Granite Inselberg in Sprawling artificial lake- Guatape Colombia
Guatape antioquia Colombia
Guatape is a town and municipality in Antioquia, Colombia. It is located 79 kilometers from Medellin, the capital of Antioquia. Guatape is known as one of the most colorful and beautiful towns in the world. It is bordered on the north by Alejandria, San Rafael to the east, and Granada and El Penol to the south. The town is a major tourist attraction, especially for travelers from Medellin. El Penon de Guatape is a large rock monolith. The surrounding area of this rock has some eye-catching scenery that you never see in another place in the world.
Guatape town
Guatape town is located on the shores of the Embalse Guatape, a sprawling artificial lake. It is known for the adornment of its traditional houses. Brightly painted depictions of people, animals, and shapes cover the lower half of many dwellings. Guatape is inhabited by indigenous groups of people in the Antioquia area in the sixteen century. The territory was ruled by “Guatape”. Guatape was the head of the tribe and so the town was named after him. Guatapé is located 1,925 meters above sea level, the climate is temperate with occasional rains. When you approach the Penon de Guatape, you will be impressed to see a huge rock in the middle of the lake. The Guatape rock or Penol de Guatape is a giant monolith, and one of the emblems of Colombia. See the surrounding atmosphere of Guatape in the Guatape Colombia map.
The geology around the place
The Rock of Guatape is composed of granite, It was exposed when the surrounding landscape was eroded in the second ‘half’ of Noah’s Flood, as the continents uplifted, the ocean basins sank, and the floodwaters that initially covered the whole continent flowed across the area into the ocean. There are hills surrounding the rock that are of similar elevation to each other and to the rock. The surrounding higher land (softer rock) surface has been eroded out. The original land surface would have been carved out of this Inselbergs structure.
Guatape tour
La Piedra del Penon or Penon de Guatape is a 220 meters high rock located two kilometers away from Guatape. If you want to see a great view of the town, you must climb 740 Guatape steps to the top of the rock to enjoy the scenery. A Guatape town is a picturesque place that has a square-shaped house called “Plaza de Los Zocalos”. There you will find colorful buildings that are painted in different bright colors since the twentieth century. Some of the designs are only in colors and some others have animal or flower shapes on the wall.
El Penon Guatape
The area around Penon de Guatape or Guatape rock flooded after the building of the hydroelectric dam in the 1970s. From it came the lake or Laguna de Guatape, which tourists can see today. It has become a famous tourist destination and Guatapé rock has become an iconic landmark for the area. The Guatape helicopter tour is a unique moment that offers flying over the most representative sites of Guatapé with mind-blowing scenery. Apart from this Paragliding Guatape is the best activity. Enjoy the breathtaking views by paragliding and parasailing over the Laguna de Guatape. Other activities included El Penon de Guatape water sports. People can explore the lake by kayak or practice paddleboarding in the calm waters. There you can explore the multitude of small islands around Guatape Rock.
Guatape day tour from Medellin
When planning a trip to Colombia, one of the first places to come to mind to visit is Guatapé in Antioquia. This colorful place outside of Medellin is famous for the surrounding turquoise lake and beautiful scenery. It is an easy day trip from Medellin, Guatape tour from Medellin is a great trip, the outdoor adventure is here to keep you entertained. Since Guatapé and Piedra del Penol are one of the most common tours from Medellin, getting from Medellin to Guatape is easy. Tourists can take a bus from Medellin to Guatape, which is averaging 2 hours drive. Visit the Laguna Guatapé explore out on the lake is an awesome opportunity to relax. Tourists can hire kayaks locally on the lake and can take some awesome pictures of nature.
Also read- Sossusvlei Sand dunes and Salt pan of Namibia
How to Get to Guatape
The best way to get to Guatape is first to reach Medellin from any Airport in Columbia and then travel to Medellin to Guatape by Bus or hire a Cab.
