El Peñol: A Stairway to Heaven

Deep in the Colombian countryside stands a vast monolith towering high into the sky. Millions of years old and worshipped for centuries by the Tahamies Indians, “El Peñol” is a sight to be behold. The rock offers panoramic views of the outstanding landscape, forever changed in the 1970’s when the area was dammed, flooding the land yet creating a beautiful network of lakes and islands. Unfortunately a number of small settlements, including the original village of El Peñol, had to be destroyed to make way for the rising waters.

Located near the colourful town of Guatapé, El Peñol is also accessible as a day trip from Medellín.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see any visible access for disabled visitors and, upon searching online, have been unable to determine whether there are any in place. According to Colombia Reports, there are said to be plans to construct a cable car here in future.

Information

Transport… To get to Guatapé from Medellín, you’ll need to make your way to Terminal del Norte and purchase a ticket from Booth 14.

The name of the bus company is Sotrasanvicente & Guatapé La Piedra and they charged $15,000 COP (£3.31/$4.19 USD) for a one-way ticket.

The journey takes approximately two hours via a scenic route through the mountains of Antioquia.

A single ticket from Guatapé to Medellín will also be $15,000 COP (£3.31/$4.19 USD).

Cost… The entry fee to El Peñol is $20,000 COP (£4.41/$5.59 USD).

For a detailed step-by-step guide on how to get to Guatapé and El Peñol from Medellín, click here.

El Peñol

The road from Medellín wound its way around the mountains, twisting and turning through the pastures of Antioquia’s lush green countryside. After the dry landscape of the Caribbean coast and the urban metropolis of Medellín packed tight into the valley, it was time to appreciate rural Colombia. Nearly two hours into the journey and weary after an early morning start, the rolling hills broke as an oval mass of quartz, granite and feldspar rose high into the sky. It was surreal to see this geological phenomenon protruding from the plains.

The bus driver dropped us off at some small shops and a flight of stairs on the right-hand side of the road, from which we slowly made our way in the rising morning heat up to the main entrance. It’s quite clear that El Peñol is becoming increasingly commercialised, judging by the large extending car park and the adjacent row of shops and restaurants. I’d made the trip from Medellín with Rosanna, a fellow traveller from my dormitory at Los Patios, and after purchasing our tickets, we prepared to make our assault on the 659-step climb.

View of the waterways from the top of El Peñol — The Waterways

The staircase criss-crosses its way up the large fissure in the rock, turning you left and right as you clamber to the top. Words of encouragement are offered to other travellers as you continue the relentless climb upwards, determined to complete this stairway to the heavens. Halfway up, a platform dedicated to the Virgin Mary serves as a reminder as to how Christianity is still central to the lives of the Colombian people, as well as an ample opportunity to catch your breath and admire the views.

Which, by the time you get to the top, just get better and better. Rich, green farmland and dark forests race away over the horizon, broken only by the vast waterways interspersed with islands and inlets. Small settlements dot the reddish brown riverbanks sloping down to the emerald waters, reminding me of my adventures on the Soca River in Slovenia. Some even have jetties to which small boats are tied; a wonderful way to enjoy this unique environment.

El Peñol's 659 Step Staircase — The 659-Step Staircase

It took us 45 minutes to make the climb but we made the most of the wonderful views once there. The top of the rock is a huge, flat platform with a cafe and newsagents, upon which there’s a small tower-like structure leading to an upper-deck. On this occasion, it seemed infested with flies that provided unwanted company as we soaked in the sights, coming away with a couple of bites for our troubles.

It’s easy to get consumed in snapping away with the camera when visiting an exquisite location like this; your experience coming through a lens rather than your own eyes. You might as well be looking at the computer or watching the TV. I’m as guilty as anyone, but as I’ve got older I’ve tried to take a more conscious approach and put the camera/iPhone down for a while, instead using my own eyes to really memorise the experience.

View of the waterways from the summit of El Peñol — View from the summit of El Peñol

It was starting to get hot as we made our descent at around 11:00am; I didn’t envy the stream of tourists steadily making their way up as the temperatures rose. It was definitely getting a lot busier by this point, so we were pleased to have got up there early and enjoyed the rock when it was quieter.

The first half of the descent involves passing people on their way up, but around half way down the steps split into a separate stairway, making your descent much quicker in the process. Once at the bottom, we returned to the shops where we’d been dropped off and managed to jump on a passing bus from Medellín who took us into Guatapé for $2,000 each.

Alex stood at the summit of El Peñol — Alex at the top of El Peñol

There’s no doubt that El Peñol is a fine spectacle and one I’d highly recommend visiting; I was never really disappointed at any time. The views are, in my own personal experience, truly unique and I wouldn’t hesitate to visit again. In fact, with hindsight, I’d have booked a night or two in Guatapé so as to experience the rock and the town without having to check the time and cater for the two-hour journey back to Medellín.

TIP: There are cafe’s, shops and restaurants at both the base and the summit of El Peñol however, as with any attraction, they’re significantly more expensive. Therefore, make sure you bring snacks and plenty of water with you to avoid paying any over-inflated prices.

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