Embalse del Peñol Reservoir

Address: Embalse del Peñol (Guatapé Reservoir), Antioquia Department, Colombia

Admission: Free to visit reservoir; boat tours and climbing the Peñol Rock (El Peñón) have paid access (approx. 18,000 COP / ~USD $5 for rock stairs as of recent local rates)

Embalse del Peñol, often referred to as the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir, is a large hydroelectric reservoir in Antioquia Department, Colombia, formed by damming local rivers. It covers a landscape of islands, peninsulas and flooded valleys around the towns of Guatapé and Peñol.

The reservoir is used for hydroelectric generation, local water management and recreation; the flooded landscape has become a major regional attraction for boating, watersports and island-hopping tours. The lakeside towns provide marinas, restaurants and viewpoints.

The reservoir was created when rivers were impounded to supply a hydroelectric project; the flooding altered settlement patterns and submerged farmland, producing the patchwork of islands and shorelines visible today.

It lies inland in Antioquia, northeastern of the Medellín metropolitan area, with the town of Guatapé and the monolithic rock known as La Piedra located on its shoreline.

• Best way to see it: Boat tours are the primary way to experience the scale of the reservoir and to visit the scattered islands and peninsulas created when valleys were flooded.
• Viewpoint: The adjacent monolith known as La Piedra (El Peñón de Guatapé) has a stairway of 740 steps that visitors climb for panoramic views across the reservoir.

What to See#

• La Piedra del Peñol: La Piedra del Peñol - a monolithic granite rock rising above the reservoir with a public stairway of 740 steps that leads to panoramic views over the water.
• Guatapé and the reservoir: Guatapé waterfront and islands - the reservoir inundated valley farmland to create a landscape of islands and peninsulas around the town, now used for boat tours and watersports.

From Medellín, drive east on Autopista Medellín-Bogotá and follow signs to Guatapé (approx. 2 hours). Local buses run from Medellín’s Terminal Norte to Guatapé and nearby Peñol. From Guatapé town, short water taxis and boat tours operate around the reservoir; El Peñón de Guatapé is a short drive or walk from the town centre.

• Climb the 659 steps up El Peñón de Guatapé (the rock adjacent to the reservoir) early morning to avoid heat and crowds and for the best views of the reservoir.
• Hire a boat or take a water taxi from Guatapé to see the reservoir's patchwork of islands and the colorful town from water level.
• Combine a visit with Guatapé town - the zócalos (painted plinths) and pastel facades are worth the stroll.