Medellín to Guatapé
day trip

Updated June 2026 · By Mike Zapata · 22 min read

Guatapé pulls roughly 1.5 million visitors a year, and most of them arrive the same way: a two hour drive from Medellín that climbs out of the Aburrá Valley, threads through the highland towns of Marinilla and El Santuario, and ends on the painted streets above a turquoise reservoir. The day trip is the single most photographed day trip in Colombia, and for good reason.

This guide pulls together every practical detail of getting from Medellín to Guatapé and back in one day. Drive times by route, costs in USD and Colombian pesos, the four real transport options, a 7 am to 7 pm itinerary that hits the highlights without burning out, and a clear answer to the question I get from clients every week: should you actually do this as a day trip, or stay one night.

Medellín to Guatapé day trip: the complete 2026 guide

The Medellín to Guatapé day trip is one of the most popular short escapes in Colombia, and it has grown into a small industry of tours, drivers, lakefront restaurants and viewpoint vendors. The route runs roughly 75 km east from Medellín through the highland municipalities of the Oriente Antioqueño region. You climb out of the Aburrá Valley, cross the high green plateau around Marinilla and El Santuario, then drop down to the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir, which was created when the Empresas Públicas de Medellín dam flooded the original El Peñol town in 1978.

The reason most people make this trip in a single day is simple: the two flagship sights, La Piedra del Peñol and the painted village of Guatapé, are within five minutes of each other and both can be covered in half a day. Add a one hour reservoir boat tour, a long lunch at a lakefront restaurant and time for photos, and you have a full but doable day that fits into a Medellín stay without giving up a hotel night.

What this guide does that most blogs do not: I give real 2026 prices in both COP and USD, current drive times that account for the heavy weekend traffic, and a clear breakdown of which transport option fits which kind of traveller. I also cover the 2027 highway upgrade that will reshape the journey, the photography spots that justify the drive, and the few practical things to know about safety and cash.

By the end you should be able to choose a transport option, lock in a departure time, know exactly what to eat where, and decide whether one day is enough for you or whether you should book the night. The Antioquia tourism board officially classifies Guatapé as a Pueblo Patrimonio, which is why I treat the town itself as more than just a backdrop to La Piedra.

Is a day trip enough, or should you stay overnight

The honest answer: a day trip is enough for the highlights, but you are trading depth for efficiency. If your only goal is to climb La Piedra, walk the painted streets, eat lunch by the water and take a quick boat, you can do all of it in a single day and still be back in Medellín for dinner. Most cruise ship passengers, business travellers stopping over and people on tight Colombian itineraries take this exact route.

Where the day trip falls short is the things that need slow light or extra time. Sunrise on La Piedra is a different photograph than midday, and you can only catch it if you sleep nearby. The lakefront fincas with private docks, kayaks, hot tubs and outdoor fireplaces are designed for two day stays. Calle del Recuerdo, the most photographed street in town, is empty and beautiful at 7 am and packed by 11. Sunset over the reservoir from the Mirador de la Piedra is unbeatable and not feasible on a day trip if you also want to get home before dark.

My rule of thumb for clients: if you have only one free day in Medellín, do the day trip and do not hesitate. If you have two or three days, sleep one night in Guatapé or El Peñol. The price difference is small, the hotel options are excellent, and the trip becomes a different experience.

How long is the drive from Medellín to Guatapé

The Medellín to Guatapé drive is consistently quoted as two hours, and that is a fair midweek average. Leaving El Poblado at 7 am on a Tuesday in dry season, with light traffic on Las Palmas and no major roadworks, you can be parked at La Piedra in roughly 1 hour 50 minutes. Coming from the Laureles or Belén neighbourhoods adds 10 to 15 minutes. From the José María Córdova airport in Rionegro, where many flights connect, the drive is closer to 1 hour 30 minutes because you skip the Medellín exit.

Weekends are the variable. Saturdays push the outbound drive to 2.5 hours, and Sunday afternoon return traffic through La Ceja and Las Palmas regularly hits 3 hours. The choke point is the descent back into the Aburrá Valley, where two lanes of car traffic, weekend cyclists and recreational motorbikes share the same mountain road. Rain adds another 20 to 30 minutes any day of the week because of fog at altitude and slower speed limits enforced by the Policía de Carreteras.

