Guatapé Lake Boat Tour: What to Expect
A boat tour on the Guatapé reservoir is the second iconic experience after the Piedra del Peñol. The lake is huge, dotted with green islands and weighted with stories, from a sunken church to a once luxurious narco hideout.
Most boat tours last 60 to 90 minutes and leave from the malecón below the pueblo. Here is what to expect, what to look for and which option fits your day plan.
Where the boats leave from
The main dock is the Malecón Turístico de Guatapé, a five minute walk from the central plaza. Companies sell tickets at small kiosks along the waterfront, normally without need to book ahead on weekdays.
On weekends and holidays it is wise to reserve in advance through your hotel or as part of a packaged Medellín tour to avoid waiting for the next departure.
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What you will see on board
The standard route passes the sunken church bell tower of old Peñol, the islands of the rich, the famous Hacienda Nápoles ruins of Pablo Escobar and the dam wall of the hydroelectric project.
Guides usually narrate in Spanish, with a few key facts in English on shared boats. On private charters you can request a fully bilingual guide for an extra fee.
Types of boats
Two main options exist, the large two deck boats with capacity for 60 to 100 passengers and the smaller speedboats for groups of 6 to 12. Big boats are cheaper and slower, speedboats are faster and let you stop closer to islands.
Tickets on a large boat cost around 25,000 COP per person. A speedboat for a small group runs 200,000 to 350,000 COP for the whole boat depending on duration.
Best time of day for the lake
Late morning is busiest. Around 4 PM the light turns golden, the wind drops and the views back at the rock are at their best. That is also when you can see the silhouettes of paragliders if any are flying.
If you get seasick easily, the morning lake is calmer. By midday the breeze can pick up and create small choppy waves between the islands.
The boat tour adds a different angle to the Guatapé story, literally and historically. Pair it with the rock and the pueblo and you have a complete day trip that few other places in Colombia can match.
Ready to plan? Browse our Guatapé Lake boat tours.