After our sobering experience learning about Medellin's historic turmoil (my blog "Medellin, Colombia: Contrasting, complex, contentious - and amazing"), we were ready for a day of colour and lightness.
Half of our tour group with National Geographic/GAdventures and our lovely leader JP booked a private driver for a day long adventure to Guatape while the other half went their own way for a day - some to museums, some bird watching, and some catching up on rest. I was initially going to pass up this day trip in order to see more of Medellin but am glad I didn't (anyway, seeing more of Medellin is all the more reason to revisit Colombia, is it not?).
Guatape sits in the Andes in northwest Colombia, about a two hour drive east of Medellin. Remember, although it is only about 79 kilometres from Medellin, narrow, curvy, mountainous roads and congestion make driving a little slower than on the flat prairie landscape. The drive itself was worth the cost of admission, as they say, passing green fields, mountains, small farms, and sleepy towns.
We visited two main points of interest in the Guatape area. The first is the El Penon de Guatape, a gigantic rock formation looking high over the Penol-Guatape Reservoir, a man-made lake popular with locals, tourists and adventurers, and the second is the delightful town of Guatape, itself.
Due to heat and possible crowds later in the day, we headed straight for El Penon de Guatape. El Penon de Guatape (also known as the Stone of El Penol, La Piedra, or El Penol) might be interesting to geologists. It is apparently 65 million years old and has withstood erosion. It is also significant to the local indigenous population. The rock might also be just a little contentious as the towns of Guatape and El Penol have fought over ownership, leading to some unfinished graffiti on it's side.
El Penon de Guatape is known for having over 700 (yes, 700) steps carved into it's rock surface, winding all the way to the top for a stunning 360 degree view of the lake below. It's not as hard as it sounds, and going down seemed more difficult than going up as the steps are narrow and wet. Going up still requires caution - probably not recommended for persons with heart problems. There are lots of little rest areas on the way. It certainly gets your heart pumping. Of course, you can buy snacks and trinkets at the top. I can just imagine serious athletes training on these steps. And you might remember it from the Amazing Race?
The man made reservoir, the Penol-Guatape Reservoir was formed in the 1970's when the area was flooded to generate hydroelecric power and is now one of the largest lakes in Colombia. I am sure this was a contentious project as the reservoir flooded farm land and an entire town, El Penol. Residents were displaced to a new settlement. We stopped at a viewing site which also had a small duplicate copy of the flooded town as well as pictures of the original. The lake would be amazing for watersports, especially kayaking around the many islands. But all such projects have a downside. An interesting article about the ramifications of the reservoir project is "A Town Amid The Waters: The Building of a Hydroelectric Dam in Eastern Antioquia, Colombia" by Cindia Arango Lopez in Portal (sites.utexas.com)
Views from the top.
A picture of the original El Penol before flooding.
After building our cardiovascular strength on the 700 stairs, it was time to enjoy the delightful town of Guatape. Guatape is built on traditional indigenous lands and means "stones and water". The town was officially founded in the early 1800's and was an agricultural community before the Penol-Guatape Reservoir made the area a destination for tourists and adventurers. Guatape is known as one of the most (if not the most) colorful towns in Colombia. It is known for 'zocalos', detailed paintings on houses which either tell history or a story. Apparently, a local resident painted his residence in bright colours in1920, and others soon followed. Walking the streets of Guatape is like walking through an art museum. There were so many photo ops.
Enjoy this colour from the streets of Guatape:
How all that colour came to be . . .
Guatape also has a charming town square with the Nuestra Senora del Carmen church and colourful tuk tuks transporting tourists:
The Guatape region is easily reached by hiring a driver from Medellin for a day - the only way to go.
What a delightful day it was! Again, we mixed pleasure with exercise and learning. If you're in Medellin, I highly recommend staying an extra day for a side jaunt to Guatape. You might want to stay longer to do a bit of kayaking or take a boat tour on the reservoir or a helicopter tour of the region.
Our final stop on our tour is Cartagena where we try our hand at coconut jewellery making and cooking. Oh la la!
Comments