The new four lane Vía Oriente Antioquia highway, financed under the ANI (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura) fourth generation concession program, is the project that will rewrite this drive. Sections are already complete, and the corridor is scheduled to open progressively through 2027 and 2028. Once it is operational, ANI projections put the El Poblado to Guatapé time at 60 to 75 minutes, which would make the day trip feel closer to a long lunch than a full day commitment.

Distance is also worth understanding correctly. Most maps report 75 km, which is accurate from the eastern edge of El Poblado. From the city centre or the El Pueblito area in Laureles, the trip is closer to 82 km. Distance is not the bottleneck. The drive is slow because the road climbs from 1,500 metres in Medellín to 2,150 metres at El Retiro and back down to 1,925 metres at the reservoir, all on a two lane mountain corridor.

The best routes: Las Palmas, Marinilla, José María Córdova

There are essentially three serious routes from Medellín to Guatapé, and most of them eventually merge at Marinilla before continuing east. Choosing between them comes down to where you are starting and what time of day you are driving.

The classic Las Palmas route leaves the Aburrá Valley climbing Avenida Las Palmas out of El Poblado, crosses the high pass and drops into La Fe and El Retiro. From there it follows the highway through La Ceja, Marinilla and El Santuario before continuing on to El Peñol and Guatapé. This route is scenic, includes the famous viewpoints over the city at the top of Las Palmas, and is the most common option for solo drivers and tour vans.

The Túnel de Oriente shortcut, a long tunnel under the eastern mountain that opened in 2019, is the faster option when traffic on Las Palmas is heavy. It costs a small toll, exits directly near José María Córdova airport, and joins the same highway corridor at Marinilla. Travellers coming from Laureles or El Centro often save 15 to 25 minutes by using the tunnel even in normal conditions.

The José María Córdova route is the natural choice if you are already at the airport, either because you landed that morning or are picking someone up. The airport sits in Rionegro, already halfway to Guatapé in terms of elevation and distance. Many tour companies offer airport pickup as a package option for this reason. The drive from Rionegro to Guatapé is around 60 km and 75 to 90 minutes.

Transportation options: car, tour, driver, bus

There are four real ways to do the Medellín to Guatapé day trip. None of them is strictly better than the others. The right choice depends on your group size, how much you want to drive in Colombia, how much flexibility you want, and your tolerance for waiting around in a tour group.

A rental car gives you the most freedom and works well for confident drivers comfortable with Colombian highway driving. The cost is moderate when split between two people, you set your own pace, and you can stop at the photo viewpoints that organised tours skip. The downside is parking and navigation in unfamiliar terrain, and a small risk of small bumps that count against your deposit. Most international travellers do not need an Inka or 4x4. A small economy car is fine on this route.

An organised group tour is the easiest option for a single traveller. Pickup is at your hotel, there is a guide, lunch is usually included, La Piedra entry is bundled, and you do not have to think about anything. The tradeoff is rigid timing. The typical itinerary moves fast, gives you about 90 minutes in Guatapé town and 60 minutes for La Piedra, and often includes mandatory tourist shop stops on the return.

A private driver is the format I recommend for couples or small groups who want flexibility without driving themselves. You set the pickup time and route, the driver knows the road, you can stop wherever you like, and you do not deal with parking. Most drivers speak basic English and many specialise in Guatapé runs.

The public bus is the cheapest option and very common with younger backpackers. It runs from Terminal del Norte several times an hour, takes 2.5 to 3 hours with stops in Marinilla, El Santuario and El Peñol, and drops you in the Guatapé town centre. Once you arrive you walk or take a tuk tuk to La Piedra. The math works for solo travellers but stops making sense once you are two or three people, because you can split a private driver for the same cost.

Costs breakdown: USD and COP for each transport mode

Here is what a real Medellín to Guatapé day trip actually costs in 2026, including the entry fees, lunch and incidentals most blogs leave out. I am quoting in both USD and COP because exchange rates fluctuate and the on the ground prices are quoted in pesos.

Recommended day trip itinerary: 7 am to 7 pm

This is the itinerary I send to clients flying in to Medellín who want one perfect Guatapé day. It assumes a 7 am pickup in El Poblado, lunch in town and a 7 pm return. Adjust by 30 to 60 minutes in either direction depending on traffic and how long you want to linger at La Piedra.

