On the way from Bogotá to Medellín, we pass a striking rock. Not quite on the direct route, but small detours are part of the charm of a camper trip. We turn off the main road and head for Guatapé. Unfortunately, as we drive through the village in our campervan Ben, we come across lots of proactive salespeople and the village doesn’t seem particularly inviting at first glance. Quickly we decide not to visit the village itself and just take the landmark, the Rock of Guatapé, into our memories.

Rock of Guatapé

In the middle of the landscape, i.e. here in Guatapé on a spit of land in the heavily branched lake, stands the huge rock. Erosion processes must have left this rock standing, while the rest of the landscape around it has continued to erode. We can climb the impressive height of around 220m via steps nestled against the rock. After climbing 740 steps, we finally reach the viewing platform at the highest point of the rock. From here, we enjoy the spectacular view of the surrounding lake and the light breeze, which is just what we need after this climb.

There is not much more for us to do or see in Guatapé. It feels as if the natural attraction of the rock has faded into the background over the years. Instead, many expensive leisure activities such as jet skiing or wakeboarding are on offer. This offer is tailored more to vacation guests than to us long-term travelers. A number of souvenir stores and restaurants at the foot of the cliff are also geared towards the quick peso from tourists. Accordingly, we drive on to Medellín that same evening to see whether the pattern of tourist attractions continues there or whether Medellín can convince us more.