From Medellín we took a bus to the lake and town of Guatapé, which was already on our radar and was strongly (and repeatedly) recommended to us in Medellín. The lake was formed when a dam was built in the 70s, and is visually stunning. The small town of Guatapé is quite touristy, with lots of colourful buildings, street art, and cafes – nice to walk around for an afternoon. Getting around the lake is primarily done (for tourists) in colourful tuktuks called motochivas.
Weather:
Bright blue and sunny skies with just a few clouds. Super hot, which is a taste of the next week and a half on the Carribbean coast. Amazing thunderstorms at night.
Where we stayed:
We found a great little hotel in the countryside, set in a peaceful valley on an offshoot of the lake. The idyllic location was a key factor in choosing it, and the bargain discount we secured sealed the deal.
Best thing we ate:
No standout meals here, just standard Colombian fare. With just one vegetarian option on the menu at the hotel, Florence enjoyed a margarita pizza two nights in a row.
Coolest thing we did:
We climbed the impressive Peñón de Guatapé, a large isolated rock hill which rises 200m above its surroundings. A 708-step staircase built into the side takes you right to the top, and whilst we were certainly sweating by the end, it wasn’t as hard as we had feared.
The views over the lake were beautiful, both from the top and from the stairs.
Bonus:
The hotel had kayaks available for hire, which we took advantage of for a little excursion on the lake. After some initial debates about stroke timing and technique, and of course Chris’ thorough safety briefing, we got underway quite successfully and paddled happily around.
Bonus bonus:
Chris was unreasonably happy at saving just a few pounds by making us take local buses twice, rather than the tourist tuktuks, even if that involved giving drivers complicated descriptions of which layby to stop in near our hotel, and in the other direction, waiting on the side of the road and watching intently for the bus because there was no obvious bus stop.
Next stop, the Carribbean coast!
Besos,
Chris and Florence
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