If you flip this itinerary and start with the town and end at La Piedra, you risk being on the rock at 4 pm with low golden light, which is beautiful, and then a long traffic heavy drive back to Medellín in the dark. The morning La Piedra plan trades sunrise photos for an easier drive home, which is the right call on a day trip.

Half day, full day or overnight: which to choose

Tour companies sell three formats and they each suit a different traveller. A half day tour leaves Medellín around 7 or 8 am and returns by 2 or 3 pm. It hits La Piedra, gives you a fast 60 minutes in Guatapé town and skips the boat tour or relegates it to a 15 minute spin. Half day works for travellers with afternoon plans in Medellín and for people who hate spending more than six hours in a tour van.

A full day is the standard 10 to 12 hour itinerary I outlined above. It is the right format for almost everyone visiting Guatapé for the first time. You climb the rock without rushing, walk the painted streets, eat a real lunch, and take a proper one hour boat. Most quality tour operators offer this version, and almost all private drivers default to it.

Overnight is the version I quietly recommend whenever a client tells me they fell in love with the photos. The math is simple: one extra night in a lakefront finca runs 80 to 250 USD and you double the number of unique experiences. You add sunrise on La Piedra, dinner with the lake lights, and kayak time off the dock. Many of my buyer clients booked an overnight that turned into the moment they started looking at property in Guatapé.

The best day trip tours from Medellín to Guatapé

The Medellín to Guatapé tour market is competitive and most options are surprisingly similar. Below is how the categories actually differ in 2026, with realistic per person prices. The Antioquia tourism board lists roughly 30 registered operators for this route, plus dozens of informal drivers who run on referrals.

Budget group tours, the 30 to 45 USD range, run shared minibuses with eight to fourteen passengers. They include hotel pickup, the highway tolls, La Piedra entry, a brief town walk, a short boat ride and a simple lunch. The guide narrates in Spanish and English. These are the tours you find on Civitatis, GetYourGuide and Viator, and they work fine if you understand the format.

Mid range group tours, 50 to 70 USD per person, run smaller vans of four to eight people, include better lunches at lakefront restaurants, longer boat tours, and bilingual guides who know the history of the dam and the town. Some include additional stops at Marinilla or the Mirador del Peñol viewpoint.

Private tours start at 90 USD per person for two travellers and drop in price per head as your group grows. They include a private vehicle, a personal driver guide, a custom itinerary and the ability to skip the mandatory souvenir shop stops. For couples and families, this is consistently the format with the highest satisfaction.

Driving yourself: rental, tolls, parking in Guatapé

Renting a car in Medellín for a Guatapé day trip is more straightforward than most travel blogs suggest. The major rental companies, Hertz, Avis, Localiza and National, all have desks at the José María Córdova airport and several have downtown El Poblado offices. Daily rates for a small economy car run 130,000 to 200,000 COP, roughly 30 to 48 USD, with insurance options on top. Most companies require a credit card hold of 700,000 to 1,500,000 COP.

Tolls are part of the budget. On the Las Palmas route you cross at least two tolls round trip totalling 30,000 to 50,000 COP. The Túnel de Oriente adds a separate toll. Bring small bills, although most tolls now accept cards. The new Vía Oriente Antioquia corridor will introduce its own toll structure once fully operational.

Parking in Guatapé is the surprising part. The town has both informal street parking and large lots near La Piedra and along the malecón. Expect to pay 5,000 to 10,000 COP, roughly 1 to 2.50 USD, for several hours at La Piedra. Town parking near the malecón is typically 3,000 to 6,000 COP per hour. Never leave bags or electronics visible in a parked car. Lock the boot before you park rather than as you walk away.

Practical Colombian driving rules: driving licences from the United States, Canada, the EU and most other countries are accepted for stays under six months. Speed limits are 60 km/h in urban areas and 80 to 100 km/h on the highways. Police checkpoints are common between Marinilla and El Santuario. Stay polite, have your passport copy ready, and avoid driving after a drink. Blood alcohol limits in Colombia are essentially zero tolerance.

Fuel is rarely an issue but worth planning. There are major fuel stations on Las Palmas, in Marinilla and at the entrance to El Peñol. Prices are quoted per gallon and run around 16,000 to 18,000 COP per gallon in 2026, paid in pesos or by card. Fill up before leaving Medellín so the tank is full and you do not need to think about it. Cash is occasionally faster than card at smaller stations during peak hours, so carry a small reserve of pesos.

