It is impossible to go to Medellin without visiting this famous site. La Piedra del Penol is one of the best views in Colombia, and the city of Guatape is really colorful and perfect for photo souvenirs.
Today, Marina and Freya came to our and jumped on our beds to wake us up. Michael and I somehow managed to wake up, but Ryan and Troy came back to late to be able to do anything today. Fleur, a friend of the boys who arrived yesterday, joined us as well.
To go to Guatape, from el Poblado (check the map here above), you will need to take the aerial metro for few stops all the way to the northern bus terminal. Over there go to the cashier 9 or 11 and bargain for the cheapest bus ticket which will lead you to la Piedra del Penol or Guatape. It is a 2 hours drive.
What I would recommend is to stop first by La Piedra del Penol, which is before the city of Guatape, climb up the massive rock to admire the beautiful landscape. For a fully experience, make sure to check the weather before going there. On a rainy or cloudy, I would recommend you to postpone your trip.
On your way back, you can either take the bus to go to Medellin, or a Tuk-Tuk towards Guatape. It will cost you in between 6000 and 9000 pesos ( around 3500 pesos per person).
Guatape is a really small but super touristic city. It does look like a Caribbean city with all the colors and the walls paintings. Apparently they have the best ice-creams or the region.
You can eat there for 12 000 pesos, a complete almuerzo on the main place. The main points of interests are the church, the fish's plaza, and the main plaza obviously with the fountains and some dancing shows.
REALLY IMPORTANT:
In order to leave Guatape, make sure to go the bus station early in the day to buy your ticket, even if you are planning on leaving later in the day. If you wait till the last minute you might not be able to leave Guatape on the same day and will have to spend the night there (and you will be really bored).
When we walked there, the bus station was already crowded and all the buses were full. We had two options: the take a taxi back to Medellin for a lot of money, or take a Chiva. Believe me, you do not want to be in a Chiva unless it is for a party. They are those really typical buses, with no windows.
It took us 3 hours and a half to get back to Medellin, and another hour to go back to our hostel. It was a really long day, but worth it
