About two hours by bus from Medellín is the small town of Guatapé, easily doable in a day trip. Close to Guatapé is the main attraction in the area: El Peñon, also called La Piedra, The Rock. The Rock is a huge black monolith, sticking out of the otherwise relatively flat countryside. An amazing sight, isn't it?
But it gets better: 740 steps lead up the monolith and the little tower on top - no elevator shortcut available. All the way to the top, there were plants clinging to the vertical rock and somehow making a living out of sun and humidity.
The views from the top were simply stunning, revealing the fjord-like lake surrounding the monolith. That would be an awesome place to have a holiday home!
I couldn't get enough, looking down at the lake and the green hills making little islands and bays. Wonderful, and well worth the effort of climbing a few steps ;-)
About an hour's walk further, I reached Guatapé, a small town consisting of colorful houses like this one:
Walking around the streets was a real pleasure for the eye, with bright colors and flowers everywhere. More cities should be like this :-)
But it gets better: 740 steps lead up the monolith and the little tower on top - no elevator shortcut available. All the way to the top, there were plants clinging to the vertical rock and somehow making a living out of sun and humidity.
The views from the top were simply stunning, revealing the fjord-like lake surrounding the monolith. That would be an awesome place to have a holiday home!
I couldn't get enough, looking down at the lake and the green hills making little islands and bays. Wonderful, and well worth the effort of climbing a few steps ;-)
About an hour's walk further, I reached Guatapé, a small town consisting of colorful houses like this one:
Walking around the streets was a real pleasure for the eye, with bright colors and flowers everywhere. More cities should be like this :-)
