Travel Guide for Guatape in Colombia!
Guatape is literally one of my favorite places in Colombia, & really…one of my favorite places anywhere. The endless lake views you’ll get from the top of Piedra El Penol, just outside Guatape, will stay with you forever. It’s an absolutely breathtaking place. And the actual town of Guatape sits on a massive network of lakes that extends for miles in all directions, surrounded by rolling green hills. If you’re visiting Medellin ~ Guatape is a MUST. Welcome to your official “Travel Guide for Guatape in Colombia!”
**Author’s Note: Article updated as of December 2022.
Welcome to your Travel Guide for Guatape in Colombia…
I first traveled to Guatape two years ago in 2016, as a solo female traveler, staying at Rock a Town Hostel ($12/night for a private room), & found it to be an ideal place for solo female travel. Then, two weeks ago, I visited Guatape again ~ but this time, with my friend Eileen. We stayed right beneath “The Rock,” at the candy-colored Hotel Zocalo Campestre ~ which I can’t recommend enough. Views from the hotel are STUNNING, & you have about a 5-minute walk to the base of Piedra El Penol.
Staying at the candy-colored cottages of Hotel Zocalo Campestre, right beneath “The Rock.”
Map of Guatape
On the map below, I’ve highlighted the town of Guatape, Piedra El Penol (the huge, famous rock a few miles from Guatape), & Medellin, where most tourists fly in & out of when visiting the area, via Medellin’s International Airport (MDE).
Guatape
Piedra El Penol
Medellin
Bogota
Medellin International Airport (MDE)
View from the top of Piedra El Penol.
Guatape Travel Info
- How to Get to Guatape: The nearest major city is Medellin, as is the nearest airport (MDE). The easiest ways to get to Guatape are via bus, taxi, or by renting a car. A taxi from MDE to Guatape cost us $100,000 COP (approx. $35 US), & took just over an hour. A taxi to Medellin cost $150,000 COP ($50 US), & took just under two hours. Buses from Guatape to Medellin run frequently, cost around $10 US, & will take longer than taxis (around 2-2.5 hours).
- Can You Do Guatape as a Day Trip from Medellin? Yes, it’s possible ~ but you’ll be spending 3-4 hours in the car (or bus). I recommend staying at least one night in Guatape.
- Piedra El Penol Hours & Entrance Fee: Open daily from 8AM-5:40PM. Entrance fee is $18,000 COP (approx. $6 US). The rock looks steep, but takes less than 20 minutes to climb.
- Weather in Guatape: Warm days, cool nights, & a good chance of rain ~ that’s Guatape weather in a nutshell. The average daily temperature year-round is a perfect 28° Celsius (82° Fahrenheit). The driest months are January & February, & frequent rain the rest of the year. During our April visit, it was warm & sunny in the morning ~ thunderstorms in the afternoon (but not cold). Nights are typically 15° C (59° F).
- Altitude in Guatape: The altitude in Guatape is 1,934 meters, or 6,346 feet. Altitude in Medellin is 1,500 meters, or 4,900 feet. Other than needing more sun block, this should not affect you too much.
- Hotels Near Piedra El Penol: Two hotels sit right at the base of Piedra El Penol, 1) Hotel Zocalo Campestre ($67/night); & 2) Hotel Los Recuerdos ($115/night). Hotel Zocalo is a magical property set on a hill, overlooking the lake & the “Rock,” with candy-colored cottages & a gorgeous balcony. Hotel Los Recuerdos sits right on the lake, & has a restaurant, pool, & spa (visitors can use for $10).
Search all hotels in Guatape here.
Where to Stay in Guatape
There are no major “chain” hotels in Guatape, as it’s really a small village that’s turned into a major tourist attraction over time. The two hotels mentioned above are some of your best higher-end options, & put you closest to the “Rock,” as well as the water: Hotel Zocalo Campestre & Hotel Los Recuerdos. Hotel Zocalo’s rooms are more charming, but the pool & spa at Hotel Los Recuerdos are hard to beat.
These are the stunning grounds of Hotel Zocalo Campestre, in Guatape.
View from the pool at Hotel Los Recuerdos.
From both of these hotels, it’s just a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride into the town of Guatape, or about a 45-minute walk ~ that I highly recommend doing any time of day. But at sunrise or sunset, the views are absolutely INCREDIBLE.
Do the walk between the town of Guatape & Piedra El Penol at sunset to be rewarded with views like this. I took this shot two years ago with my IPhone 6, & it’s still one of my favorite shots I’ve ever taken.
If you want to stay right in Guatape, you’ve got several options ~ particularly if you’re looking for cute budget hostels & friendly B&B’s. Oak Tree House ($40 US) is a highly-rated guest house with beautiful terraces, near town. Rock a Town Hostel ($12 US), where I stayed on my first trip to Guatape, is a great choice if you want to be right smack in the middle of town. Rooms are basic, but clean ~ & the price is hard to beat. And Country House Hostel ($30 US) has garden views & rave reviews.
