April 28th. The town of Guatepe is renowned for its vibrant charm and artistic flair.  Often hailed as one of the most colorful towns in the country, its streets are decorated with vividly painted buildings featuring intricate bas-relief panels known as zócalos. These decorative elements depict scenes from local folklore, daily life, and cultural traditions, transforming the town into a living canvas . We spent the rest of the morning exploring the town before heading over to climb the 750 steps to the top of the rock.

El Peñón de Guatapé, also known as La Piedra or El Peñol Rock, a towering granite monolith rising over 200 meters (656 feet) above the surrounding landscape near the town of Guatapé, formed millions of years ago. It’s an impressive geological marvel, composed primarily of quartz, feldspar, and mica, making it a striking natural feature in the region. A staircase of 740 steps zigzags up a crack in the rock, allowing us to climb the to the summit.

Jaxon and Charley flew up in an impressive 11 mins with stops, Tim and I close behind with 13 mins, but we did stop at the mid way view point, (Actually the climb from the truck to the base of the rock was harder on us than the stairs). The view from the top is breathtaking, panoramic views of the sprawling, man made lake, (hydro dam), and lush green countryside.

Our camp for the night was nothing glamorous, a carpark, next to the Frog, and conveniently located. The restaurant owner charged us 30,000 ($10CAD) without the use of toilets, that was an extra 1,000 p/flush.

Next stop…Medellin