Guatape and Piedra del Peñol: A Day Trip from Medellin, Colombia

One of the most popular things to do when in Medellin is to take a day trip to Guatape and La Piedra del Peñol. Located about two hours away from the second most populous city in Colombia, Guatape is considered one of the most colourful towns in the world.

Piedra del Peñol (the Rock, or just El Peñol), the huge monolith nearby, together with the picturesque area surrounding Guatape, means there are plenty of reasons why tourists decide to come here on a day trip.

In this guide you can read about how to visit Guatape and Piedra del Peñol, including ways to get there from Medellin, things to do, and whether it’s worth taking a day trip or not.

If you’d like to see our visit to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol, then make sure to watch our dedicated Medellin video on our YouTube channel. For more Colombia videos check out our Colombia Series.

Introducing Guatape and Piedra del Peñol

Located in the Antioquia region, Guatape is the most colourful town in Colombia. It was founded in 1811 by Don Francisco Giraldo y Jimenez. Before the Spanish arrived, indigenous groups used to live in the area.

Guatape used to be a farming town until they built a huge hydroelectric complex nearby in 1970. This didn’t only shape the landscape, but it also led to Guatape becoming one of the important electric production centers in Colombia. 

Located only a few kilometres from Guatape is La Piedra del Peñol, often just referred to as La Piedra (the Rock), or El Peñol. This massive, 220 m high granite monolith is one of the most iconic landmarks in Colombia.

El Peñol was formed millions of years ago as a result of volcanic activity and erosion. As you would imagine, the rock has deep spiritual and cultural significance. It was a gathering place for important events, and there are also plenty of legends and folklore associated with El Peñol.

How to Visit Guatape and Piedra del Peñol from Medellin

1. Independent Day Trip to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol

How to Get to Guatape from Medellin

You can totally visit Guatape and El Peñol without a tour. To get there you would first need to go to Terminal del Norte (North Bus Terminal) in Medellin. You can use Metro Line A to get to the terminal and get off at Caribe station. You’ll need to have a travel card (10,000 COP / $2.50 USD) and then you can just top that up with whatever funds you need for your metro rides across the city. A one-way journey is normally 3,210 COP ($0.80 USD). Read more about how to get around Medellin in this guide.

Top Tip. Make sure to know some Spanish phrases for buying a ticket or have offline Google Translate downloaded on your phone.

Once you’re at the bus station, make your way down to the ground floor where all the ticket booths are. You’ll need to find booth 14 for the bus company called Sotrasanvicente & Guatape La Piedra. A one-way ticket to Guatape is 21,000 COP / $5.30 USD. Your ticket should have the gate number and assigned seat number on it. The total bus journey time is normally around two hours. You can check out Sotrasanvicente’s website for up-to-date times and prices.

Top Tip. For some reason you can only buy a one-way ticket, so once you arrive at Guatape bus terminal, make sure to buy your return ticket so you don’t have to worry about it later.

How to Get to La Piedra del Peñol from Medellin

If you want to visit Piedra del Peñol first, then you’ll need to get off the bus at the entrance, which is only a few kilometres away from Guatape. We recommend having a local SIM card so you can follow your route on Google Maps. However, you can always just tell the driver that you want to get off there. Chances are there will be others doing the same as you.

Top Saving Tip. Make sure to buy your ticket to Piedra del Peñol instead of Guatape if you want to visit it first. The ticket to the Rock is normally a little bit cheaper.

To get to Guatape from El Peñol, you can either hop onto the next bus heading to Guatape or take a tuk-tuk ride. The tuk-tuk ride will definitely be more fun than the bus!

2. Organised Day Trip to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol

If getting to Guatape on your own feels like too much hassle, or you don’t speak much Spanish, then we recommend joining a day tour from Medellin. It’s a great option if you’re short on time, and don’t want to rely on public transport with potential delays.

Since we only had a day to visit this beautiful area, we decided to join an organised tour for a change and let someone else worry about the logistics. We don’t do this too often, but sometimes it’s nice to just hop on a bus and let the guides take you to the places.

Going on a tour is also a fantastic option if you’re travelling solo and want to socialise with fellow travellers.

For reference we booked this tour from GetYourGuide, and as far as day trips go, we really enjoyed the experience. Of course, we could’ve easily lingered for longer at certain spots but we also didn’t feel too rushed, and had a good amount of free time on our own.

