As I hopped off my bike to walk it uphill for the second time after leaving Guatape, I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. We had been told that the 26 kilometer ride to San Rafael was mostly downhill, but in the first 7 kilometers it seemed like all we were doing was going up! Naturally, I had forgotten to take my inhaler; my lungs and legs were screaming!
As I caught up to Gabe at the top of the hill, it all became worth it. The sweeping views were breathtaking! We sat there-sipping our water, catching our breath and taking picture after picture. We set off again feeling refreshed and then the downhill part of the ride started. We dropped just over 1,000 meters in the remaining 19 kilometers to San Rafael. We sped downhill laughing and stopping for pictures. This was what we had gotten ourselves into, and it was phenomenal!
San Rafael isn’t much of a sight, but the nearby river is the perfect place to cool down after a hot, exhausting bike ride. After some ferocious negotiating between Gabe and the money collector for the bus, we headed back to Guatape; we both agreed that there was no way we could have made the bike ride back.
With ice cold beers in hand, we watched a gorgeous sunset from the balcony of Lake View Hostel. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
Originally, we had planned to stay in Guatape for only the weekend, but they were in need of volunteers, and we loved it so much that we ended up staying for 2 weeks! Guatape is a picturesque town located about two hours from Medellin. Guatape is a chain of lakes bordering a reservoir created by the Colombian government for a hydro-electric dam in the late 1960s. It is known as the Pueblo de Zócalos, for the beautiful, brightly-colored paintings of village life which adorn the lower half of most buildings in the town center. Although the town center is small, it has plenty of character.
Mornings were spent volunteering (putting on coffee, cleaning the hostel, check-ins/check-outs, etc.. Afternoons were spent exploring everything Guatape has to offer.
We spent one afternoon walking to and hiking up La Piedra. La Piedra is the main tourist attraction near Guatape, and rightfully so. After walking the 740 steps to the top of the 200 meter tall monolith, you are greeted with spectacular 360 degree panoramic views. While many travelers only come on a day trip to see La Piedra (as recommended by Lonely Planet), Guatape is so much more!!
We hiked to a secluded waterfall with Greg (one of the owners of Lake View) and our fabulous guides Amber and Sophia, the resident hostel dogs another afternoon. Another was spent kayaking around the lakes. Nick (the other owner) even took Gabe to play in the weekly soccer game of the locals versus the military. Nearly every afternoon was spent with a swim in the lake with Nick and Sonia (the other volunteer) or drifting lazily on tube. Guatape was the perfect blend of adventure/activity and relaxation, and is hands down our favorite place in Colombia.
**Note: currently Lake View Hostel is located just across the bridge from the downtown area of Guatape, however, construction is underway and expected to finish in the next couple of months on a new and improved LVH in town. Nick and Greg are phenomenal, and we highly recommend LVH as your base for Guatape. Kayaks, bikes, fishing poles, etc…can be rented from LVH or can be used for free if you volunteer, and they are always looking for volunteers.
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