08 Apr 2023
The best way for families to experience Guatupe/El Peñol is by private tour, and I highly recommend PH Tours Medellin.
We had a fantastic time with Felipe (our tour guide and owner of the company). Our family of four (two kids ages 5 & 9) was picked up at our hotel in a spacious, clean 3-row SUV. Felipe was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the history of the areas we visited. He was also very patient with our kids. Felipe was fluent in English and Spanish, and I think he spoke a few other languages.
We got to explore so much during the day. Our first stop was at a petting zoo with llamas, alpacas, and a variety of farm animals. Next we headed to the replica of the old town of El Peñol. We then went to the town of Guatupe, which was colorful and beautiful. I recommend adding the VIP Boat Tour to your excursion. We got on a private comfortable speedboat and rode around the lake while Felipe pointed out homes owed by famous and infamous people. Finally, we climbed the 700+ steps to the top of El Peñol rock. It seemed daunting at first, but our kids were able to do it with a few breaks along the way. The views from the top are worth it!
Felipe was very well connected to locals in the areas we visited, and recommended stores and restaurants along the way. We explored all the stops at a leisurely pace.
Please know that there may be lots of traffic heading from Medellin to Guatupe, so if he recommends leaving early in the morning…. DO IT! We left at 7:30am and had an easy journey. There was a traffic jam on the highway home so he recommended an alternate, off road route…. it was a fantastic adventure and we got to see amazing nature and quaint villages. Plus, it saved us a couple of hours of travel! We returned to the hotel by 7:30pm.
This tour was our family’s favorite part of our trip to Colombia. I highly recommend it. Thank you, Felipe and PH Tours Medellin, for the wonderful experience!