La Piedra del Peñol
Two hundred and twenty meters of granite and seven hundred and forty steps wedged into a fissure. At the top, the reservoir opens out in three hundred and sixty degrees of arms and peninsulas.
Antioquia
Guatapé
A granite monolith two hundred and twenty meters high rises over a labyrinth of green water that was once a valley. At its foot, an Antioquian village covers the lower walls of its houses with painted friezes in relief. Guatapé is looked at from above, but it is understood slowly, at street level.
Why go
What makes this destination unique
No other Colombian landscape brings these two things together: a granite rock you climb on foot and a reservoir of seventy-four square kilometers that in the nineteen-seventies buried an entire village. It is a freshwater destination an hour and a half from Medellín, with contemporary hotels and a memory still told in the first person.
- When to goDecember to February and June to August are the dry spells, with temperatures between eighteen and twenty-two degrees. When the water is low, the cross of the submerged church of El Viejo Peñol reappears.
- Getting thereBogotá–Medellín flight into José María Córdova airport (MDE), a little under an hour. From there, sixty-eight kilometers by road: a private transfer of an hour and a quarter.
What to see
What you should not miss
The village zócalos
The lower part of the façades carries hand-painted friezes in relief, many of them from the early twentieth century. La Calle del Recuerdo gathers the oldest.
Sailing the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir
Seventy-four square kilometers of water over a flooded valley. A private boat at dusk takes in the peninsulas and the islands with the water to yourself.
El Viejo Peñol and its cross
The village of El Peñol went under the water in the seventies. A scale replica keeps its memory; when the water is low, the cross of the old altar reappears.
The waterfront and the Plazoleta de los Zócalos
The village's water frontage, with jetties, terraces and the little square where the zócalos tell of trades, animals and scenes from local life.
Kayak and paddleboard at dawn
Before the boats arrive, the sheet of water lies perfectly still. Several hotels set out from their own jetty with a guide and equipment included.
Where to stay
Hotels we recommend
A selection of houses with character. We work with others too: tell us what you are looking for and we will propose the one that fits.
Design domes in a native-forest reserve
Bosko
Ten domes with a private terrace, heated infinity pools and three hectares of native forest suspended above the reservoir.
International brand hotel facing the reservoir
The Brown, Guatapé, Autograph Collection
An international flag in a destination of independent hotels. Contemporary architecture, panoramic terraces over the water and a chain-standard level of service.
Boutique with a view of La Piedra
Tau House
Sixteen rooms with a balcony over the water, a spa and its own restaurant, a few minutes from La Piedra del Peñol.
Cabins on a wooded peninsula
Porto Marina
Free-standing cabins with a private jacuzzi and their own jetty. Nikkei cooking at the restaurant Lima and water sports at the door.
A classic of the destination, facing La Piedra head-on
Hotel Los Recuerdos
A classic of the destination: panoramic suites, a spa, its own yacht and the restaurant El Tenedor with La Piedra in front of it.
Where to eat
The destination's table
The kitchens worth a reservation. We take care of the booking and the transfer.
Contemporary Colombian
Manto (Bosko)
A tasting menu from chef Pablo Naranjo, with produce from the region and La Piedra del Peñol behind it.
Nikkei
Lima (Porto Marina)
Peruvian-Japanese cooking facing the reservoir, on an open terrace. An unlikely proposition in a village of this size.
International, produce-led
PISMO (The Brown, Guatapé)
The restaurant at The Brown. A seasonal menu and a panoramic terrace; the most formal option for a long dinner.
Grill and fish
La Fogata
An institution on the waterfront. Charcoal-smoked trout and grilled meats on an upper floor overlooking the water.
Italian and European
El Patito Modosito
A small room, a short list of pastas and salads, careful cooking. One of the best regarded independents in the village.
Does this destination interest you? We build it into a tailor-made route.
Request a proposalHotel and restaurant information is for reference and is confirmed at the time of booking. The recommendations do not imply any commercial relationship with the establishments mentioned.
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