The short answer
El Peñol Rock takes half an hour to climb. The rest of the day is in what many people walk straight past: a whole town decorated by hand, a reservoir with a town underneath it, a boat ride, a new waterfront and a road that now has its own giant Christ. Here are nine things to do so Guatapé is more than a photo from the top.
1. Read the zócalos
The zócalos are the colorful reliefs that cover the lower part of the façades, about 80 centimeters high. They began in the early twentieth century; local tradition credits José María Parra, "Chepe Parra", who decorated his own house this way. What looks like decoration is a language: each house tells what the family does or what matters to it, with animals, flowers, tools, country scenes and trades.
The way to see them is to wander for twenty minutes along the streets that lead off the main square and notice the differences: the bakery has loaves, the musician has instruments.
2. Calle del Recuerdo and the Plazoleta de los Zócalos
These are the two most photographed corners of the town. Calle del Recuerdo is a cobbled street that recreates one of those left underwater when the reservoir filled; it is Guatapé's tribute to the part of the town it lost. The Plazoleta de los Zócalos, a set of colorful steps surrounded by painted houses, was built to mark the municipality's 200 years. Go early: by midday there is a line for the photo.
3. Understand the reservoir: the town left underwater
The landscape of islands you see from the Rock is not natural. It is a reservoir of more than 6,300 hectares that Medellín's public utility built to generate power. The flooding began in May 1978 and left the old town of El Peñol underwater; about 300 families had to leave and the town was rebuilt higher up. A cross rising from the water now marks where it stood.
On the road between El Peñol and Guatapé is the Replica of Old El Peñol, a reconstruction of the church and square of the flooded town, with food stalls. It is a short stop that gives meaning to everything else.
4. The boat ride
From the water you grasp the size of the reservoir. Rides leave from the waterfront and usually pass the cross of old El Peñol, the estates along the shore and the ruins of La Manuela, the hacienda built for Pablo Escobar. A rival group dynamited it on February 17, 1993, when it was still unfinished; he never lived there. In January 2026 the state sold it at auction, so do not count on being able to go in: you see it from the boat.
If that part of the story interests you, in Medellín we tell it in full, victims included, on the Pablo Escobar history tour.
5. Walk the waterfront
The new waterfront opened in September 2019: a promenade of about 900 meters along the water, with more than 19,000 square meters of public space. Boats and launches leave from here, and this is where you find the restaurants overlooking the reservoir and the zip line that crosses above the water. It is the best place to sit with a juice while the sun goes down.
6. The main square and the church
The square is the center of town life, with the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen facing it, in Greco-Roman style. Around it are ice cream shops, wafer stalls and craft stores. It is where locals spend the afternoon, and sitting there for a while is the simplest way to see the town without posing.
7. The head of the Montecielo Christ
On the road, in the El Guamito district of El Peñol, a Christ that will stand 86 meters tall is under construction. Work began in 2024, the head was inaugurated in March 2026 and can be visited for free; the rest is expected by 2029. What you see today is the head and arms at ground level, at a scale you do not appreciate until someone stands next to it.
8. Kayak, paddleboard and jet ski
The reservoir is calm and good for paddling. On the waterfront and at the clubs along the shore you can rent kayaks and paddleboards, and for those who want more speed, jet skis: an hour runs about 360,000 pesos according to operators. Always wear a life jacket and keep away from the passenger boat route; in 2023 a jet ski collided with a boat.
9. Eat trout
Guatapé's dish is trout, which is farmed in the reservoir itself. It is served fried, in garlic sauce or au gratin, with patacón and salad, at almost every restaurant on the waterfront and the square. If you are not a fish person, bandeja paisa is on every menu too. For dessert, a wafer with arequipe in the square.
When to go and how long to stay
Guatapé received 3.7 million visitors in 2024, in a town where nine out of ten residents live off tourism. You feel it on holiday weekends, when up to 40,000 people arrive in a single weekend and the road jams for hours. If you can, go on a weekday: the town is the same and you see it without lines.
One day is enough for the Rock, the boat, lunch and the town. With a night you can add the kayak, see the waterfront empty at dawn and walk the zócalos once the buses have left.
With a tour or on your own
Our Guatapé tour covers a good part of this list in one day: the head of the Montecielo Christ, the replica of old El Peñol, the Rock, the boat ride, the zócalos and the waterfront, with breakfast, lunch and a bilingual guide. It leaves every day at 7:00 a.m. from El Poblado, rain or shine.
If you would rather go on your own, how to get to Guatapé from Medellín has the bus, the prices and the cost comparison. And for the rest of your trip, things to do in Medellín.
Sources
Facts checked on October 5, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Guatapé besides climbing the Rock?
Walk the zócalos, Calle del Recuerdo and the Plazoleta de los Zócalos, take a boat ride on the reservoir, stroll the waterfront, visit the replica of old El Peñol and the head of the Montecielo Christ, go kayaking and eat trout.
What are the zócalos of Guatapé?
Colorful reliefs about 80 centimeters high that decorate the lower part of the façades. They began in the early twentieth century and each one says something about the family or the trade of the house.
How much time do you need in Guatapé?
One day is enough for the Rock, the boat, lunch and the town. With a night you can add water sports and see the town without crowds.
Can you visit Pablo Escobar's La Manuela estate?
Its ruins can be seen from the boats that tour the reservoir. The state sold it at auction in January 2026, so access by land is not guaranteed.
What is the best day to go to Guatapé?
A weekday. On holiday weekends up to 40,000 people arrive and the road is congested for hours.
