Guatapé & El Peñol: Rock Climb, Waterfall & El Retiro

Four Towns, One Rock, and Why El Retiro Matters More Than the Guidebook Says

You get picked up in private transport and driven through the Andes to four distinct towns and one geological landmark. You can climb El Peñol Rock's 740 stairs or admire it from below, walk through Guatapé's painted neighborhoods, see Tequendamita waterfall without a hike, and learn why El Retiro's woodcraft tradition is inseparable from its role in Colombian freedom. Snacks and travel insurance are included. The guide speaks both English and Spanish and adjusts the pace to the group.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Guatapé, El Peñol, and nearby towns

• Pickup from your place in Medellín
• Travel through South America's longest tunnel
• Stop at Alto del Chocho restaurant
• Pass by El Peñol town
• Visit and optionally climb El Peñol Rock
• Walk through colorful Guatapé town
• Relax at Zocalo Plaza in Guatapé
• Visit Tequendamita Waterfall
• Walk and explore El Retiro town
• Enjoy coffee at El Retiro main square

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel or accommodation pickup in Medellín, private transportation throughout the region, travel insurance, and snacks.
• You'll stop at Alto del Chocho for pan de queso, visit El Peñol Rock and town, walk through Guatapé's neighborhoods with time to sit in the plaza, see Tequendamita waterfall, and explore El Retiro's woodcraft heritage with a coffee break in the main square.
• The guide is bilingual and travels with the group the entire day.
• Return to Medellín is included.

Times

• Monday to Friday 06:00 07:00 07:30
• Saturday and Sunday 06:00 07:00

Another time? ›

Before you book

Group Private 1 group tour ›

Live guide English and Spanish Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to 12h before

Ages Adult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Stroller-friendly Infants must sit on laps

Operated by The Andes Adventure Travels

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

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The experience

So you're heading out from Medellín and someone mentions Guatapé (yeah, the colorful houses, the Instagram thing), but then they say "oh, and there's a rock you can climb." What they don't tell you is that you're about to drive through the longest tunnel in South America, watch the city dissolve into Andes farmland, and end up in a place where the history is woven into the wooden doors and the coffee tastes different because the people who serve it actually live there. The tour picks you up in private transportation and moves at a pace that lets you breathe between stops instead of herding you through four towns in eight hours like you're checking boxes.

El Peñol Rock is the thing everyone talks about: 740 stairs, 700 feet high, views that stretch across the reservoir and the mountains beyond. You can climb it if your knees are game, or you can stand at the base and let the scale of it sink in while you grab a drink at one of the restaurants that ring the base. Either way, you're not rushed. Before you get there, the route takes you through El Peñol town itself, which rebuilt itself after a massive flood in the 1970s submerged the original settlement. The locals call it the Phoenix of America, and once you see how the community just decided to start over on higher ground, you understand why that name sticks. There's a stop at Alto del Chocho on the way (a roadside restaurant where the pan de queso is the kind of thing you think about later), and then you're moving deeper into the region.

Guatapé is the postcard stop, and it deserves to be. The zócalos (those intricate wooden panels that frame doors and windows) are painted in colors that somehow work together even though they shouldn't. You walk through the cobblestone streets for 20 to 30 minutes, not as a guided march but as a real wander, and then you sit down at the Zócalo Plaza with a coffee and just watch the town happen around you. It's the kind of moment that feels small until you realize you're actually connected to how people live there, not just passing through. After that, Tequendamita Falls is a short stop: no hiking, just the waterfall surrounded by forest, the kind of place that makes sense why García Márquez wrote about Colombia the way he did.

El Retiro is the last stop, and it's the one that changes how you think about the day. The town is famous for woodworking (furniture, doors, intricate craftsmanship that's been handed down through families), but the real history is that it was the first place in Colombia where enslaved African people were emancipated and given access to the gold mines. That's not a footnote. That's the town. You walk the colorful streets, see the ornate wooden work up close, sit in the main square, and the guide (bilingual, and actually from the region) can answer the questions that come up when you're standing in a place where something that mattered actually happened. The whole day is maybe ten hours door to door, and you're in a small group, which means the pace is yours and the conversation isn't a monologue.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Do I have to climb El Peñol Rock?

No. You can climb the 740 stairs if you want, or stay at the base and enjoy the views from the restaurants and shops around the rock. Both options are built into the tour.

How long is the drive from Medellín?

The tour is about 10 hours total. The drive to the first stop takes you through the longest tunnel in South America, and the route covers the east side of Medellín heading into Antioquia.

Is there hiking involved?

Only if you choose to climb El Peñol Rock. The waterfall stop at Tequendamita requires no hiking. The town walks in Guatapé and El Retiro are short and on flat cobblestone streets.

What's included?

Private transportation, travel insurance, and snacks. Meals and drinks at stops are separate, though the pan de queso at Alto del Chocho and coffee in the plazas are inexpensive.

Is this suitable for families with young children?

Yes. Infants can travel in a pram or stroller, and small children can sit on an adult's lap. The pace is flexible, and you're not locked into a large group schedule.

What's the group size?

The tour specializes in small groups to keep the experience personalized. You're not herded through with 30 other people.

Can I customize the tour?

Yes. The guide works with the group to adjust timing and focus based on what interests you most.

What should I bring?

Comfortable shoes (especially if you're climbing the rock, the stairs are steep and tight). Sunscreen, water, and a light jacket for the elevation changes.