Pearls of Life: Pablo Escobar’s vacation home, Guatapé, Antioquia Department, Colombia.
The family, Carmit, Noy and Hilla, enjoying the Guatapé sign in bank of the river of Guatapé, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
Blue eyes with olive skin is the common feature in Guatapé, Antioquia Department, Colombia. The features of the people in Guatapé are very distinguished from the other population in Colombia for a few reasons. In Guatapé, people are blessed with beauty that is combined with piercing blue eyes in the color of the sea and olive skin like the one in the Jungle. Traveling from Medellin to Guatapé is a bus ride of 2.5 - 3 hours. It is common to take a tour from Medellin to Guatapé and the tour company is offering a 50 Euro one day trip including lunch.
Colorful square of Guatapé town, Antioquia Department, Colombia.
Arriving at Guatapé is welcoming with a strong coffee at the center of the town. The town is very colorful, built with small houses, one or two levels. The house's walls are covered with graffiti to indicate the nature and the characteristics of that house. For that, you can find graffiti of a bakery on the walls of a bakery place and graffiti of a barber on the wall of a barber place. Guatapé welcomes tourists all year round and there is a lot to see in a day tour. I preferred to spend the night in Guatapé in a small hostel near the river.
Sisters Noy and Hilla enjoying the graffiti along the streets and neighborhood of Guatapé town, Antioquia Department, Colombia.
The first day in Guatapé, I took the tuk-tuk, which was small and colorful with pictures and decorations and Spanish music. The driver was very nice and took us all around the town for 20 minutes, showing us the colorful town, the main square, and stopping for pictures to enjoy the memorial ride.
Colorful and vibrant tuk-tuk in the center of Guatapé town, Antioquia Department, Colombia.
At the center of the town, we took another cup of coffee, sitting with the locals, who were welcoming us and greeting us for arriving to Guatapé. We were offered to shop in a chocolate store as the cocoa production is noticeable in this area. At the corner of the town square, we found a fruit stand with all the delicious tropical Colombian fruits that this area can offer. We bought “maracuya”, which is passionfruit, typically in Colombia. The fruit was delicious and is used as a basis for maracuya drink, which is very popular in Colombia, or to be eaten fresh by itself.
Local and tropical fruit stand in Guatapé town, Antioquia Department, Colombia.
The tour guide took us to have lunch in a typical Colombian restaurant on the outskirts of the town, where we could enjoy typical Colombian plates with a view of the river. The service was excellent, as well as the food.
Guatapé Rock, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
Carmit and Hilla climbing Guatapé rock, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
For the second day, we went to visit the Guatapé Rock, which is located near the banks of Guatapé town. The rock of Guatapé is very famous for the ability to climb the 750 stairs from down the rock to the top of the rock. The climb is doable but as you go up, you have less oxygen for breathing so many people find it difficult to do it in one climb without stopping in the middle of the stairs for a break. While climbing the rock and getting to the top, you discover the beautiful views of the surrounding of Guatapé.
The family together, Carmit, Noy and Hilla enjoying the views from the top Guatapé Rock, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
Magnificent view from the top of the Guatapé Rock, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
The view from the top of the rock from Guatapé is magnificent and reminds me of different area in the mountains of Switzerland where there is a lot of water and big houses and lots of nature and green. That area of Guatapé surrounding the rock is famous for the big houses that Pablo Escobar and his family used to own.
Hilla enjoying the boat ride in Guatapé, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
One of the tops of the trip to that area is having a boat ride in the lake surrounding those houses and houses of other famous football players and celebrities.
Noy and Carmit enjoying the beautiful boat ride in Guatapé, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
El Penol is the little town near Guatapé where you can visit on the way back to Medellin and enjoy many stores of souvenirs. In El Penol, we were offered tasting of chocolate liquors and candies from cocoa as a free gift for visiting the area.
Noy in the colorful and vibrant streets of Guatapé, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
I recommend to take this tour from Medellin to Guatapé as a one day tour, or even spend the night in Guatapé, and enjoy this part of the Antioquia Department in Colombia. Traveling with a tour for 1 day is also sufficient to enjoy this area and in the evening the bus takes you back to Medellin. Medellin at night is always a delightful experience, celebration of lights with a lot of bars, restaurants, activities in the El Poblado comuna. For more about Guatapé, view our pictures in this blog and contact us for the nature tour in Colombia.
The family in the tuk-tuk, exploring the town Guatapé, Antioquia Department of Colombia.
