La Piedra, Great Hike And Great View

As I mentioned before, Guatape is a beautiful town two hours from Medellin. The town’s main attraction is the gigantic rock that is visible pretty much anywhere you are in the city.

I actually made two trips to the rock while here. The hike from where I stayed was 3 hours along a dirt road. The views were amazing and the exercise was great.

Monastery

Along the way was a monastery. I got there just in time to see the midday Gregorian chanting they do. Below are two pictures of the monastery and a video of the chanting.

Monastery

Rush Hour

I did hit a bit of Guatape’s notorious rush hour traffic along the way…

Pictures From The Hike

The hike took 2.5 hours and was very enjoyable. There was a slight incline making it a bit difficult. But it wasn’t so bad that I needed to stop and rest.

: The Hike

: The Hike

La Piedra

659 steps lead you to the top of La Piedra. The view from there is great, as you can imagine.

The 659 Steps To The Top

Cool Plants Growing On The Rock

The View From The Top

Butterfly At The Top

Someone’s Paradise

Me At The Top

La Piedra Panarama

The Way Back

On the way back I took what I call “The Piedramobile.” It’s a convertable meant to ferry tourists to and from la piedra. I returned to the city in style with some new friends. I had a nice conversation with the driver and the whole piedra experience was great.. both times!