Public bus: from Terminal Norte, schedule, cost, what to expect

The public bus from Medellín to Guatapé is the cheapest option and runs from the Terminal de Transportes del Norte, which is connected to the Caribe metro station on Line A. Multiple operators including Sotrasanvicente, Empresa Brasilia and Sotragua sell tickets at counters inside the terminal. You can buy on arrival, there is no online booking required.

Buses leave every 30 to 60 minutes from roughly 5 am to 7 pm. The first bus is usually 5:30 am, which is the option you want if you are committed to a full day in Guatapé. Tickets cost between 15,000 and 25,000 COP one way depending on the operator and the time of day. The ride takes 2.5 to 3 hours with mandatory stops in Marinilla, El Santuario and El Peñol, plus shorter pickup stops along the road.

The buses themselves are clean, comfortable, air conditioned coaches with assigned seats. Bring a small jacket because the climb to El Retiro is genuinely cold, and the bus drivers tend to crank the AC. Drop off in Guatapé is at the small bus station two blocks from the malecón. From there it is a 5 minute walk to the town centre and a short tuk tuk or shared van to La Piedra, which costs 8,000 to 15,000 COP per person.

The return bus is the part to plan carefully. The last bus from Guatapé to Medellín typically leaves at 7 pm but can sell out on weekends. Buy your return ticket as soon as you arrive in Guatapé, especially on Saturday and Sunday. The earlier you can be back at the bus station, the less you need to worry about standing room or being bumped to the next departure.

The 5 must stops on a Medellín to Guatapé day trip

The headline sights are La Piedra and Guatapé town, but a real day trip is more memorable with three or four supporting stops along the way. Here is the short list I send clients, in driving order.

Marinilla. A small colonial town halfway between Medellín and Guatapé with a beautiful main square, a 1740s church and good roadside bakeries. It is the natural restroom and coffee stop on the way out. Try almojábanas and pandebono fresh from the oven. Allow 20 minutes.

El Peñol town. Not to be confused with La Piedra del Peñol, which is named after it. El Peñol is the rebuilt town that replaced the original village submerged when the dam was completed in 1978. The replica church and the museum that tells the story of the original El Peñol are worth a 30 minute stop, especially for travellers interested in Colombian recent history.

La Piedra del Peñol. The 220 metre granite monolith with 740 stairs and the panoramic viewpoint that made Guatapé internet famous. Climb it, take the photos, and tip the small vendors at the top who keep the operation running. Allow 60 to 90 minutes including queue, climb and descent.

Guatapé town centre. Calle del Recuerdo, Plazoleta de los Zócalos and the malecón. The painted zócalos, the low relief panels on the lower walls of every building, are why this town has its own visual signature. Allow 90 minutes minimum, longer if you eat lunch in town.

The reservoir. The entire reason there is a Guatapé to visit. A 30 minute boat from the malecón gives you a feel for the scale. A 60 to 90 minute tour adds the sunken cross stop and views of the lakefront fincas owned by Medellín families and international buyers. Allow 60 to 90 minutes.

If you have spare time, two additional secondary stops are worth knowing about. The Mirador de Guatapé, the small viewpoint on the southern road out of town, gives you a final panoramic shot of the painted houses with the reservoir behind them. And on the drive home, the trout fincas between Marinilla and El Santuario sell fresh fish you can pack and take back to Medellín. Most travellers skip both and that is fine; they are bonus content for second visits.

Best restaurants for a Guatapé day trip lunch

You have two genuine choices for lunch on a Guatapé day trip. Eat on the malecón in town, which is fast, scenic and reliable, or drive 10 minutes to one of the lakeside fincas that serve grilled fresh trout. Either option works inside the itinerary.

On the malecón, the long line of restaurants overlooking the reservoir is touristy in the good sense. They are set up for the volume, lunch is served in 45 minutes, and the views are exactly what you came for. Standout dishes include trucha al ajillo (lake trout in garlic butter), mojarra frita (whole fried tilapia), bandeja paisa for the hungry, and sancocho de gallina if it is a cool day at altitude. Expect 35,000 to 80,000 COP per person, roughly 8 to 20 USD.

The lakeside fincas, including spots like Trucha Doña Luz outside Marinilla and several family run grills between El Peñol and Guatapé, serve fresher trout straight from on site ponds. Lunch takes longer, 90 minutes plus, but is the better food experience. Some operate as kids fish your lunch experiences, which works well for families. Budget similar prices to the malecón.

