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I went to the Piedra del Peñol and climbed the stone, everything could be seen from up there, the food there is very tasty, there are many shops, there are many stairs, it is very high, I recommend the Piedra del Peñol because it is a place where you can see all guatape, the food is super delicious, the people are very friendly, sometimes it is very windy and cold, there are many things to buy and have a memory of there. Worth going up…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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The Pierre del Peñol is a tourist destination where it En el Peñol located. When always go there I tried to clim it complete because when you are in the top you feel complete and so happy. The last time I was there, it was 6 months ago. When you are there you must see all the lake and when return downstairs you must eat an ice cream and then lunch because the lunch there is so delicious. I like it so much because I spend family time and I feel so happy every time I climb it.…
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Date of experience: December 2019
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We rented a car and driver to take us from Medellin to visit the Piedra Del Penol, it’s about a 1.5 hrs. journey. This is an interesting large granitic rock that has resisted weathering and erosion, at its highest point it is (7,005 ft) above sea level. Making it a bit of a strenuous climb, half way up there is a resting place and a shrine to the Virgin Mary, and at the top is a three-story viewpoint tower, tourist shop and seats. Once down and through the exit gate, there is a viewing area with a bronze life like statue of Colombian alpinist Don Luis Eduardo Villegas Lopez who was the first person to climb to the top of the Piedra Del Penol, made by sculptor Mario Hernández C. Don Luis bought the rock from local farmers as it was useless to them as farmland, he built concrete steps in a crack, and began charging admission to climb to the top. Today over 5,000 visitors climbing the rock. There is a plaque at the foot of the statue telling about Don Luis Eduardo Villegas Lopez history. Also, there are a great variety of tourist shops and restaurants, check out the Mirador de la Piedra restaurant, the food was not bad, or the Stone restaurant next door. This is a large tourist restaurant located between the rock and the parking lot, with a fantastic view of the Guatape Dam and the Piedra Del Penol from their back terrace. There was a sign for craft beers, but we ordered margaritas and a mojito with extra rum, as we had time to kill. TIP: Get there early to climb El Peñol, it’s not for the faint of heart, it costs COP$18,000 per person. Take water, sunscreen, and a jacket it could be cold on top. Have brunch when you come down.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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Stay overnight in Guatape instead of crushing in a daytrip from The Med. Jump in a jeep on the main plaza, just round from the bus stop. Easier at weekends. Expect mob rules at weekends, but more jeeps. El Penyol's fee is now higher than the beast itself, but it's a must-do, grand exercise & the 360 at the top is indeed Waoh. Comparisons with Sigiriya Sri Lanka stop there. Tourist Tat City with no room to swing a... (don't tempt me: they won't publish this if I do - a reference to the menacing cat at the hostel I stayed at in town). Careful both up & down: danger of death by selfie-stick. From the base, walk down half way and there's a pleasant place with a kindly gentleman: sit on the balcony with a cold drink, enjoy a more relaxing view. And down at the foot there's a grill with tons of tables outside on a grassy bank. Families having a fun weekend. I'm not aye a grouch: fun of the fair. Jumped a jeep back along the road into town. From there you can open your eyes to the zocalos. The opposite of massive Mexican Plazas, these decorative panels charm the lower walls of houses, often trade-related. Allsorts of people-carrying contraptions by the bus station, some looking more roadworthy than the vehicle you're getting on back to The Med. Those aside, Guatape I feel doesn't get the credit it deserves for simply being one of the best looking, relaxing towns in the whole country, with great scenery & outdoor activities of course, but also value places to stay, bar restaurants & good services in general. People are amiable, not in-your-face. A place worth lingering for a few days, not just a quick suck of the rock.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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First... what others have said... beautiful, go early (be there prior to 10am), strenuous climb, a must do. We (4 people) hired a car for the day with driver ($USD 180) to go first to the rock and then to the Guatape village. Ride from Poblado is about 1.5 hrs. Some in the country, but a lot of commercial along the way. At age 65 the climb was hard and slow, but very doable and worth the view you get from the top. Make sure you stay on the one way down steps. We got confused and fought the one way up crowd going down. At the exit (entrance) they did not want to let us out, and at first asked us to go back up again....NO WAY we were going to climb up again. Our driver had us text him when we were done; then took us over to the pretty town. The town is very photogenic (if a town can be). We walked all around and then ate along the main road overlooking the water. We invited the driver to eat with us and were surprised when the restaurant comp'd his mean so we did not have to pay. For some reason the level of the lake water was down about 20 ft or so. Not sure way, but it kind of took away some from the views at lake level. A very pleasant day... about 9am to 4pm.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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