Climbing the Giant Rock of Guatapé (El Peñol)

Adventures in Guatapé

If I could change one thing about my recent trip to Colombia, I would’ve stayed in Guatapé for longer. It was more beautiful and more relaxing than I imagined it to be.

After seeing lots of day-trips offered from Medellin, I assumed there must be little to do in the area apart from climbing the giant rock, but my assumption was completely wrong.

The gorgeous little town of Guatapé is surrounded by vast swathes of natural beauty, so if you love being outdoors I really suggest exploring this region. It’s the perfect place for cycling and kayaking, and even if you’re not especially active I’d recommend going simply to relax.

And if those reasons don’t tempt you, Guatapé is probably the cutest little town in Colombia.

Getting to Guatapé from Medellin

Logistically, visiting Guatapé is a bit inconvenient to visit unless you have you a car. It requires leaving from Medellin and going back Medellin when you leave since it is a major transport hub of the region. However, don’t let that deter you from including it into your Colombia itinerary.

Needing to go back to a place after you’ve already been is super annoying, especially when you don’t have much time. This is why Guatapé often gets overlooked, or people opt for just a day-trip because it’s easier to arrange.

Instead, I suggest making the most of Guatapé by spending two or three nights exploring the area if time isn’t an issue. I only spent a night there and literally as soon as the girnomous rock started to rear its head, and the verdant landscape of the region began to unfold, I knew it deserved more than one night.

Bus service from Medellin

If you’re coming by bus from Medellín, take the bus from the north terminal (Caribe metro station). Two bus companies, Sotrasanvicente and Sotrapeñol run regular buses from 6 a.m.

The route takes you through El Peñol and the entrance to the rock. Get off at this stop.

Price of transport

Each way costs about 15,000 pesos (£3.70) and take approximately 2 hours.

Alternatively you could get a taxi or uber for approximately 170,000 pesos. If you’re in group I recommend doing this since you can split the cost between yourselves.

Ownership of the rock: Guatapé or El Peñol?

When I started looking for information about the rock, I noticed people were referring to it in several different ways – the Rock of Guatapé, the Stone of El Peñol, or simply La Piedra or El Peñol.

This tells you something about its curious history. On one side of the stone, you can see letters, “G”, and an incomplete “U” painted in large white letters. It was supposed to spell Guatapé. The town wanted to claim this natural wonder as their own but neighbouring town, El Peñol, had long disputed ownership of the rock.

However, this claim was ignored and the residents of Guatapé decided to settle the matter by painting the town’s name in huge white letters across the rock. Very naughty! It didn’t take long for the residents of El Peñol to notice the work and large protests assembled to stop it.

It’s surprising the lettering hasn’t been removed by now, but it does tell an interesting story, so, for that reason, it’s worth keeping…

Climbing the Rock of Guatapé

The cost to climb the rock is 18,000 pesos (approx £4.30), and can be paid at the entrance at the bottom of the steps.

The monolith is 650 feet tall, and although it looks like a challenge to climb, it’s relatively easy. You don’t need to be particularly fit to climb to the top but it will provide you with a very good leg workout!

I think it took me about 15 or 20 minutes which isn’t very long. However, the difficulty lies in summiting the rock’s stone steps – all 740 of them. Therefore it’s important to wear practical footwear and if you have problems with your knees then special care ought to be taken once you begin making the descent.

Obviously it should go without saying that it’s a good idea to get a decent nights sleep the night before. I had such intentions but I didn’t get a wink of sleep in the party-town of Medellin which made the 700+ steps feel more like 7000! I literally huffed and puffed my way up to the top.

The steps snake their way to the top and there are several platforms with exceptional views of the lakes below. The steps alone are an incredible feat of engineering that have been built inside a crack than runs down the giant monolith.

Then once you get to the top, there’s an even larger platform to see the spectacular sight in all its 360 -degree stunning glory. With scenery to rival some of Norway’s most beautiful fjords, the view from the very top showcases a stunning archipelago of green islands as far as the eye can see. Simply stunning!

I could have stayed for hours, but luck was not on my side. Soon after I reached the top, the view became shrouded by clouds until it was impossible to see anything! I found this pretty funny, but I did feel sorry for some of the people who arrived less than 10-minutes after me only to be greeted by rain and a thick blanket of grey mist.

Where to stay in Guatapé

I stayed at Mi Casa, a lovely little hostel with a stunning view of El Peñol. It’s location just a stone’s throw away from the rock. Location wise, it’s hard to beat. However, it’s very simple and you might prefer to be closer to the town centre or at a place overlooking the lake for extra relaxation.

There are quite a few hotels, hostels and villas to stay at in Guatapé depending on your budget. If money is no object, La Pausa Hotelbistro looks amazing. Thoughtfully designed, each room has its own hot tub overlooking a vast expanse of lake with mountain views. If I ever go back, and I’m not travelling on a budget, that’s where I’ll be staying!

When you arrive, there’s no time like the present, so I suggest climbing the rock (if the weather is in your favour).

Then jump on a bus (takes no more than 10 minutes and costs approx 2000 pesos) to the centre of Guatapé for dinner.

The town, also known as the Pueblo de Zócalos, is super charming and is brought alive by colourful facades, wall art and a selection of lively restaurants.