Guatapé is a colorful little town conveniently located 2 hours outside of Medellín. You can do it as a day trip from Medellín, but I highly recommend staying a night to enjoy the town with less crowds. Here is my guide to Guatapé, Colombia.
How to get there
Getting there we took a bus with our whole family (we were there for a wedding). Six of us stayed when the rest headed back to Medellín that afternoon. You can take the bus or a private transfer to get there. We took the bus back, but almost opted for the private transfer since there were six of us. The bus is definitely cheaper.
Once we checked out of our hotel in Guatapé around 11am, we walked in to town. We purchased our return tickets from the bus station ticket window for 3:10pm. Afternoon is a busy time to leave, so I suggest buying your tickets at least an hour before you want to leave. Buses leave about every 10-30 minutes. Then we walked across the street and had lunch until it was time to get on the bus.
Once at the North Bus Terminal in Medellín, we walked to catch the metro back to Poblado station. Then hopped in a cab to our hotel there to grab the rest of our luggage and headed to the airport to take a flight to Cartagena, the next stop on our trip. If we had had all of our luggage we probably would have opted for the private transfer to take us right from Guatapé to the Medellín airport.
What to do
Climb El Peñol
Walk up the 705 sets of stairs for an amazing view of the surrounding lakes. Mid-day was definitely the busiest time to go, I would suggest going in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Walk around town
Meander around the streets, enjoying all the beautiful colors. Hire a local guide if you want to learn the history behind this colorful little town. Once you’re tired of walking around, people watch while posted up at a cafe.
Take a boat tour
Cruise by Pablo Escobar’s mansion and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Where to eat
La Fogata
Located right across the street from the bus station. Come here for traditional Colombian food and an ice cold beer before your bus back to wherever you are going.
Cafe La Vina
While strolling around town, stop here for a cup of Colombian coffee.
Ice Cream
And if you’re not into coffee, grab an ice cream cone and stroll around town. There are ice cream shops scattered all around town. This ice cream was amazing, but I cannot remember what the name of the shop was.
Where to stay
Bosko
A slice of heaven located a 10 minute walk outside of town. This place was everything I had hoped and dreamed it would be plus more. While checking in, we got to sip on ultra-refreshing watermelon water and exfoliated our hands with coffee grinds. You stay in what they call a mush·room, which is much like glamping. Each mush·room has an attached bathroom and an outdoor shower (my favorite).
We made the most of one night; enjoying a few bottles of wine while watching the sunset, delicious dinner, more wine, and making smores by the fire with El Peñol lit up in the background. We started our morning with smoothie bowls and coffee on our deck, then went paddle boarding and ended our stay with one of the best massages I’ve ever gotten. I wish we could have stayed one more night at Bosko!
I hope you found my guide to Guatapé helpful. Don’t forget to book your trip with your favorite travel planner, yours truly. If you like this blog post, then check out My Guide to Medellín, Colombia!
