Guatapé - The Pueblo

Guatapé is one of the most beautiful pueblos in Colombia and is one of the seventeen "pueblos patrimonios" (heritage towns) in the country. I have had the privilege of visiting seven of them so far. Some are difficult to reach. If you are interested in digging deeper into the pueblos patrimonios; how they came about, what it means and a bit of detail about each one, you can follow this link.

Guatapé is one of the top tourist stops in the country, partly because it is only about an hour bus ride from Medellín. It is a pueblo that should not be missed.

Guatapé has three main attractions. First, the town itself which is quaint with cobblestone streets and with almost every structure brightly painted. It is also full of small coffee shops, restaurants, and of course, souvenir shops. It is easy to get around, very friendly and very safe.

Second, the town is almost completely surrounded by a picturesque lake dotted with tiny islands and homes along its coastline. Although the Peñol-Guatapé "lake" is actually a man-made reservoir, it is huge and can be seen from virtually any place in the town, but especially visible from the next attraction.

"El Peñon de Guatapé" (the rock of Guatapé and also known in Spanish as Piedra del Peñol) is a gigantic rock formation jutting into the sky about a ten minute tuk-tuk ride from the center of town. The zigzag stairs climbing to the top are imposing from the bottom but are worth the effort because of the incredible panoramic view along the climb and from the top. The rock is also visible from virtually anywhere in the town and for miles in any direction. The next post contains photos from el Peñon.

You can point your camera in any direction in the village and fool people into thinking you are a great photographer. Here are several shots from within the small town.