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The Rock of Guatape

The Rock of Guatape: Our most recommended tours and activities

From Medellin: Guatape El Peñol with Boat, Breakfast & Lunch

1. From Medellin: Guatape El Peñol with Boat, Breakfast & Lunch

Discover the city of Guatapé on a guided tour from Medellín and learn about this colorful city from your guide. Board a sightseeing cruise to the breathtaking Piedra del Peñol followed by lunch. Start your morning with pickup from your accommodation in Medellín and travel to the vibrant city of Guatapé. With your guide, explore the colorful streets with their artistic tiled facades and fascinating history. Then, board a boat and sail through the reservoir. Enjoy panoramic views of Casa Museo, La Cruz, Piedras del Marial, Piedra del Peñol, and the ruins of the Pablo Escobar's vacation home. Learn about the sights from your guide. Disembark and visit the imposing Piedra del Peñol. Explore your lush surroundings with plenty of great photo opportunities, particularly if you choose to climb this impressive monument. After, regain your strength with a delicious lunch. Make one more stop at the Plaza de Zocalos and admire the colorful murals and the history behind them. After the tour, be returned to where you were picked up.

From Medellin: Guatapé Full-Day Tour with Piedra del Peñol

2. From Medellin: Guatapé Full-Day Tour with Piedra del Peñol

Discover Guatapé on a day trip from Medellin. Take in views from the top of Piedra del Penol, discover the Zócalos area on a guided tour, try traditional, locally made Colombian food, and enjoy a boat ride of the Penol-Guatapé hydroelectric reservoir. Enjoy the green landscapes and rolling hills and mountains as you journey from Medellin to Guatapé. Ascend 742 steps, as you make your way up to the top of the Piedra del Penol for sweeping views of the area. Explore the colorful Zócalos of Guatapé on a guided tour of the resort town. Enjoy a typical Colombian dish made by natives of the small pueblo. Tour a large section of the Penol-Guatapé hydroelectric reservoir on a boat cruise and enjoy the beautiful surrounding landscapes.

Medellín: Private Guatapé with Peñol Tickets and Boat Ride

3. Medellín: Private Guatapé with Peñol Tickets and Boat Ride

Sail across the reservoir of Guatapé to see sights like the ruins of Pablo Escobar's vacation home on this day trip from Medellín. Hike the Rock of Guatapé for stunning panoramic views. Explore the city of Guatapé and savor delicious local lunch.  Be picked up in Medellin and board an airconditioned van for the drive to the Guatapé region. Board a comfortable boat for a cruise through the reservoir. Pass by Casa Museo, La Cruz, Marial Rock, El Peñol Rock, and Pablo Escobar's old home. Go up the 740 steps to reach the top of the Rock of Guatapé (Piedra del Peñol), a 220-meter (722-foot) high monolith. Delight in magnificent views of the spectacular landscape and Guatapé Dam which was built in the lands of the old town of Peñol in the 1970s. Visit Guatapé, a growing and colorful city made unique by the decorative tiles adorning the lower facades of the houses. Replenish your energy with a lunch of rice, beans, fries, salad, and a choice of pork, chicken or beef, with a refreshing drink. Return to Medellín by van after lunch and be dropped off at your hotel.

Medellín: Private Guatapé Tour w/ Breakfast, Lunch & Cruise

4. Medellín: Private Guatapé Tour w/ Breakfast, Lunch & Cruise

After being picked up from Medellin, drive for an hour and a half to the eastern Antioquia municipality of Guatapé.  Enjoy a guided tour through the town, where you will pass by the Casa Museo panorama, La Cruz, Piedras del Marial, Piedra del Peñol and the Ruins of the Hacienda La Manuela by Pablo Escobar. Discover a world of color among its streets, adorned with baseboards that tell stories of the town and its people.  Take a 1-hour boat tour through the reservoir to the picturesque town of Zócalos. Climb the 740 steps to reach the top of the Rock of Guatapé or Piedra del Peñol, a monolith which reaches 220 meters high.

