GUATAPE COLOMBIA - Spectacular destination

Guatapé, one of the most beautiful and fun trips you can do in Colombia, but also full of confusion. Is Guatapé a rock? Where is it? What else can you do there? Don't worry, now I'm going to take you to see everything this beautiful destination offers, so you can enjoy it to the fullest. Are you planning a trip in Colombia? I'm here to help. I'm Jaime Rincón from Medellín, Colombia. I'm a professional tour guide and I really know my country. This is Cachai, Colombia. Guatapé is a town located almost two hours away from the city of Medellín. One of the most beautiful in Colombia, full of color, with good food, good coffee, and unbelievable spots to take the best photos. It is also located in a special area with a beautiful reservoir and a giant rock that offers a spectacular view. In fact, it is not just Guatapé. On this tour, you visit an area shared by two towns, El Peñol and Guatapé. Stay for the details. That's right. This is a trip across a large area between the towns of El Peñol and Guatapé in the Department of Antioquia. Department. It is like a state or province, but in Colombia they are called departments. There are 32 in the country, and Antioquia is one of them, where Medellín is located, which is the capital. In the area of El Peñol and Guatapé, there are many activities and places to visit, so let's start by seeing what you cannot miss. This is the itinerary of a good tour to Guatapé. The good part begins after an hour's drive from Medellín when we leave the highway and get on the little mountain road. After passing a town called Marinilla, we start seeing some typical mountain restaurants where you definitely have to stop to try local foods such as pan de quesos, arepas, empanadas, etc. Additionally, several of these restaurants have farm animals that you can take photos with, feed them, pet them, or simply see them. In these places, the entrance is free, but if you want to feed them, you must buy the calves with carrots that they sell there. You must be thinking, so it's better not to have breakfast before the tour so we stop in one of those places for something to eat? Look, it depends on your stomach capacity. Keep in mind that it takes more than an hour to get these places, so it's up to you to eat earlier or not. If you ask me, I will have breakfast before leaving and repeat at the restaurant. In Colombia, we eat a lot, and if you come here, you better forget about diet or green smoothies for breakfast. Here, you will find many temptations, so the best thing you can do is try and let the regrets come back once you are back in your country. Further on, we'll pass through the town of El Peñol. We have confusion alert. Many people think that El Peñol is the rock, but it is actually a town that we find before Guatapé. The thing is that the rock is also called Peñón de Guatapé. Look at the difference. El Peñol, with L at the end, is the town. El Peñón, with N at the end, is the rock. But we'll delve into this later. For now, let's talk about El Peñol, the town. The entire town of El Peñol had to be relocated in the 70s due to the construction of a reservoir for hydroelectric energy production. So the town we see is known as the New Peñol. The Old Peñol was completely demolished, and its previous location was flooded, so it was wiped off the map. Five minutes after passing the New Peñol, we'll find one of the must-see on this tour, which is the replica of the Old Peñol. Here, we will find a replica of the main square of the disappeared town of the Old Peñol, where the houses are shops of handcraft and souvenirs. There are also a couple of restaurants and places where to have a drink. Next to the replica of the Old Peñol, there is the beginning of the reservoir. From there, we can take a boat tour, which is another activity you can't miss. There is a dock with different types of boats that you can choose depending on the size of your group. In one of those, we can have a tour in the lake, where we will see several interesting things. First of all, we see the place where the Old Peñol was located. Only one house remains standing from that town, and it has an interesting story. I'll tell you about that when we are there. Also, in the middle of the water, we see a cross that shows the place where the church of the town was located. Then, we are going to see some properties that belong to the drug lord Pablo Escobar, such as La Manuela, which has a story that is like from a movie. It is in ruins because it was bombed. I will also tell you that story there. That is the main house, two floors. If you see, there is a room in the center that was for the marriage, and two other rooms on both sides for the children, Juan Pablo and Manuela. I must make clear that Pablo Escobar is not a respected or positive character in Colombia. He caused many deaths and horrible harm to us. However, we know that his story is interesting, and there are still places related to him, both in this area and also in Medellín. You can see more in my video about Medellín. On the tour by the reservoir, we will also see properties of Colombian celebrities, such as singers or football soccer players. And on the way back, things get unpredictable. There may be a tanning session, or dancing, or a show by troubadours who are local improvisers. Then, we continue the trip by car, and suddenly, a rock appears on the horizon. This rock is 220 meters high, which is about 720 feet, and by car you can get to its base, where you will find more