Wanderlust

I am a sucker for beautiful scenery, and while researching my Colombia itinerary, I came across pictures of this charming little pueblo. I knew I had to make my way there…and if you’re ever in Colombia, so should you!

Barely a couple of hours from Medellin, Guatapé is a popular weekend getaway destination for the Paisas (people from Medellin and surrounding areas). It is easy to get to by public transport but I opted to do a 1-day tour because I was too exhausted (*cough* lazy) to plan the trip. I went with ‘Tours Guatapé’. I have to admit to having been slightly horrified when two huge coaches turned up at Estadio Laureles (Laureles station) in Medellin, and I felt a little like cattle being shepherded to my destination. However, the day trip was fantastic and our tour guides were top-notch. I’d totally recommend the company.

Guatapé is famous for two things – El Peñol de Guatapé (the Rock of Guatapé) and the vibrant, distinctive Zócalos in the colourful town (more on this later).

El Peñol de Guatapé

A humongous 200m high granite monolith located in the town of El Peñol (the two towns lay claim to this rock), the origins of this site as a tourist attraction is interesting. The rock was first officially climbed by Luis Eduardo Villegas López in 1954. He bought the land from the farmers who owned it (they thought it was worthless as it couldn’t be farmed), built stairs into the cracks in the rock and began charging people to climb it! He had clearly seen its potential. He made a killing off his idea, and to this day, his family continues to live off its profits.

The reason why everyone climbs the 742 steps to the top is for the sensational panoramic views.

How pretty is this view? Would you believe this is man-made?

The beautiful blue-green Guatapé Lake, the islands, and numerous islets were created after the area was flooded in the 1970s, to build a hydroelectric complex. (It provides 30% of the electricity used in Colombia). I can’t imagine the anguish felt by communities that had lived in the area for hundreds or thousands of years and lost the physical manifestations of that history when the area was flooded, but what a magnificent, unplanned and unexpected side effect!

Unfortunately my pictures fail to do justice to the striking views…you just have to go see it in person!

I enjoyed getting sneak previews of the view on the way up the 742 steps to the top of rock (despite the queues. Yes, there were queues…due to the ziz-zag structure of the stairs, stitched as it is to crevices in the rock, there are bottlenecks ). And once at the top, you can’t fail but be blown away by the all -encompassing views that go on for miles. In spite of the crowds, I was able to connect to moments of awe and wonder – tracing the waters that wrap around what seems like a billion unique and lush islands/ islets; some dotted with buildings or veined by roads, and others wild and uninhabited. I could have stood there all day.

Alas, I had to return to the coach. We had lunch (the delicious bandeja paisa, the Colombian national dish) and spent a couple of hours on a boat ride around the lake.

Pro-tip: Do not bother climbing up the ‘viewing tower’ when you get to the top of El Peñol. You will be rewarded by a swarm of insects buzzing at you, some of which you will inhale through your nostrils or ingest through mouth…or both! (Yes, I am speaking from experience. It was traumatic). Worse, the views are obstructed by the railing.

The Zócalos of Guatapé

Afterwards, we made our way to the town itself. As you walk along the steep, windy, cobbles-stoned streets of this Andean town, your senses are almost overwhelmed by the bright colours of the buildings. The lower third of each building is additionally adorned with colourful panels of bas-relief designs (‘zocalos’) depicting a range of subjects from bucolic scenes to abstract geometry. These imaginative and vividly detailed architectural features have led to Guatapé being dubbed El pueblo de Zócalos (the town of zocalos).

According to our tour guide, the first of these Zócalos was created in 1919, with the aim of protecting the walls from destruction by animals. Others suggest ‘the idea was born from the desire of a person or a family to depict on the outside wall of their house an image or a scene that reflected their everyday life, perhaps with the aim of immortalising that event’.¹ Some Zócalos denote cultural events – trace the town’s history, recreate important local festivals, some are personal – denoting important family histories or personal interests; others are commercial, denoting the type of businesses that inhabit the buildings.

Colourful Zócalos – what stories do you think they tell?

Zócalos are now a part of the cultural identity of the town, and a huge boost to the local economy due to tourism. As a result, although not mandatory, there is certainly huge social pressure for each resident to put up a zocalo.

The town is lively, with cafes, restaurants and independent stores filled with handcrafted souvenirs. The Calle del Recuerdo (street of memories) holds a multi-coloured fountain built in memory of the neighbourhood that was flooded for the reservoir. The parque principal (town square) is broad, tree-lined, and overlooked by the pretty white and red iglesia. I opted to hang around the plazoleta de los Zócalos (a cheerful square right next to a pretty umbrella lined street, with brightly painted stairs ideal for sitting and soaking the sun), and treated myself to a delicious ice cream cone. The perfect end to a splendid day.

Visit Guatapé, for the one of the best views in Columbia and to experience living your life in technicolour.