Day trip to La Piedra del Peñol and Guatapé from Medellín

La Piedra del Peñol and Guatapé are probably two of the most popular destinations near Medellín, Colombia. The area is famous for its landscapes, colorful architecture, and, of course, la Piedra del Peñol, a gigantic granite monolith. In this post, I'll share with you all the information you'll need before visiting.

La Piedra del Peñol

La Piedra del Peñol is probably one of the most famous attractions in the area around Medellín. La Piedra del Peñol is an enormous granite monolith, similar to Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro, but a bit smaller. The rock has a height of about 220m and visitors can climb up the rock via a staircase carved into the side of the rock. Although the climb can be tiring, the view from the top makes it worth the effort.

The entrance fee to climb to the top of La Piedra del Peñol is around 35,000 COP and the climb usually takes about 40 minutes and involves approximately 740 steps.

View from La Piedra del Peñol

The reservoir you can see from the top is not actually natural, as you might think, but an artificial one. In the 1970s, the town of El Peñol was deliberately evacuated as part of a hydroelectric project, and its residents were relocated to the new El Peñol. The old town was then intentionally flooded, creating the reservoir you see today.

Aside from producing electricity, the reservoir is now also a popular recreational area, offering activities such as boat rides, kayaking, and other water sports.

How to go to La Piedra del Peñol from Medellín

The two main options are going by car or taking a bus. The journey by car takes about 2 hours. If you want to go by bus, you will have to go to the Terminal del Norte bus station, which is right next to Caribe Metro station, and then take a bus toward Guatapé with the company Sotrasanvicente. The journey takes roughly 2–2.5 hours, depending on traffic. Fares are around 20,000–22,000 COP each way. I personally have not taken this bus, but I have taken other buses in the region and they work perfectly well.

Guatapé

Not far from La Piedra del Peñol is the town of Guatapé. It is particularly known for its colorful houses and decorative panels called zócalos. These panels often represent local traditions and stories.

The local church also has distinctive coloring and architecture

How to go from La Piedra del Peñol to Guatapé

If you do not have a car, getting from La Piedra del Peñol to Guatapé is easy. You can simply take one of the local taxis, called mototaxis, which look like tuk-tuks. The ride takes around 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can walk there, which takes about 45–50 minutes.

How to go to Medellín from Guatapé

If you do not have a car, to go back to Medellín you can simply take a direct bus from Guatapé’s main bus terminal to Terminal del Norte in Medellín. The journey usually takes around 2 hours and you'll have buses run regularly throughout the day.

When to visit La Piedra del Peñol and Guatapé

For this day trip from Medellín, I would definitely avoid going on weekends and holidays, as it can get really, really crowded, and the experience won’t be as enjoyable. If possible, try to go during the week and in the low season, when there are fewer tourists.