shops, cafes, and restaurants. Some of them feature a good view to the rock or the reservoir. To suffer, I mean to climb up, you must pay 25,000 Colombian pesos per person, those are like 7 dollars. To get to the top, you have to climb 659 steps, and up there, you will find a tower that is the 360 viewpoint. To the tower, there are a total of 708 steps. Yeah, 708 steps. This is not for everyone, you need a certain physical capacity. If maybe you have heart, lung, knee, or spine conditions, you better stay drinking something at the base. If you have the health to do it, the reward for this effort is an incredible view. You will be able to see almost the entire reservoir and miles away. Guys, you will take some photos that not everyone has. Out of the people that have gone with me, the climbing record time is 6 minutes. My personal record time is 7 minutes. Do you think you can break this record? In total, going up, staying there for a while, and going down, it will take you about an hour. If when you go down, your knees shake, don't feel bad, it's totally normal. After this experience, we head to the town of Guatapé, the town of the Socalos. Socalos in Guatapé are designs in cement that are made of the front walls of the buildings. They are a particular tradition of this town and have their meanings and history. To know them, you have to wait until you are in Guatapé. Guatapé is such a spectacular town. Here, we're going to walk through these cobblestone streets, seeing Socalos, taking pictures, talking about its history. Each street is more beautiful than the last, and we're going to end up in a very special place called the Little Square of the Socalos, and it's a street of umbrellas. Here, besides taking your new profile photo, we will find delicious coffee, typical desserts, artisanal chocolate, coca tea, handcraft, etc. If the road left you tired, or you simply want to make it comfortable, you can get to know the town by motochivas or tuk-tuks. These vehicles are the taxis in Guatapé, and they take you around in a pretty fun way. Personally, on my tours, I like to combine both things. First, we walk a little, and then we get on the motochivas. This is a big town. I know you are tired, so that is why we are having a trip in tuk-tuks. In Guatapé, there are also very good restaurants to try the typical paisa food. Paisa is any person or thing from Medellín area or from the Department of Antioquia, even from surrounding areas of the country that share the same culture. A good lunch in Guatapé can be the typical paisa tray, a fresh trout cooked in the reservoir, a good steak, or there are many other options. The dishes are between $8 and $15. In addition to all this, there are other activities such as paragliding, jet skis, chocolate or coffee tours, hikes, and more, but it is impossible to do all this in a single day, so I recommend that you think about those other things only if you are spending more than one day in that area. By the way, if you want to stay there, there is an incredible variety of hotels and Airbnbs in the town, on the outskirts, around the reservoir, small luxury accommodations, or even glampings. So, how can you do this tour? How to get from Medellín to El Peñol in Guatapé? There are different ways. The most recommended is a private tour that fits your schedule and your taste, with a personalized guide who follows your whims and shows you what we saw and more. If you like this way, remember that I can take you myself or somebody from my Cachai Colombia team. The information is on my website. This way may be a little more expensive, but enjoyment is guaranteed. This is ideal for families, groups of friends, or couples who like comfort. Another way is going on a group tour. There are buses going daily from Medellín that take you around these places. It is affordable, although you must follow their times and it's not personalized at all. This is convenient for solo travelers who want to socialize. Another way is to go by public transport from the Medellín bus terminal, but it is the least recommended because you will have to walk from the main road to the replica of the El Peñol and then take other buses to the rock in Guatapé. This is a cheaper option, but it requires a lot of walking, you get no information, and it is subject to unforeseen events. Definitely the best option is a private tour with Cachai Colombia. I'm not the one saying this, it's the travelers who say it. Final recommendations. Try to go on weekdays. The weekend gets quite crowded. If you can only go on the weekend, you should leave Medellín as early in the morning as you can. If possible, avoid dates such as Easter or the first days of January, where the number of people turns this beautiful trip into something annoying. Also, avoid July 16th, which is a religious celebration for drivers, so there is a truck's parade that blocks the road for hours. Once, it took me 6 hours to get from Guatapé to Medellín because of this parade. I'm here to help you, and I really hope you can enjoy this spectacular region. If you liked the video, give it a like and subscribe to my channel. If you have any other questions, you can write to me in the comments of the video or on the WhatsApp number that appears on my website. If you need information about other destinations in Colombia, I have other videos that may help you. They are on my channel Cachai Colombia or on the website CachaiColombia.com. Even further information on my social media. Colombia is a wonder and is waiting for you! Nos vemos!