Rock of El Peñón de Guatape (Piedra de Guatape)
El Peñón de Guatape, a giant rock in Colombia weighing ten million tons, is notable for its unusual shape and the fact that it was once a place of worship for the Tahamis Indians.
General Information
The massive rock rises 220 meters from the surface, with its highest point at 2135 meters above sea level. The rock is about 70 million years old. El Peñón de Guatape is composed of quartz, feldspar and mica. It is basically just a giant rock, one of the largest rocks in the world. It stands on the shore of the Guatape Reservoir. The rock is 380 meters long, 100 meters wide and has a volume of 4,685,000 m³. Local farmers often dig up rocks of the same origin and composition in their vegetable gardens, but only millions of times smaller in size.
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The Tahamis Indians, who have long inhabited the region, worshiped the rock, calling it Moharra or Muhara, which means rock, stone. In modern times, residents of the nearby towns of Guatape and El Peñol are vying for the right to call the rock their landmark, as is evident from the rock’s names. In the early 1940s, the rock was placed under state protection.
The first ascent of the rock was made by three Guatape residents from July 11 to July 16, 1954. They wanted to write GUATAPÉ on its north face in large white letters, but ended up only writing the first letter and a half, so it became GI. In the mid-1960s, a reservoir was formed near the rock. An unknown plant species was discovered on the top of the rock, which was named Pitcairma Heterophila.
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The slopes of El Peñón de Guatapé cliff are almost completely smooth, there is only one long crack, which was used by climbers when ascending. Later, a stone staircase with 649 steps was built in it – this is the only way to reach the top of El Peñón de Guatape. You can climb to the top for a modest fee of 2 US dollars, the money goes towards maintaining the stairs. At the top there are several religious relics and a three-story observation tower. When tourists tire of the climb, they can enjoy a cup of coffee or tequila and salt in a small restaurant.
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