The people of Minnesota like to spend their week-ends, vacations and holidays going to “The Lake” to camp, fish, swim, and relax.

Well there is a lake that people from Medellin go to that can be called “The Lake”. I am referring to the “Reservoir of Peñol” (Embalse Del Peñol). This reservoir was created when a hydroelectric dam complex was built on the Nare River to supply hydro-power throughout the country. The reservoir has created water recreation and an economic boom for the region.

History

Prior to the 70’s this region consisted primarily of cattle, agriculture and mining. At the end of the 70’s, the large hydroelectric complex was built. Building the complex wiped out the town of El Peñol as well as rural homes and farms around the small towns of El Peñol and Guatapé. Flooding of the region displaced over 4,700 inhabitants. When the flooding was completed, the reservoir covered over 5,600 acres of land.

To mark the flooded old town of El Peñol, a cross is anchored over the site of the submerged church as a remembrance to the town.

Transformation of the Region

The reservoir completely transformed the region and created recreation and tourism. Vacation homes, hotels, hostels, camp sites and recreation activities now dominate the region. Locals escape to their vacation homes and fincas on week-ends and holidays.

Tourists and locals from all over Colombia come to Guatapé to participate in recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and parasailing. There are many great restaurants, coffee shops and bars in the area for locals and tourists to enjoy.

Our First Week-End Getaway

We planned to visit the town of Guatapé ever since we arrived in Medellin. Guatapé is only 54 miles east of Medellin. But because most of the highway is in the hills there are lots of curves and sharp turns and the trip takes 2 hours by bus.

We arrived by metro to Medellin’s north bus station. It resembles grand central station with private bus companies providing transportation services through-out Colombia. Bus tickets are inexpensive and our cost for 2 one-way tickets to Guatapé was less than $9.

We stayed in a hostel in the town of El Peñol which is a short distance from Guatapé. Because it is off-season, we had the whole hostel to ourselves. By staying in El Peñol, we were also close to “The Rock”.

The Rock

Besides the huge reservoir, the other attraction in this region is the “Piedra del Peñol”. The “Piedra del Peñol” is a ten-million-ton rock jutting 720 feet from the earth. This monolith was pushed up by tectonic plate movements through the earth. It is said that only 30% of the rock is exposed.

I am always anxious to climb to the top of any tall structure. So, of course, we climbed the stairs on the side of the rock. Every fifth step is numbered up to 675. We climbed and counted down the steps until we made it to the top. We did pause several times along the way, but only to take in the view, of course. Thank heaven for all those squat work-outs.

At the top, there are shops and a restaurant. There is also a tower structure that also includes shops. You can continue your climb to the top of the tower. So, what’s another 65 steps?

At the top there is a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view of the reservoir and the surrounding landscape which is spectacular. Of course, what goes up must come down. There is a separate set of stairs for the walk down. Total time up and down was about an hour and the climb was well worth it for the view.

Guatapé, The Town of Zócalos 

The rest of the week-end was spent visiting Guatapé. The streets of Guatapé are bright and colorful. Shops, restaurants and bars line the streets. Every building is covered with wall art known as zócalos. A zócalo is the lower part of the facade of a house or building. Unique to Guatapé, zócalos are painted in bright colors along with designs and art. Some of the designs are related to the history of the town, building or family. Other designs may relate to the occupation or hobby of the building’s owner or resident.

In the main square of the town there are municipal offices, a beautiful church and Chivas to drive tourists and locals around the town and to other villages in the area. There is also a small square with steps for people to gather for events and music.

A fun way to get around the town is to hire a tuk-tuk. For a couple of dollars, these little 3-wheelers whisked us around town, back and forth to our hostel, and to the base of the rock.

In our 2 days in Guatapé, we experienced the street scene and enjoyed the little shops and restaurants. We also took a 2-hour boat tour to view the grand homes and fincas that line the shores of the reservoir.

We found Guatapé to be ridiculously photogenic and a great respite from the big city of Medellin.