For coffee, breakfast or a snack stop, the Antioquia tourism board lists more than 40 cafés in central Guatapé. The strongest are concentrated around Plazoleta de los Zócalos. Café Mama, Casa Mística and several smaller spots serve quality flat whites for 6,000 to 12,000 COP. Many also sell light meals and arepas if you want a smaller midday meal.

A small note on tipping. Tipping is not strictly required in Colombian restaurants, and most touristic spots automatically include a 10 percent service charge (propina sugerida) on the bill. You can decline it politely if you want, but it is usually the right move to leave it. Drivers and tour guides appreciate 20,000 to 50,000 COP per group as a thank you at the end of the day, especially if they went off itinerary or recommended good photo stops.

Boat tours on the Guatapé reservoir: 30 min, 1 hour, sunset

The boat tour is the part of the day trip that surprises people who only came for La Piedra. The reservoir is massive, the water is genuinely turquoise in dry season, and the lakefront fincas, including several that belong to well known Medellín families and one that originally belonged to a now infamous Antioqueño businessman, are part of the standard narrative.

Tours leave from the malecón continuously between 9 am and 5 pm. There is no booking required for the basic options; you walk up, choose a captain, and pay in cash. Larger party boats with music, dancing and bar service are also available but lean more toward weekend Colombian tourist groups than international day trippers.

Three durations are common. A 30 minute tour costs 20,000 to 30,000 COP per person and gives you a fast loop close to town. A 60 minute tour, the standard for day trippers, costs 35,000 to 50,000 COP and includes the sunken cross stop where the original El Peñol church bell pokes above the waterline at low tide. A 90 minute tour costs 60,000 to 80,000 COP and reaches the more remote lakefront fincas.

Sunset boats are the format I most recommend, but they only work on an overnight trip because you need to leave after the boat lands. If you book one for the day trip plan to be home at 11 pm. The light hour after 5 pm on a clear day is when the reservoir looks unreal in photos, which is why every professional shoot at Guatapé happens then.

Photography spots that justify the drive

There are five photography spots that deliver the kind of images that get saved and shared. If you only have a day, plan your time around hitting these in the right light.

The top of La Piedra at 9 to 10 am, when the sun is still soft and the queue at the steps is still short. The classic shot is the reservoir below with the islands and the painted town in the middle distance. Bring a wide angle lens or use the panorama mode on a phone.

Calle del Recuerdo before 10:30 am, when the painted zócalos are in shade and the colours pop without harsh contrast. After 11 am the tourist crowds make a clean street shot impossible. The little plaza of Calle del Recuerdo, with the doll on the bench, is the single most photographed spot in Guatapé town.

The malecón from a boat at midday, looking back at the painted houses lining the waterfront. This is the angle most tour photographers do not capture, because it requires being on a boat at the right moment. Phones do this fine.

The Mirador de Guatapé, the viewpoint at the south end of town on the road back to El Peñol, around 3:30 to 4 pm. Late afternoon light makes the cross on the hill above town glow. This is also a good spot to get a final reservoir shot before you start driving home.

The road approach to La Piedra from Marinilla at any time. The first moment you can see the rock rising above the highway is a quick pullover shot most tourists miss. Tell your driver in advance you want to stop, because the road has limited safe places to pull over.

A short note on drones. Drone photography over the reservoir is technically restricted in some areas due to the operating dam infrastructure. Casual hobby drones are tolerated at La Piedra and over the lake on weekdays, but bigger rigs draw attention from the local police, especially on weekends. If you want serious aerial footage, hire a local operator who has the relevant permits. They charge 200,000 to 500,000 COP for a short shoot and they know which airspace is sensitive.

Safety considerations: driving, valuables, cash

The Medellín to Guatapé day trip is one of the safer day trips in Colombia and a regular route for international tourists. The Policía de Carreteras patrols the highway aggressively, the towns along the way are tourist economies that depend on visitors feeling safe, and Guatapé itself has visible local police on the streets and at the steps of La Piedra. The official Antioquia tourism board guidance lists this corridor as low risk.

That said, the standard Colombian travel rules still apply. Do not flash large amounts of cash, expensive watches or jewellery. Use ATMs inside banks or hotels rather than street corner machines. Keep one credit card and some cash in a separate pocket as a backup. Pickpocketing in crowded plazas, especially on weekends when day trippers are densely concentrated, is the realistic risk.

