Piedra del Penol, the granite stairway above Guatape’s lakes
Published on 09/10/2026 at 22:58 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Piedra del Penol, also known as El Peñón de Guatapé, is a granite monolith rising above the reservoir and villages near Guatape in the department of Antioquia in eastern Colombia. Formed as a single block of rock and standing around 220 m (722 ft) above its base, it has become a landmark for the region’s flooded valleys and hydropower lake.
The granite monolith between Guatape and El Peñol
Piedra del Penol stands between the municipalities of Guatape and El Peñol in eastern Antioquia, beside the Peñol-Guatape reservoir created by flooding the valley for a hydroelectric project.Piedra del Penol stands between the municipalities of Guatape and El Peñol The rock is described as a monolith around 220 m (722 ft) high, rising abruptly from the surrounding hills and reservoir shoreline.monolito de 220 metros de altura
The formation is composed of hard granite-like rock, with mixtures of quartz, feldspar and mica exposed on its steep faces.monolito de cuarzo, feldespato y mica The summit sits at an elevation of around 2,135 m (7,005 ft) above sea level, giving broad views over the Peñol-Guatape reservoir, its scattered peninsulas and islands, and the green Andean foothills surrounding Guatape.sitting at an elevation of about 2,135 meters above sea level
A staircase threaded through a natural fissure
A zigzag stairway climbs the rock through a natural fissure, turning a sheer cliff into an accessible viewpoint. The staircase has several hundred steps fixed between concrete walls, rising in short flights that follow the crack up the steep face.A zigzag staircase of exactly 740 steps, built into a natural fissure From the base, the stairway appears like a pale spine clinging to the darker rock.
Near the top, the route widens onto terraces and viewing platforms, with balustrades and small structures built on the summit. From these platforms, the reservoir stretches away in many directions, with fingers of water separating rounded hills and islands.granite monolith rises from near the edge of the Embalse Guatapé The contrast between the engineered staircase and the massive block of stone is central to the experience, turning the climb itself into a sequence of tight turns, landings and viewpoints.
Landscape and legends around Piedra del Penol
The wider landscape around Piedra del Penol combines flooded valleys, fragmentary shorelines and the small towns of Guatape and El Peñol. The reservoir wraps around low hills and reaches towards the Andean foothills, creating long views from the summit over water and patchwork fields.bounded by the Peñol-Guatape dam The rock has been given various names in Spanish, including La Piedra del Peñol and El Peñón de Guatapé, reflecting the nearby municipalities that both claim it.also known as The Stone of El Peñol, or simply La Piedra or El Peñol
Local accounts describe the first recorded ascent to the summit in the twentieth century, naming Luis Eduardo Villegas López as a climber who reached the top on 16 July 1954.The first person to climb to its summit was Luis Eduardo Villegas López on 16 July 1954 Over generations the rock has become a symbol for both towns and a backdrop to lakeside villages, painted houses and small harbours around the reservoir shore.
Visiting Piedra del Penol: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Piedra del Penol stands in eastern Antioquia in Colombia, between the municipalities of Guatape and El Peñol, close to the Peñol-Guatape reservoir and reached from the road linking Guatape with Medellín.
- The approach from the roadside leads to the base of the rock, and the climb in the fissure follows a concrete stairway of several hundred steps that rises steeply to summit terraces.
- The surrounding area includes the town of Guatape with its painted streets and lakeside promenade, and the smaller municipality of El Peñol further along the reservoir shore.
- The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Colombian peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Piedra del Penol
Where is Piedra del Penol located?
Piedra del Penol stands between the municipalities of Guatape and El Peñol in the department of Antioquia in eastern Colombia, beside the Peñol-Guatape reservoir.
What can visitors expect when climbing the rock?
Visitors climb a concrete stairway set into a natural fissure with several hundred steps, reaching summit terraces and platforms that overlook the reservoir, hills and nearby towns.
What makes Piedra del Penol distinctive among Colombian landscapes?
Its single block of granite rising about 220 m above its base, combined with the engineered staircase and wide views over the reservoir’s fragmented shoreline, gives Piedra del Penol a distinctive profile in Colombia’s Andean foothills.
