Guatapé

Let me be clear, we are NOT city people. After a month in bustling Medellín, we were in dire need of natural surroundings. It was time to head to Guatapé, a very popular lakeside town just a two hour drive away.

The main attraction is El Peñol, a 656ft tall rock that can be climbed for breathtaking views. 

From the top you have a fantastic view of the emerald lake with numerous islands.

I was unsure how our children (8yrs old)  would do climbing its 649 stairs, but they had no problem. On the way up, the stairway is plenty wide enough to stop and enjoy the view while catching your breath while allowing people to pass. 

On the way down, you're on an inside staircase which is much narrower with fewer places to pass, but it's much less strenuous.

Once you reach the top, you can reward yourself with ice cream or a drink. For those who prefer not to climb the rock, you can still enjoying this spectacular view from the outdoor cafe balcony at the base of El Peñol. 

The village of Guatape is a fun place to walk around. The buildings there are as colorful as a box of crayons and the shop owners are super friendly.

We discovered this restaurant and it was so good we are there twice. Their limonada de cocós were SO GOOD! 

After climbing El Peñol we decided to return the following day for a boat tour. Our guide pointed out some fun rental cottages on an island and lakehouses owned by rich and famous Colombians.

We were on a pontoon boat, but there were many different boats to choose from.

In Guatapé we stayed at El Remanso Del Agua, the guesthouse of a Colombian couple. They took great care of us, fed us breakfast each day, drove us to and from the village and even dropped us off at the airport. Their property, a gorgeous retreat, is just what we needed after the culture shock of Medellín. This is their yard. Asher and Journey loved the tree swing. You can even see the top of El Peñol! Birding on the property and along their road was fantastic! I saw 37 species of birds there.

 

Facing Obstacles at Parque Arvi

We are not city people, and after a week we were craving nature, peace and trails with trees. We heard about a park nestled into the mountains high above the city, Parque Arvi was our destination, but to get there required taking two trains and two metro cables up the mountain until you reach the park at 8100ft.

As soon as we stepped off the cable car, we found ourselves at a small farmer and artisan market with handmade gifts, fruit and other foods for sale. Walking, biking and birding tours are offered by the park for a fee, however not necessarily according to their published or posted schedule.

We saw a dog lying in the grass along the road ahead. As we passed, the dog got up and started walking with us. All of a sudden another dog emerged from the bushes to join us, then another and another. Soon there were six friendly dogs happily strolling along with us on our hike. 

A separate park within the park is run by Comfama and offers a ropes course, playground areas, small museum and walking paths. We really enjoyed this place and came up twice to do the ropes courses.

On our second trip Journey struck up a conversation in Spanish with a girl on the bus. They both laughed hysterically when they realized they both also speak English. They introduced the families and we ended up spending the rest of the day with them. We

Trampoline park obstacles, a climbing wall, dodgeball on trampolines, and the most interesting zipline I've seen. It's only $15 for two hours.

Parque Explora twice

Medellin Zoo