Note. The entrance fee to climb Piedra del Peñol isn’t normally included in the tour prices.

One Day Guatape and Piedra del Peñol Itinerary

Below is a one day itinerary that you can follow if you visit Guatape and Piedra del Peñol on a day trip from Medellin. Tours have a very similar itinerary too, but double check the activities included when booking.

1. Climb Piedra del Peñol

The best way to start your day trip is to climb all the way to the top of El Peñol. You’ll have to ascend nearly 700 steps, but your efforts will be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. It takes between 20-25 minutes to reach the top at an average pace, whilst also stopping a few times to take in the views.

There are some souvenir stores and a couple of restaurants at the top and bottom of the rock.

Entry fee: You’ll have to pay 25,000 COP ($6.50 USD) to climb El Peñol.

2. Wander the Colourful Streets of Guatape

As you walk around the town, you’ll see that residents have painted every house in bright colours. What makes Guatape even more unique is that the bottom of the buildings have fresco-like panels called ‘zócalos’. Some of the panels are decorated with animals, whilst others show different patterns or tell the history of the family or business.

You can see plenty of examples everywhere you look, with some of the most popular spots being Calle del Recuerdo, Plazoleta de Los Zócalos, Calle 29 and Carrera 30.

3. Enjoy Plazoleta de Los Zócalos

Possibly the most colourful and liveliest part of Guatape is Plazoleta de Los Zócalos. This square is where you’ll see people hanging out on the iconic, colourful stairs or sitting with a coffee outside one of the small cafes. You’ll often see street performers too, which adds to the atmosphere.

You can grab some delicious cinnamon rolls at the Zokarolls bakery (love the name!), and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the town for as long as you wish.

4. Go on a Boat Tour of Laguna Guatape

Lastly, you can finish your day with a boat ride around Laguna Guatape.

A boat tour will give you the chance to see El Peñol from a different perspective. This is where we spotted the huge letter ‘G’ and the unfinished ‘U’ that looks like an ‘I’. There has been a long dispute between Guatape and El Peñol about who owns the Rock. Apparently the residents of Guatape wanted to force the decision by painting the town’s name on the rock. As you can see, they didn’t quite succeed with their aim.

You’ll also get to see a few additional features and some Colombian celebrities’ homes around the lake. One of the most interesting attractions is the huge cross in the lake, which marks where the church was located in the original town of El Peñol. The town was relocated after construction of the nearby hydroelectric dam created the lake.

Is a Day Trip to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol Worth it?

One question you might have is whether it’s worth the time and effort to visit Guatape and Piedra del Peñol if you only have one day to do it. The short answer is yes, based on our own day trip experience.

Let’s face it, not many travellers have the luxury to stay somewhere longer than the bare minimum. Even though we spent six weeks in Colombia, we still only managed to fit Guatape in as a day trip.

Although a nearly four-hour round-trip might seem like a long way in just one day, when you consider the distances in Colombia, travelling for two hours one way really isn’t that far. A day trip will allow you to climb all the way to the top of Piedra del Peñol, and take in the views. It will be enough to walk around the colourful streets of Guatape, and have a hearty lunch. In addition, you can also squeeze in a boat trip around the lake too, which is a great way to end your day before returning to Medellin.

However, if you can make extra days when planning your Colombia itinerary, then we highly recommend adding at least an overnight stay in Guatape. That way you can enjoy the town in the morning or evening, without all the day-trippers. You can even do some extra activities, such as renting a boat for the day.

Click here for some affordable, or more luxurious, accommodation options in Guatape.

Final Thoughts on Guatape and Piedra del Peñol Day Trip from Medellin

Despite being touristy and going on an organised tour – which we hardly ever do – we really enjoyed our day trip to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol. Our only regret is not having enough time to do at least an overnight trip. Although, knowing now just how beautiful this area is, we probably could easily spend at least two nights there. Regardless, a visit to Guatape and the Rock are totally worth it, even if you only have one day.

Have you ever been to Guatape and Piedra del Peñol? If so, did you visit on a day trip or multi-day trip? Did you go on your own or with a tour? If not, would you go on a day trip to Guatape when visiting Medellin? Let us know in the comments below.