Driving safety has its own considerations. The road has tight curves, sudden weather changes and a high volume of weekend motorbikes. Do not pass on blind curves. Do not drink and drive, ever. Speed limit enforcement is real and the fines are painful for foreign visitors who do not have a Colombian licence on the points system. Stay within posted limits, especially in school zones around Marinilla and El Santuario.

Bring enough Colombian pesos in cash. La Piedra entry, parking, tuk tuks, vendors on the steps and smaller restaurants all prefer cash. Most tour operators and lakefront restaurants accept cards now, but Guatapé town ATMs run dry on busy weekends. The safer plan is to withdraw 200,000 to 400,000 COP in Medellín before you leave or in Marinilla on the way.

One last note for international travellers: keep a passport copy in your bag and the original in the hotel safe. Migración Colombia officers and the Policía de Carreteras can request identification during routine checkpoints. A clean colour photocopy is normally accepted for daytime checks. Keep the original locked in your hotel safe to avoid losing it during a long day out and to make the visa stamp non replaceable in case of theft. This is standard practice for day trips anywhere abroad, not a sign of insecurity in the corridor.

The new highway 2027 and how it will transform the day trip

The single biggest change to the Medellín to Guatapé experience over the next five years is the Vía Oriente Antioquia, a multi sectional highway upgrade managed by the ANI (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura). The project widens the existing two lane corridor into a modern four lane highway with longer tunnels, fewer hairpin curves and dedicated truck lanes. Sections are already in operation and the full corridor is targeted to be open between 2027 and 2028.

The headline impact: official ANI projections drop the El Poblado to Guatapé drive from 120 minutes to 60 or 75 minutes. That single change reshapes what the day trip looks like. Sunset visits to La Piedra become realistic on a day trip. The overnight calculus changes because you can now do a relaxed full day visit and still be home well before dark. Weekend Sunday traffic, the worst variable today, becomes a fraction of its current intensity once the corridor doubles its capacity.

For travellers, the immediate practical effect during the construction period is occasional partial closures on the existing road as new sections are tied in. The ANI publishes scheduled closures on its website and the Antioquia tourism board posts updates on the route status. Always check current conditions before you leave Medellín during 2026 and 2027.

For property investors, the highway is the most important infrastructure project in Oriente Antioqueño in a generation. Lakefront finca prices in Guatapé and El Peñol have already moved in anticipation, and the trend will continue once the highway is operational. If you visited on a day trip and started thinking about buying, the highway timeline is part of the value calculation.

The broader regional impact is also worth noting. The corridor reshapes the catchment area for Medellín itself. Towns like El Carmen de Viboral, El Santuario and Marinilla become viable for daily commuters. Guatapé and El Peñol shift from purely weekend destinations into hybrid weekend plus remote work locations. The Antioquia tourism board expects visitor arrivals to rise meaningfully once the corridor is complete, and many small towns along the route are already upgrading their main squares and visitor infrastructure in anticipation.

The route from Medellín to Guatapé

This map shows the corridor from El Poblado in Medellín out to Guatapé. The pins mark Marinilla, El Peñol, La Piedra del Peñol and Guatapé town centre. The route is roughly 75 km and 2 hours by the current highway. Use it to orient yourself before you leave.

Loved Guatapé? You are not the first day tripper to think about staying

Roughly one in twenty visitors to Guatapé starts asking about property prices on the drive home. There is a pattern. You climb La Piedra at 10 am, you take a slow boat at noon, you eat trout on the malecón, and somewhere between the second cup of coffee and the drive back the question comes up: what would it take to own a place here.

The short answer in 2026 is that lakefront fincas in Guatapé and El Peñol sell in a wide range, from rustic family cabins around 150,000 USD to modern lakeside fincas with private docks at 400,000 to 900,000 USD, with a few large signature estates well above that. Foreigners can buy property in Colombia with the same legal protections as Colombians, the closing process runs 30 to 45 days, and the highway upgrade I described above is a real tailwind for values.

If the day trip did its job and Guatapé got under your skin, the next step is a tour of available properties on a return visit. Plan a two day return where day one is exactly the itinerary in this guide and day two is property viewings with someone who knows the market. That is the format we run with international buyers every month.

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