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Trip Report
Guatapé - Colombia
What better place for a global health crisis to catch hold of you! A movie town, with beautiful people.
+ 23
South AmericaColombia216 days / February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2020
Highs & Lows
Lookouts outside the town
It has many rainy seasons
Itinerary Overview
Este fue un año muy difícil para viajar. Estaba en Medellín trabajando como voluntario en un hermoso albergue artístico llamado Coolto Art Lodge. Cansado un poco del ruido de la ciudad y de tanta gente, comencé a investigar pueblos cercanos. En esta búsqueda siempre me encontré con un pintoresco pueblo llamado Guatapé.
Guatapé Beautiful walks in nature, very friendly people and an exceptional Colombian culture.
7+- Guatapé has tourism as its main economic source, since it has one of the most attractive points in Colombia which is the "Peñón de Guatapé".
On the other hand, one of the characteristics of this site is the decoration of the facades of the colonial houses, they have a "base" where there are symbols or figures that represent the family that lives in that house, in addition to being always painted in colors very bright (yellow, blue, magenta, green, red, purple, orange).
- In the main park we find a very beautiful colonial-style church, in this park sports and cultural activities are also carried out on weekends. In the streets that surround this park there are many typical cafes of the region where the people of the town gather to drink “tinto” (coffee) and eat pastries.
In front of the park there is also the town hall, here we have a tourist office where we can consult about walks and tours in the nearby mountains such as the road to the waterfalls or the monastery.
- One block from the park is a boardwalk opened in 2019, it is a very modern construction that allows us to appreciate the reservoir and the mountains that surround the town. It is a perfect place to do yoga or sports.
On the boardwalk we also find some places to sit down and have a coffee and eat something delicious.
El Peñón de Guatapé Amazing view
1+- This Rock is a giant stone resulting from a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago to which we can climb and appreciate the beautiful landscape of the reservoir.
To climb to the top you have to pay an entrance fee of 18,000COP, it is about 2,000 meters high and it is necessary to climb 702 steps. At the top there are some places to drink and eat something.
Guatapé Walk in nature
9+- The road to the waterfalls is a journey of approximately 2 hours in which we walk along the side of a river, we go little by little up the mountain and finding several waterfalls along the way.
The water is very clean and fresh, it is important to bring a bathing suit to cool off. There are also small sites along the river where it is possible to camp.
Q & A
What would you have changed?
I would have liked there to be more signage in the streets, there are many tourists walking around but none of them knows the place and it is difficult to know which are the most beautiful routes to do.Anything go wrong during the trip?
My stay in Guatapé took a long time because we entered the context of the Covid19 pandemic, despite that the people were very friendly and were always willing to collaborate in whatever was necessary.Restaurant recommendations?
Namaste is an excellent vegan food restaurant the owner is a very fun person and the food is delicious. Luigi's pizzeria are the richest pizzas I have tried in all of Colombia.Tips you would give a friend?
Normally tourists arrive in Guatapé and only stay one day. My advice is to take a few days to really get to know the place, do all the walks possible and enjoy the culture.Packing tips?
It is a good idea to have a bathing suit because they also have nautical activities in addition to being able to cool off in the river. It is important to have a coat because at night it is usually cold.Transportation Tips?
The bus that arrives from Medellín is inexpensive and during the trip there is a very beautiful landscape. The approximate time of this tour is 2 hours.Any surprises?
The viewpoints that are on the outskirts are simple but they have a beautiful view, normally the tourism secretariat does not talk about them, but you can get there by asking the locals.Booking details?
I do not recommend hiring any agency, it is a place that you can access on your own. Hotel reservations can be made in most reservation portals, although you can personally get better prices.
Lodging
Buena Vista Hostal: Before deciding to spend a season in Guatapé, I first wanted to come and meet, I stayed one night in this hostel where a very friendly girl was attending. The place was very nice and quiet. It was very inexpensive and very well organized. La Casona Guatapé: Here I stayed a whole month! The manager was very friendly and gave me a price for the full month, the rooms are big and nice. The kitchen is a bit old, and the decoration of the house too, some things are not completely in good condition. Private apartments: It is very easy in this town to find people who rent furnished apartments by the night, the week or the month. It is much cheaper than hostels and gives us more privacy.