From Medellin: Private Guatape Car Tour with Coffee Tour

5. From Medellin: Private Guatape Car Tour with Coffee Tour

Discover Guatape on a private, customizable tour by car from Medellin. Visit a coffee farm, walk up the mighty Rock of Guatape, and walk through vibrantly colorful village streets during your tour. Your guide will explain the culture and the history of the region, so you end your day full of local facts. Meet your guide at your hotel in Medellin and sit back and relax on the roughly 2-hour-long car ride to Guatape. Once there, stretch your legs with a walk through town. See the Main Square with its intricate white and red Cathedral, the colorful Plazotela de Los Zócalos, the Street of Memories, and more. Then, go on a 40-minute coffee tour, where you get a better understanding of the whole process of Colombian coffee, all told by the same farmers in the region. Next, climb up the 700 stairs to the top of the unmissable, 220-meter-high Rock of Guatape that looms over the town. Enjoy panoramic views of the Peńol reservoir from its peak. Best of all, as this is a private tour without any time restrictions, you can stop whenever you want and tailor the tour to suit your needs and preferences.

From Medellín: Customizable Guatapé Tour w/El Peñol & Lunch

6. From Medellín: Customizable Guatapé Tour w/El Peñol & Lunch

The Guatapé tour is one of our most incredible experiences! Includes private round trip transportation from your hotel to Guatapé, we will pick you up at 8:00 a.m. and arrive in Medellín at approximately 5:00 p.m. You will start the journey from Medellín, climbing the mountains to the East of Antioquia department, an agricultural and energy producer region. First, you will cross one of the most extensive tunnels of America (9 KM), then pass next to villages like Guarne, Marinilla, and El Peñol. In the last one, you will visit the "Réplica," a cozy and colorful square built to remember the original town that flooded to construct the dam. Here you will be able to see also the central market and, depending on the day, the museum that exposes art from the region and its history. Then we will continue to Guatapé, where you will enjoy a traditional dish for lunch and walk around the colorful streets to learn about its history. After a short stop in a premium café place, you will take a private boat to enjoy some of the islands from the water while you listen to the music you like. The next stop will be the Rock, which you can climb or see from the helicopter (optional and extra cost). After this beautiful journey, you will be back in Medellín. Optional, we offer you a dinner stop in a famous Colombian fusion restaurant in Marinilla (you assume the cost at the restaurant). Also, you can ask for a helicopter ride so you can see the town from the air. The cost: X 1 person 288 USD X 2 person 377 USD X 3 person 466 USD X 4 person 619 USD

Medellin: Guided Tour to Guatape & 1-Night Lakeside Glamping

7. Medellin: Guided Tour to Guatape & 1-Night Lakeside Glamping

Meet at Park Poblado early in the morning and take a bus tour of the valley to the picturesque colonial town of Guatape. Stop at the famous Penol Rock along the way and climb up 740 steps for the most incredible views. Visit the town of Guatape, where your tour guide will explain the history behind this vibrantly colorful town. Have a traditional lunch in the historic town before embarking on your own personal speedboat for a brief tour of the lake. Set up camp at your fabulous glamping location on the lake and your guide will explain what adventures await. Go hiking atop Paradise Mountain for breathtaking views of the sunset before enjoying a delicious dinner. Then after an amazing night falling asleep to the sounds of nature, wake up fresh and early the next for some of the best coffee in the world. Then, take the kayak out to the waterfall or an optional jet ski in the smooth water of the morning, or just relax at the glamping site. Take a speedboat ride back to Guatape at about noon. Enjoy some free time before your transfer back to El Poblado in Medellín.

Medellin and Guatape Full Day Pablo Escobar Tour

8. Medellin and Guatape Full Day Pablo Escobar Tour

Learn about the life and times of the drug lord Pablo Escobar on a guided tour of Medellin and discover how the city has changed since his death in 1993. Loved and feared by millions, Pablo Escobar’s story is intimately linked to the recent history of Colombia’s second largest city. Travel back to the time of Pablo Escobar's reign over the city and learn about his extensive cocaine operation. Visit many historical sites with Escobar associations, from the modest community where he grew up to the house where he was shot dead in 1993, and his grave next to the “Black Widow” drug lord, Griselda Blanco. Another highlight is the Monaco Building (Edificio Monaco) where he lived and survived a bomb attack by the rival Cali cartel that was designed to kill him. For the second half of the 8-hour tour, head east for an hour to see Escobar’s abandoned mansion “La Manuela” from top of the El Peñol rock. Then take some time to explore the beautiful facades of the Guatapé village, grab a bite to eat and use the facilities. Finally, hop on a private boat to Escobar’s mansion and walk around to see what’s left after years of curious visitors tearing down walls and cabinets.

