Guatapé day trip: La Piedra del Peñol & boat tour

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Free cancellation

1/29

Duration10h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

A 220-meter monolith rises from the middle of a reservoir you'll cross by boat.

This 10-hour day trip from Medellín takes you to La Piedra del Peñol, a 220-meter monolith in Guatapé, with hotel pickup, a professional guide in English or Spanish, and all transport included. You'll ride a boat across the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir, climb the 740 steps to the stone's summit, explore the colorful village, and eat lunch—the guide handles the route and timing so you move through the day without planning it.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Guatapé and El Peñol

Travel from Medellín to El Peñol
Visit El Peñol town and monolith
Climb 740 steps of La Piedra
Boat tour on Peñol-Guatapé reservoir
Explore replica of old El Peñol town
Visit colorful Guatapé town
Walk plaza de los zócalos and street of memories
Stroll the boardwalk and main park

The Experience

The tour leaves your Medellín hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle and heads toward Guatapé, about an hour and a half away. Once there, you'll board a boat to cross the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir, one of the dams that supplies power to Colombia. The water spreads wide and still, and the monolith rises ahead—you can see it from the boat before you reach the shore to climb it.

The 740 steps up La Piedra del Peñol take you to the summit, where the view opens across the reservoir in all directions and down to the village below. The climb is steady and the steps are carved into the stone; most travelers manage it without trouble, though the altitude and the sun matter. Once you're down, you'll walk through Guatapé itself—the plaza de los zócalos (a square decorated with hand-painted wooden panels), the street of memories, the boardwalk, and the main park. The village is known for its bright colors and handicrafts, and the shops are run by locals. Lunch is included and a vegetarian option is available if you request it when you book.

Your guide speaks English or Spanish and stays with the group throughout the day, handling the boat schedule, the climb timing, and the village walk. Breakfast is included before you leave Medellín, and the vehicle returns you to your hotel by evening. Infants can ride in a stroller, and the itinerary suits all fitness levels, though the monolith climb is the physical anchor of the day.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Medellín.
breakfast before departure.
professional guide in English or Spanish.
air-conditioned transport.
boat ride across the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir.
lunch with a vegetarian option available on request.
insurance.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viajes Maxitours

Is this one for you?If your Spanish is limited or nonexistent, book the English-language guide so the commentary on the reservoir, the monolith, and the village history reaches you clearly. The guide stays with the group all day and handles the logistics, so you move through the stops without building the schedule yourself.