650 steps to the top, a lake that stretches to the horizon, and a group of strangers that becomes something else entirely by the time you’re back.
- 7 min read
- Private van included
- 80km from Medellín
- All levels welcome
There are two types of travelers who go to Guatapé. The first take the public bus, arrive at midday when every tour group in Medellín is also there, wait in a line that coils around El Peñol like a snake, and spend most of their energy dodging selfie sticks at the top.
The second type leave early, in a private van, with a guide who knows when the light hits the reservoir just right — and who knows the panadería in town that nobody visits because it doesn’t have an Instagram account but serves the best empanadas in Antioquia.
We’d like to make sure you’re the second type.
«The view from the top is incredible. But the conversations on the way up — that’s the part people message me about six months later.»— Marco, guide and driver, operating Medellín tours since 2009
Average completion time: 20–35 minutes. All fitness levels complete it. The view at every landing is its own reward.
What makes this different from a random tour
Booking a budget tour to Guatapé is easy. What’s harder to find is a guide who grew up near this lake, who has a relationship with the local community, and who has been running this exact route for over fifteen years. That kind of experience doesn’t show up in a star rating — it shows up in the details.
Details like knowing which side of the rock gets the best morning light. Or which restaurant won’t give you food poisoning (laughed, but real). Or the story of the town that was flooded to create the reservoir — and how you can still see the old church steeple under the water on a clear day.
Practical note: The climb is accessible to most people in reasonable health. Bring water (available at the base too), wear layers — it’s cooler at the top — and bring COP cash for the entrance fee and food. Your guide will brief the group before you start.
Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink. We were, after all, the absolute cream of the national sporting press.
One last thing
Every trip to Guatapé ends the same way: silence in the van on the way back, then everyone talking at once. Phones are being passed around, people are looking at each other’s photos, plans are being made for the following day. That’s not an accident — it’s what happens when you share a real experience with real people instead of just ticking a destination off a list.
Or tell us below:
💬 What almost made you skip a trip that turned out to be unforgettable?