El Peñol de Guatapé

Piedra del Peñol

A giant granite monolith rising about 200 meters from flat lakeland. Climb more than 700 steps to the top for views over hundreds of islands and winding bays of Guatapé Reservoir.

The Piedra del Peñol, often called the Guatapé Rock, lies about 80 km east of Medellín. It is a single granite monolith rising abruptly from the flat land to about 200 meters, formed roughly 70 million years ago. Ancient Indigenous peoples regarded it as sacred. A zigzag staircase of concrete and masonry, with about 700 steps (often cited as 740), is built into a crack on one side. Most people reach the top in 20 to 40 minutes. The steps are numbered, and there are rest platforms along the way. At the summit you get a dramatic 360-degree view. Below lies the Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir, created in the 1970s when a river valley was flooded to build a hydroelectric dam. Countless green islands and bays spread out like a jigsaw puzzle to the horizon, and it is considered one of the most beautiful panoramas in Colombia. A small kiosk at the top sells mango ice and cold drinks, so you can sit down and take in the view. On the side of the rock are a huge white letter 'G' and half of a 'U.' In the 1990s, residents of Guatapé wanted to carve 'GUATAPÉ' to assert ownership, but residents of the neighboring town of El Peñol stopped them, leaving this unfinished graffiti. Admission is about 30,000 pesos, and it is open from about 08:00 to 17:30. Getting there: take a bus from Medellín's Terminal del Norte, about 2 hours, get off at the rock junction, then walk uphill for about 15 minutes or take a mototaxi. Most people join a day tour that includes the rock, Guatapé town, and a lake boat trip. Start early in the morning to avoid crowds and the afternoon thunderstorms, and bring your own water and sunscreen.

El Peñol de Guatapé

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