Guatapé and El Peñol

El Peñón de Guatapé is a granite monolith rising more than two hundred metres from flat ground beside a reservoir, and someone had the idea of building a zigzag staircase of over seven hundred steps into a natural fissure in its face. From the top the view is unusual: a reservoir that flooded the valleys in the 1970s, leaving a maze of green peninsulas and islands that looks nothing like a natural lake. The town of Guatapé below is known for zócalos, brightly painted three-dimensional panels along the base of every building, depicting sheep, coffee, fish, family trades and whatever else the owner chose. Together they make one of the most photographed streets in Colombia.

What you actually see

• The staircase up El Peñón - over seven hundred steps in a fissure to the summit view.
• The reservoir view - the flooded valley of green fingers and islands from the top.
• Guatapé zócalos - painted relief panels along the streets of the old town.
• Boat trips on the reservoir - out among the islands, including the ruins of the drowned old town.

When to go

The drier months, December to March and July to August. Weekdays are far better than weekends, when Medellín empties into Guatapé and the staircase becomes a queue. Early morning gives the clearest air over the reservoir.

Honest expectations

The climb is steep and relentless, and in heat and altitude it defeats plenty of people; there is no lift. Weekends are genuinely overwhelming, with a slow-moving line on the stairs. The town's painted streets are beautiful and thoroughly commercialised, with the main square given over to souvenirs.

Nearby

Medellín is two hours away; the Antioquia coffee country lies south.