Guatape Day Trip from Medellin, Colombia
Are you wondering how to take a Guatape day trip from Medellin, Colombia?
This guide contains everything you need to know! Guatape is the most popular day trip from Medellin, and it’s easy to see why. The full name is Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir, and it’s a man-made lake created by a dam for hydroelectric power in the 1970s. Today, it’s a very popular tourist destination in Colombia.
The lake has a very unique form, filled with many small islands. The colorful lakeside town of Guatape is a must-visit, as well as the rock of El Peñol. This rock is 656 feet high and can be climbed in 650 concrete steps for breathtaking views over the lake. A boat tour is another popular activity here.
You can accomplish all three of these things (visiting the town of Guatape, climbing El Peñol, and taking a boat tour on the lake) in a day trip from Medellin. Read on for the details of how to do it!
Why Visit Guatape?
Guatape is the perfect antidote to bustling Medellin. The lake is located two hours outside the city, and it’s a popular vacation destination for people from Medellin (including the city’s most notorious resident, Pablo Escobar, who famously had a lakeside complex in Guatape until his demise in the 1990s.)
The small town of Guatape is colorful and charming, and well worth a visit. Some people say it feels like a “Disney World” version of Colombia, and I have to admit, it is very touristy. But I still enjoyed it!
If you’re up for the challenge, climbing El Peñol is also very much worth it. The journey to the top can be arduous, but the view is amazing! Once you’re at the top, there is plenty of space to relax and take in the views. There are also several shops and places to get a bite to eat or drink on top of the rock!
You can also get out on the water in Guatape. Going on a boat tour is a popular activity here, but it’s also possible to rent a kayak or a Jet-Ski if you want to be able to explore the lake on your own. And while I did not personally do this, sightseeing helicopter rides are another cool thing to do in Guatape.
How to Get to Guatape
It’s possible to visit Guatape on your own, but I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. There’s a direct bus from Medellin to Guatape that takes about two hours. It leaves from the city’s northern bus terminal. But you’ll have to get there first (either taking an Uber or public transit), and then the bus is $6 each way.
From the town of Guatape, it’s a 15-minute drive to El Peñol. You can take a taxi, tuk-tuk, or another bus, but expect to pay another $1 to $5 for that. Then you’ll need to go back to Guatape afterwards to catch the bus back to Medellin. It’s a bit of a logistic hassle and doesn’t save you that much money.
Meanwhile, the full-day tour I took to Guatape was only $39. I was on a big coach bus with several dozen people (not my favorite), and I would have liked a little more time in the town of Guatape (frustrating when you have to stick to the tour schedule), but overall, it was a lot easier and more enjoyable.
Best Guatape Tours
I would definitely recommend the tour I took to Guatape. For $39, this is what it included:
- Transportation in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach bus from a central location in Medellin
- A local guide who provided commentary throughout the day
- Breakfast and lunch (standard Colombian fare that was pretty tasty!)
- A morning stop at El Peñol to climb to the top of the rock (it costs $10, and if you don’t want to make the climb, there are lots of shops, restaurants, and viewpoints at the base)
- An early afternoon visit to Guatape, where we had free time in the town
- A boat tour on the lake, with commentary in English and Spanish
- Final stop at a petting zoo with llamas, alpacas, and other animals (I did not love this — it didn’t feel ethical to me, and I would have preferred to skip this stop and spend more time in Guatape)
Click here to book my Guatape tour on Viator.
If you would rather opt for a private tour with the same inclusions, but a smaller vehicle for just you and your travel party, a private guide, and hotel pick-up and drop-off, this is a highly-rated option.
Tips for Visiting Guatape
Don’t go on a weekend or holiday. This is a very popular getaway for locals, so it is much more crowded on weekends and holidays. Definitely visit on a weekday if you can for fewer crowds.
Climb El Peñol in the morning. I really liked that my tour started at El Peñol. The morning weather was pleasant with a crisp note on the climb up, but by the early afternoon, it was sweltering hot!
Have lots of water for climbing El Peñol. Climbing 650 steps at altitude is no joke! Go slow (I stopped to rest every 75 steps or so — they’re marked) and be sure to bring water you can drink as you go.
Bring plenty of cash. Although you can pay with a card at some places (like buying a ticket for El Peñol), you will pay a higher rate. And many places around Guatape (and throughout Colombia) are cash-only.
Don’t forget sunscreen. The equator line passes through Colombia, and Guatape is at a fairly high elevation (6,200 feet), so the sun is very strong here. Make sure to apply sunscreen throughout the day!
Take a tuk-tuk tour in Guatape. For approximately $6, I took a 20-minute tuk-tuk tour around Guatape. The drivers only speak Spanish, but even if you don’t understand Spanish, you’ll enjoy the views.
Where to Stay in Guatape
While many people visit Guatape on a day trip, you can also stay here overnight. I think Guatape makes the perfect stopover for one or two nights if you want to have more time to fully explore the area.
Here’s a look at the best hotels in Guatape in case you want to stay for longer:
- Best luxury hotel: The Brown, Guatape, Autograph Collection
- Most unique stay: Eco Lodge Glamping
- Cute, affordable, and right in town: Hotel Chromatic
- Best hostel: Viajero Guatapé Hostel & Lake Club
While a day trip is enough time to get a taste of Guatape, I personally wish I had stayed overnight here! If you have enough time for it, I think it’s definitely worth spending one or two nights here.
How to Visit Guatape on a Day Trip from Medellin, Colombia
This guide showed you how to take a day trip to Guatape from Medellin.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable day trip from Medellin. Yes, everything is quite touristy — but it’s popular for a reason! If you only have time for a single day trip from Medellin, this is the one to do.
Enjoy your visit to Guatape!
Related:
