7+ Great Things to Do in Guatape, Colombia

You don’t have to dig deep to know what the most popular thing to do in Guatape, Colombia is! Images from the top of Piedra del Peñol are deservedly famous across social media.

But as much fun as climbing 740 steps up for an overview of the lake surrounding Guatape is, the town of Guatape itself would be worth visiting even without its most famous attraction.

And, though Guatape is a popular day trip from Medellin, if you have enough time, there are more than enough things to do in Guatape to make this colorful town worth spending a night (or even more) in.

We were lucky enough to spend a couple of days and nights exploring the best activities in Guatape. We left feeling like it would be very easy to let a peaceful, slow-going week pass by in Guatape!

Our stay was hosted in part by Lake View Hostel, though most expenses were incurred by us (and outside of Guatape, our month in Colombia was entirely self-funded).

Planning a getaway soon and looking for the best things to do in Guatape?

Here’s where to look!

The Best Things to Do in Guatape

Climb El Peñol.

First things first: you can’t come to Guatape without taking in the views from the top of El Peñol, also known as Piedra del Peñol or the Rock of Guatape.

True, the climb is 740 steps, but the expansive views of Guatape Lake and its many islands are worth it.

Much of the climb is shaded, and it primarily takes place on a staircase that has been built into the rock.

When you arrive at the top, feel free to stay a while. You worked for it, after all!

The top of El Peñol is home to a small cafe selling snacks and drinks, as well as a couple of souvenir stands and plenty of places to sit down and soak up the view.

Prices have increased steadily over the years, but as of 2026, the cost of the climb is said to be 30,000 COP, payable in cash. There is a ticket counter at the base of the climb.

If you confirm an additional price change, I’d love to hear about it!

Get your adrenaline pumping.

Guatape makes an excellent hub for adventure activities of all kinds!

Whether you want to rappel down a giant waterfall, give paragliding a try, tackle an exhilarating hike, or bike down curving mountain roads, Guatape will leave you spoiled for choice.

One thing we don’t recommend in Guatape? Ziplining.

There’s a small zip line near the shore in Guatape, but quite frankly, it looked like one of the most boring (though inexpensive!) ziplines imaginable.

Explore Guatape’s colors.

Guatape is, hands down, the most colorful town we visited in Colombia, beating out even famously colorful Cartagena. It’s arguably the most colorful town we’ve ever seen on the planet!

The buildings in the center of town are all brightly painted, and pretty zocalos (patterned designs that remind me a tiny bit of wainscoting with a very Colombian twist) cover the bottom halves of many of them.

When visiting Guatape, we happily passed many hours wandering through town, ducking into shops, watching street performers in the main square, sipping coffee from cafes, and of course, photographing everything in sight.

Downtown Guatape is also a great place to shop for memorable souvenirs and gifts to take back home with you!

Take to the open road to visit San Rafael.

The countryside surrounding Guatape is beautiful, with more than enough mountain and river views to leave your jaw permanently dropping open as you go by.

Jeremy and I rented a motorbike for the day and set off, unsure of where we would end up or what we would find.

We ended up coming across the cute town of San Rafael, and stopped to rest at a gorgeous river.

What we most remember about that day, though, were the random views of the Andes mountains that we found, and pulling over to enjoy them whenever we got the chance!

We don’t often use our own transportation on the road, preferring to use public transport when it makes sense.

Because of that, the sheer freedom of a motorbike and some epic views on a beautiful day in the countryside was incredibly invigorating to us!

Visit one of Pablo Escobar’s mansions.

… And play paintball in it.

I’ll admit, I’m a little hesitant to include this as I feel a bit strange about the idea of playing with toy guns in the former property of a man who famously used very real guns to destroy the lives of a lot of very real people… but it is one of the most popular things to do in Guatape.

The mansion, La Manuela, was named for Escobar’s daughter and was famously bombed by a vigilante group in 1993.

Today, the mansion is in ruins, and nature is starting to take back over, making it a very interesting place to play paintball on many levels.

You can book tours in advance or when in Guatape, but you will definitely need to be part of an organized group to visit.

Take a break from Colombian food.

It’s inevitable: after several weeks of any given cuisine, you’re going to start craving something radically different.

In Latin America, that often means that we start dreaming of flavors from various Asian cuisines!

Luckily, Guatape is (somewhat unexpectedly) home to a tasty Thai restaurant.

And, unlike our disastrous encounter with something billed as Thai food in Nicaragua, Thai Terrace produces some tasty Thai food!

