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Photo courtesy of Jessica Festa
This photo was taken while visiting Colombia, specifically after climbing El Peñol, a 740-step monolith in Guatape. It was a great experience, especially as I was taking a break from traveling solo and having some adventures with friends (including the lovely Seattle’s Travels).
Ascending the winding steps awarded aerial views of the surrounding crystalline lakes, lush green islands and colorful pueblos. The most magnificent view was enjoyed at the top — where it reaches 2,135 metres (7,005 feet) at its highest point — where even the rain and clouds couldn’t ruin the beauty and serenity of the country landscape. It was a welcome respite from the bustle of Medellin.
Tip: the best way to savor it all is paired with a frosty local beer from one of the restaurants or bars at the top.
Guatape. Photo courtesy of Jessica Festa.
Reliefs in Guatape. Photo courtesy of Jessica Festa.
Afterward, most people head to Guatape — a neon-colored pueblo about 10 kilometers (6 miles) away — to check out the rainbow bright buildings, savor a local meal, partake in water sports like wind surfing, kayaking and peddle boating, and watch locals crafting intricate reliefs depicting local life and culture.
For me, this day trip from Medellin was a major highlight of my 2-week Colombia trip.
Have you visit El Penol and Guatape? Please share your experience in the comments below.
Jessie Festa is a New York-based travel content creator who is passionate about empowering her audience to experience new places and live a life of adventure. She is the founder of the solo female travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and is editor-in-chief of Epicure & Culture, an online conscious tourism magazine. Along with writing, Jessie is a professional photographer and is the owner of NYC Photo Journeys, which offers New York photo tours, photo shoots, and wedding photography. Her work has appeared in publications like USA Today, CNN, Business Insider, Thrillist, and WestJet Magazine.
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Jessica that top image is epic love it! 7K feet? That’s nothing to sneeze at. I recall being like 2 miles high – elevation not on coca tea 😉 – in Cusco, Peru. Air was at a premium. I need to visit Colombia as one of my Columbian buddies keeps pushing his land on me. El Penol will be added to that list today. I dig your blog, your style and all of these fab travel pictures. Keep up the inspired work/play! I’ll be back soon!
@Ryan: Thank you so much for the kind words. Oh gosh. I remember all the cocoa leaves I chewed hiking around Peru. Didn’t seem to help me, either! That being said, South America (and New Zealand and Switzerland) is my favorite destination for adventure 🙂
I love the view from the top of that rock! I went last year on my first visit to Colombia (I’m currently living in Medellin) and I would love to go back. Beautiful place.
Hi Jess, How did you get to El Peñón de Guatapé from Medellín? We are planning a trip to Medellín and wanted to go here to shoot some photos and wander around.
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Jessica that top image is epic love it! 7K feet? That’s nothing to sneeze at. I recall being like 2 miles high – elevation not on coca tea 😉 – in Cusco, Peru. Air was at a premium. I need to visit Colombia as one of my Columbian buddies keeps pushing his land on me. El Penol will be added to that list today. I dig your blog, your style and all of these fab travel pictures. Keep up the inspired work/play! I’ll be back soon!
Ryan
@Ryan: Thank you so much for the kind words. Oh gosh. I remember all the cocoa leaves I chewed hiking around Peru. Didn’t seem to help me, either! That being said, South America (and New Zealand and Switzerland) is my favorite destination for adventure 🙂
I love the view from the top of that rock! I went last year on my first visit to Colombia (I’m currently living in Medellin) and I would love to go back. Beautiful place.
@Leah: Living in Medellin?! Officially jealous…Would love to move to Latin America 🙂
Hi Jess, How did you get to El Peñón de Guatapé from Medellín? We are planning a trip to Medellín and wanted to go here to shoot some photos and wander around.
@Stavros: you can take a really cheap cab from the local train station or an even cheaper bus 🙂
Hey Stavros. Check out this post: https://jessieonajourney.com/day-trips-from-medellin/
Thanks Jessie!