Visit Guatape in Colombia

Lovers of small town flavor, spectacular views, and water related activities will find plenty of things to do in Guatape, Colombia. Guatape is, in our humble opinion, one of the coolest small towns in Colombia. Granted we have only visited about 6 or 7 small towns, but Guatape left a HUGE impression. Visiting small towns is as rewarding to us as exploring the speed and energy of foreign cities. Small towns are generally laid back, peaceful, and possess a sense of character that is sometimes lost in a metropolis. You can even say that the real soul of a country or a region is found in its towns and villages. We spent three months exploring Colombia. After a busy week (and a crazy weekend) in Medellin we decided to hop on a bus and head two hours east of the city, to the lovely and colorful town of Guatape. Situated on a bank of a beautiful (and artificial) lake, the town is known for the fresco-like images depicting daily farming life which adorn the lower portion of most buildings. Within a couple of hours of walking around we were full-on in love. The town itself is small, bright, colorful, and most of its people possess the friendly good-spirited nature that this part of Colombia is known for. Surrounded by high green hills, and filled with small little islands, the lake is a spectacular sight to behold and great fun to explore via your watercraft of choice. We climbed a large hill right right on the outskirt of town and were rewarded with majestic views, and a glorious sunset. We decided to check into the Lake View Hostel, which turned out to be a great launching pad for all the exploration we did over a few days. Both Nick and Greg, the two expats who opened the Lake View Hostel together, bombarded us with options of things to do in Guatape. We decided to compile a list of six attractions the town has to offer, just in case hanging out and reading a book in peace by a gorgeous lake is not activity enough. Getting from Medellin to Guatape Getting to Guatape from Medellin is pretty simple. Mini buses run every half hour (from 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM) from Medellin’s North Bus Terminal to Guatape. The price per person is 15,000 COP ($4.50). Otherwise you can rent a car and make the drive yourself, but we tend to avoid such things when on the road in countries we have very little experience driving in.