If you're wondering: What to see around Medellin ? Here's our 10th day in Colombia with classic visits to EL PENOL and GUADAPE.

Itinerary Medellin El Penol Guatape

How to get from Medellin to Guatape?

• • The bus will take you at least 2 hours to get to Guatape (see link below for timetables) but the price of the trip is very interesting (- 10 €). Here is their website: http://www.terminalesmedellin.com/destino/guatape/
  • The taxi is also a good way to get there faster but it is still a bit expensive (40 € one way): tax-individual.com.co   http://taxis.com.co/
  • For my part, it is with Ludovic a French driver guide that we have makes the trip and visits of both sites.

What to see around Medellin - El Penol and its lakes

Departure from our guest house towards the East of Medellin to go to the El Penol rock and discover the most incredible water reserve in the region.

This is the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir . A dam was built in the late 1970s with a deliberate flooding of more than 6,000 hectares including the old village of Peñol, forcing the farmers to abandon their land.

But, with the Penol rock which allows you to overlook these artificial lakes, the site has become extremely touristy and the farmers have thus had the opportunity to convert into traders.

After climbing the 675 steps, El Penol rock offers a breathtaking view from 220 meters above sea level, overlooking the lakes, Guatapé, and its surroundings. Entrance fee: 18,000 COP.

What to see around Medellin - Guatape

This charming, colorful little village is renowned for the drawings and frescoes adorning the lower facades of its houses. These bas-reliefs are called zocalos . Their origin dates back to 1919. A woman who used to decorate the interior of the church had the idea of ​​decorating the lower part of her house and started a trend throughout the village…

Thus, each zocalo tells a story about the house, the inhabitants, their profession, their passion, their particularity… some are simply decorative (geometric shapes, flowers, llamas…) and others are advertising…

Visiting Guatape is therefore very entertaining because the houses all tell a story, a past, a memory. In this village, our imagination is constantly engaged!

What to eat in Guatape?

We absolutely wanted to try the specialty of the Antioquia department : La bandeja paisa.

It is a typical dish of peasant origin composed of rice, red beans, banana, minced meat, egg, sausage, salad, avocado. So all there is more light !!!

Where to eat in Guatape?

We looked for a quiet place (a rare thing in Colombia), in the shade with good prices.

Bingo! We found on the main square the restaurant TIKI TAKA (wow the pun…) which we really appreciated.

Continue the journey with us by discovering our day in Medellin:

What to see in Medellin? La Comuna 13