Guatapé City of Lakes

Guatapé is famous for it’s lush green hills surrounded on all sides by gorgeous lakes as well as its very colorful town center. Only a couple of hours away from Medellín, many people visit Guatapé as a day trip, but there is plenty to do here if you have more time to visit.

I chose to spend one night in Guatapé, leaving Medellín in the mid-morning to arrive at Guatapé by afternoon. After checking into my hostel, I set out to explore the town. The town center of Guatapé is not very large but it is packed with shops, restaurants, and vendors. It is quite touristy, but it is still fun to walk through and see all the brightly painted buildings and carved murals on the walls, typical of this region. It is a place where you are rewarded by just walking through, especially if you get outside of the main tourist area a little (where prices drop significantly if you’re looking for a cheap bakery or lunch).

One of the most famous activities here is to climb La Piedra, the 650 ft high rock just outside the city. There are stairs built into its sides so tourists can climb up to get a view of the surrounding lakes. They call it the “most beautiful view in the world” and while I may not go that far, it is gorgeous from the top. I climbed it in the morning shortly after it opened and was rewarded by having very few other people at the top blocking the view (I’ve heard the climb can get very crowded later in the day).

I didn’t have time to try the other activities in the area, but there is kayaking, biking, and several hikes in the area. The natural scenery there is beautiful and it is definitely a nice place to get away from the bustle of Medellín and relax for a while.