You can’t go wrong in Guatape! Shot taken on the balcony of Hotel Zocalo Campestre.
Photos of Guatape
The best way to get a feel for a place is to simply look at photos ~ so for this travel guide for Guatape in Colombia, I’ll stop talking & just let you feast your eyes on the beauty that is this magnificent place…
The brightly-colored shops and streets of Guatape, Colombia
Wandering the streets of Guatape this April in a thunderstorm..
If you walk between the town of Guatape & Piedra El Penol, you’ll cross this Indiana Jones-like bridge..
On top of the rock.
Heaven. Photo taken at Hotel Zocalo Campestre.
Guatape.
Travel Guide for Guatape in Colombia.
Where to Eat & Play in Guatape
Guatape is a tiny little town ~ but has food options from all over the world. For delicious pizza, head to Pizzeria de Luigi, the #1-rated restaurant in town. Looking for Thai food? Head to Thai Terrace. For French food & crepes, try Guatacrep. If you’re feeling like BBQ, head to one of my favorite restaurants in town: La Fogata, where they’ll grill your BBQ right next to your seat & give you a nice big jar of sangria to wash it down with. For tasty Mexican food, try Vecchio Forno G.
No travel guide for Guatape in Colombia would be complete without a discussion of Colombia’s most famous export: coffee. For the best coffee in Guatape, head to the colorful rainbow steps in the middle of town, & visit Cafe La Vina. They have a killer espresso machine & can make you virtually anything you want.
Try out Cafe la Vina, the best coffee place in town, next to Guatape’s colorful rainbow steps.
Things to Do in Guatape
Of course, the #1 thing to do in Guatape is to climb Piedra el Penol. But there’s a ton of other stuff to do! Take a boat tour right off the main docks in Guatape, & sail past Pablo Escobar’s burnt mansion. You can even play a raucous game of cartel-vs-cartel paintball in the mansion. Take a swim in the lake (I did ~ very refreshing). Rent a bike & ride around the network of endless lakes. Go parasailing or paragliding…can you think of a better place to do this?! Take a helicopter tour. Or if you’d prefer to stay on land, go on one of the many gorgeous hikes in the area.
The Cali Cartel set fire to Pablo Escobar’s Guatape mansion back in 1992. Today, you can play paintball there, if you dare..
One of the biggest differences I noticed in Guatape over the last two years is how they’ve upgraded their shops. What used to be mom-and-pop run, low-key restaurants have now turned into chic little shops, with cute shoes, ponchos, candles, organic beauty products, & all kinds of things you never could’ve found two years ago!
Guatape is definitely getting an upgrade ~ so if you enjoy shopping, bring some extra money & room in your luggage.
Travel Guide for Guatape in Colombia
Thanks for checking out this travel guide for Guatape in Colombia. I hope you get to visit this magical place at least once in your lifetime! If you’ve already been, what was your favorite restaurant in Guatape? Favorite thing to do, besides climbing “The Rock?” Let me know below!
xoxo Noelia
Read Next: Solo Female Travel in Colombia
I love Guatape too! I went there as a solo traveler & absolutely loved it, felt totally safe. What a beautiful little town it is! Thanks for the guide, I´m loving your website.
Hi, what a great blog! I’m also planning a trip to Guatape straight from MDE. Was it easy getting a taxi from the airport to Guatape? Any tips?
Hey Laura! Soo stoked for you that you’ll be visiting Guatape ~ it’s one of my favorite towns in Colombia! Yes, it’s very easy to get a taxi from MDE (my friend Eileen & I got one together), & the ride took right around an hour. I’d say, grab a cup of coffee, don’t be in a hurry, & go with a driver you trust. Keep in mind, you can also use Uber in Colombia, which is far cheaper than taxis! Have fun & lmk if you have any other questions : ) xoxo Noelia
Hi, I love your blog. We will travel by taxi from MDE to Guatape also. Could you please detail how to get a taxi at MDE? Is there an official dispatcher available at the airport? And how did you negotiate the price
Thank you! I don’t recall there being an official dispatcher at MDE. While my friend & I were at Juan Valdez Coffee, we noticed a group of taxi drivers who had come into the airport. We asked each for their pricing, & went with the one we felt most comfortable with (& who gave us a great rate)! But if you walk out on the curb, you’ll also encounter plenty of drivers. Hope that helps! xoxo Noelia
Hello Noelle! My sister and I will be visiting Guatape next month! We are wondering if you have any suggestions / routes to go from Guatape to MDE airport (instead of going all the way into Medellin)?
Hey Lucero! You can definitely go straight from Guatape to MDE (Medellin would be way out of the way). You could take a taxi, hire a private driver, or arrange a ride from your hotel. I believe there are buses as well that run directly from Guatape to MDE ~ so between one of those options, you should be good! And the ride takes between 60-90 mins. Hope that helps! xoxo Noelia