Our pad Thai, red Thai curry, and spring rolls were a delicious change of pace for our palates while visiting Guatape.

The fact that the restaurant was located at Lake View Hostel, where we were staying, was an added bonus.

Hit the lake.

What’s a lake town without plenty of things to do on the lake itself?

Whether you want to try out jet skiing, head out on a kayak, jump on a tour boat or even rent a boat to take out on the lake yourself, Guatape has plenty of options to make sure you take full advantage of Guatape Lake.

At the top of the list, though, is absolutely a boat tour!

Even if you only have one day in Guatape, it’s worth experiencing the lake from the water.

Most day trips to Guatape from Medellin, including this wildly popular one, include a boat tour as part of their itinerary for a reason!

Shop day trips to Guatape from Medellin today!

Where We Stayed in Guatape, Colombia

Our stay at Lake View Hostel was exactly what we were looking for in a place to stay in Guatape, Colombia.

Our private room was clean and quiet (with a view of the lake to boot!), and having both the Thai Terrace and a delicious breakfast on site was a major win. For breakfast, be sure to try the breakfast burrito: you won’t regret it!

The hostel itself had a great laid-back environment and lots of fun. There were plenty of communal spaces for hanging out or just relaxing and enjoying the view.

Having the Dragon Bar onsite to grab a drink after dinner was convenient as well (and since the bar shut down around 11, it was a win/win in our opinion: a bar with no late-night noise to contend with!).

We loved being just a short walk away from both the center of Guatape with all its vibrant colors and the lakefront, and would not hesitate to stay again!

The only downside we would note is the slow wifi connection: you’ll be fine to check social media, but don’t plan on doing any intensive internet-based work while here.

Check rates & book your stay at Lake View Hostel today!

Should you book a day trip to Guatape?

Most travelers visit Guatape as a day trip from Medellin, and if that’s all your schedule allows for, one day in Guatape is definitely worth it!

The easiest way to see the best of Guatape in a day from Medellin is to book an organized day trip that will handle both your transportation and itinerary for you (and you can be sure you’ll fit in the essentials of El Peñol, downtown Guatape, and a boat tour into one day).

If you have time, we recommend spending a night or two in Guatape, but with limited time in Colombia to work with, this popular day trip to Guatape from Medellin is a great way to sample the best things to do in Guatape in limited time.

Book your Guatape day trip from Medellin today!

Getting To + Around Guatape, Colombia

If you don’t come with an organized tour, you can easily get to Guatape from Medellin via bus.

Buses leave roughly every hour from Medellin’s North Bus Terminal, and the trip to Guatape takes about two hours.

If, like us, you’re visiting Guatape at the end of your trip to Colombia, note that Guatape is about the same distance from Medellin’s airport as Medellin itself is. In other words, don’t worry about getting back to Medellin before going home!

We headed to the airport directly from Guatape via transport booked with Lake View Hostel, which saved us the trip back to Medellin that we originally thought we would have to make.

Within Guatape itself, most spots are walkable, but you’ll want to pick up a tuk-tuk to take you to the entrance to El Peñol.

The tuk-tuks gather right on the lakeshore and are easy to find.

What to Pack for Visiting Guatape, Colombia

We published a detailed Colombia packing list here, but here are a few essentials you’ll definitely want to be sure to bring to Guatape!

Sunscreen — I’m sad to say that I ended up with my worst sunburn in many years while in Guatape.

Turns out, forgetting to reapply sunscreen while on a motorbike will do that. Don’t make my mistake: be careful with sunscreen!

Bathing Suit — Feel like hiking in a river to a waterfall, rappelling down one, or simply swimming in the lake?

You’ll want a bathing suit, and in the case of a day trip to Colombia, dry clothes to change into for the bus ride back to Medellin.

Sea Bands & Non-Drowsy Dramamine — This recommendation is less for Guatape itself than for the bus ride to and from, but if you get motion sickness, you’ll want to have these on hand!

Waterproof Phone Case — Want to bring your phone out on the lake without worrying about it?

Bring a waterproof phone case along with you! We own these. They’re inexpensive, easy to pack, and make taking photos around water far simpler.

Many thanks to Lake View Hostel for hosting us for two nights in a private room, providing dinner at the Thai Terrace and one breakfast, and providing us with a motorbike rental!

All other costs of exploring the best things to do in Guatape (and Colombia overall) were incurred by us, and all opinions are, as always, our own.