellin. So try and avoid Guatape at weekends and holidays to have a more peaceful time.
You’ll also find that it is quieter if you arrive in Guatape earlier in the day, especially if you want to visit El Peñon.
What’s the Weather like in Guatape?
Guatape weather is similar to that of Medellin. It’s warm during the day and the climate is pleasant. Then the high temperature in Guatape is usually no more than 23 degrees Celsius. Guatape, however, does get a lot of rain, so check the weather forecast for when you plan to visit.
You’ll really want to visit one of the most spectacular views in Colombia when there is good weather! The driest months to visit Guatape are December, January and February.
How much time do you need to visit Guatape
You can see the highlights of Guatape in one day. Follow our suggested one day in Guatape itinerary to get the most out your day trip. If you have more time, then spending at least one night in Guatape will allow you to see the town when all the day trippers have returned to Medellin.
Travel Tips for Exploring Colombia
- Read our guide to travel insurance for Colombia
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Final Words on Visiting Guatape from Medellin
A day trip to Guatape is an essential trip from Medellin. Guatape is close to the city, easy to get to and you’ll get amazing views from the top of El Piedra. Visiting Guatape from Medellin is one of the best Medellin day trips that you can take. Put this on your Colombia bucket list, no matter how you choose to visit! How will you choose to visit Guatape? Are you an independent traveler or do you prefer to take a tour? Let us know what works best for you.
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We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using our affiliate links. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
ASocialNomad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
2 thoughts on “How to visit Guatape from Medellin – [2024 Guide]”
Fantastic information! Thank you so much!
Thank you!