Medellín: Guatape Village with Coffee and Fruit Tasting Tour

9. Medellín: Guatape Village with Coffee and Fruit Tasting Tour

To start with, the tour guide will pick you up from your hotel before you head to the east area of the region, enjoying the beautiful landscapes on the way. The total transfer time is 90 mins.  The first stop is the replica of el Peñol, a little town that was flooded in the late seventies to build the Dam in this region. Then you will have an amazing and informative coffee experience. Learn about the history of the coffee, collect coffee like a farmer, learn about all its processes, taste coffee, and learn how to differentiate between good and bad coffee.  After enjoying a delicious coffee, you will have the energy to climb up Peñol Rock. When you get to the top, you'll be able to enjoy the best panoramic views of the region. The last stop will be Guatape, which is a beautiful colourful town and a site that, due to its uniqueness, has become one of the must-see destinations for those who travel to Antioquia.

From Medellin: Guatape Lake Boat Tour and El Peñol Rock Hike

10. From Medellin: Guatape Lake Boat Tour and El Peñol Rock Hike

ake our advice and don’t miss this experience out. Come to Guatape with us and discover real authenticity through the warmth of people. On this full-day tour, our guide will pick you up at your hotel and along with the driver they will head north for 2 hours to the first stop: El Peñol. When near, you’ll recognize Guatapé as soon as you see the dam, and right away the imposing rock of El Peñol far in the distance. This is an enigmatic rock nobody knows where came from and there are all sorts of speculations about its origin. Although it looks challenging, you’ll get how rewarding it’ll be to climb its 700 stairs, after having one of the most breathtaking views Colombia may offer. Once all of you have made it downstairs, you will get back in the car to drive through El Peñol town and then make it to Guatapé. In here you will tour around the colorful streets along the dam, learning about the history behind this man crafted beauty. By this time, you will go to a local restaurant to have a marvelous traditional lunch. The dam was created after flooding the old Peñol town. Now it is responsible of generating energy for millions of people. You will visit it on a boat tour after lunch and will visit one of the only houses that remain after the flooding, at this place you will have a big chunk of history behind the town and superstition. Once back in town, you will head back to Medellín, this might be a 2 to 3-hour ride depending on traffic. Our day will finish once the driver takes you back to your hotel. If it’s a must-do is because it’s a must-do. So, join us and have a trip to remember!

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What people are saying about The Rock of Guatape

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 2,716 reviews

Our day trip tour to Guatape was great. Maria, Sandy (English interpreter), and Don Luis (tour bus driver) were all extremely sweet and helpful. Maria and Sandy are very knowledgeable. From the pick up point meet up, to the moment we got back to the pick up point at the end of the tour, everything went perfectly smooth. Lunch was great, the boat tour, walking tour, and free time to explore on our own was perfect. Thank you Maria, Sandy and Don Luis!! 10/10 recommend.

We loved our 7 day stay in Medellin and we are glad we expanded our view of the city with this day trip outside to Guatape and its beautiful lake. Like the city, the lake and region need to be seen to comprehend! Manuel provides an excellent guide and knows the market so well he gets to each attraction just before crowds form behind you.... His english, knowledge and driving skills are very commendable. Highly recommended.

We had a great day in Guatapé with enough time to explore the different spots on our own. It‘s a great way to explore the region stress free as everything is taken care of (transportation, food etc.) and you just get to enjoy the trip.

Amazing trip well planned out. Great food and service. The locations all worth seeing. Gina was wonderful.

Amazing day in Guatape, Marlon was a fantastic guid I recommend to anyone