La Piedra del Peñol y Guatapé

As one of the most picturesque and natural tourist destinations in Colombia and only two hours away from Medellín, Guatapé is a community that welcomes every tourist that comes to visit from near or far. Upon arrival, one of the most spectacular sites to visit is La Piedra del Peñol.

Getting there by public transport:

From the city of Medellín, you will need to head for the Transport Hub (la Terminal de Transportes) and take a public bus in the direction of the community of Guatapé continuing on to the very last stop, La Piedra del Peñol. The beautiful landscape seen during the journey gives only a taste of what awaits at La Piedra del Peñol.

Tourists and thrill seekers alike arriving at the station (la estación de la piedra) can take advantage of various methods to make the final leg of the journey, some of the options being by horseback, jeep, motorbike or getting a good workout by walking, the former taking around 15 minutes to make the ascent.

Once you arrive at the base of the landmark, the landscape looks promising, inviting visitors to follow the path up to the peak and enjoy the natural wonder. To reach the peak there is an entrance fee to pay at the kiosk. The climb is a challenge in itself, given that the only way up is composed of more than 700 steps. It is certainly exercise and its important to be reasonably fit, stopping to take rest and maintaining your energy levels.

Reaching the final step is a physical victory, however the panoramic view you are about to see will easily revive anyone's spirits, as it is a landscape that is defined by its beauty. Small adjoining islands are within sight in the distance. It is a 360 degree viewpoint that will leave more than one person speechless and its best of all to take a moment of silence to enjoy it. Whats more it is an excellent place to capture striking nature shots. For those who would like a souvenir to commemorate the moment, they are welcome to browse the shop located at the peak to take advantage and purchase souvenirs.

After replenishing souls and spirits with scenery, the tourists return to the village to have lunch and explore the picturesque streets appreciated for their distinctive and traditional feel. The village can be explored on foot and the locals are happy to welcome tourists and speak about their traditions and culture over a cup of coffee in the plaza, one of the places that best represents this town.

If you travel to Medellin, you can’t leave without visiting Peñol de Guatape, it is considered a "must see" of Colombia, and something you will never regret visiting. Although, you will need to mentally prepare yourself for walking a lot and climbing many stairs, but the pain is worth!

The Journey

(Arriving at the rock of Peñol)

To reach Peñol you need to cross the road, however it is very pleasant as you have the view of the city of Medellín when leaving and the view of Peñol upon arrival. It doesn’t take long to reach Guatapé, as it is less than two hours from the city of Medellín. However, the road is very windy, so I would recommend taking anti sickness pills if you have motion sickness. Along the way there are places where you can eat typical Colombian food it is very cheap, as people sell the food on the road and not in restaurants.

Description

When you reach the village and walk to the rock, you will see a huge boulder with the letters “GI" enscribed, this is because the writer couldn’t finish writing in Guatapé as the rock was declared as a World Herritage Site, which automatically protects it from any changes in its structure. The entrance to the rock is at the back, as a series of stairs were built to allow visitors to climb up.

A little history

The stone is known for its size, understandably climbing it may be something that not everyone is keen to do, as it reaches up to 200m. In fact, it was not until 1954 that Luis Eduardo Villega Lopez and his companions climbed the rock for the first time, imagine how hard it was to climb, as the stairs had not yet been created! To commemorate them, there is a mural at the top of the rock, with their names engraved.

Living the experience

Climbing 725 steps is not something that we are used to, but you have to be willing to do it, creating lots of distractions will help you push through and reach the top. The stairs are usually a little narrow, but I went at weekend and there were not many people so I could climb them easily.

(The step before you reach the top)

Something you can do to help you push on, is to see which steps you are taking next, this motivates you not to look at where you are, but where you are heading. Another way is to admire the view, as it becomes even better as you climb higher up the rock. You can stop for breaks to view the panorama, which you could spend hours doing. It really is something that you will not forget!

(The view halfway up)

Once up

When you finish climbing it is incredible, you are finally able to appreciate all of the site, most of which is covered by water. However this is not a natural landscape, it looks like this because public companies in Medellín flooded the Area in 1970 to build a hydroelectric complex, so the area changed completely and became more touristy.

When you reach the top you will be happy but very thirsty and tired, however there is no need to worry as you can buy refreshments, (water, juices and snacks) at an affordable price, but they are bit more expensive than at the bottom (there are also bathrooms, so don’t worry)! The area is very safe for tourists, the view is beautiful and it is a place you will never forget.

The Gift Shop

Not all people enjoy climbing to the top, and for these people there are many locals selling souvenirs in the lower part. However for the people who have decided to climb to the top, they will find a souvenir shop just before the top of the rock. This store occupies the entire floor, and has all the kinds of souvenirs you can imagine! The price of the souvenirs are very fair and you can find gifts for whatever price you are willing to pay, you must bring cash though because most times you will not be given the option to pay with card.

Cost?

Although the entrance cost was $12000 COP (when I went), it is very affordable.

How to get there?

I highly recommend you go on a tourist bus, since this is the most economical option, and apart from that you will be helping a country that survives on tourism.

If you go by car you must take the highway (the Reginal Motorway -> Medellín - Bogotá -> Marinilla - El Peñol Highway) and finally follow the section of El Peñol - Guatapé.

Recommendations

• It is better to go on a tour, since they will not only take you to the rock but will give you a tour of the town, a boat ride, transportation and lunch.
• For your comfort I recommend that you bring good shoes and comfortable clothes, since I found that the many girls who went up in heels and skirt, did not have the best time!