Food to Try in Guatapé: What to Eat by the Reservoir

Guatapé’s food scene is built around the reservoir - quite literally. The Embalse Peñol-Guatapé is a major tilapia farming area, and freshwater fish dominates every menu in town. Beyond tilapia, the food reflects the paisa culture of Antioquia: hearty, meat-forward, deeply satisfying, and inexpensive by most international standards. Most visitors eat on the Calle del Recuerdo and around the main plaza; some of the better options require a short walk off the main tourist strip.

The Key Dishes

Tilapia Frita or Asada The default Guatapé protein. Fresh tilapia from the reservoir is on every menu in town, served fried (frita), grilled (asada), or in hogao (the slow-cooked tomato and onion sauce that appears across Colombian cooking). The fish comes whole or filleted; whole is typically better quality and price. Expect COP 20,000–30,000 (approximately USD 5–7.50) for a full fish plate with rice, salad, and patacones (fried plantain). Given how fresh it is - the farms are visible from the restaurant terraces - it is difficult to get a bad version.

Bandeja Paisa Guatapé is geographically and culturally in Antioquia, the heartland of paisa food. The bandeja paisa here is as heavy and generous as anywhere in the region: red beans cooked with hogao, rice, chicharrón, a fried egg, an arepa, ground meat, avocado, and usually a morcilla (blood sausage) on the side. Lunch spots on the back streets serve it for COP 18,000–28,000 (USD 4.50–7). It is genuinely designed as a single meal to carry you through the day.

Fritanga A shared plate of mixed fried and grilled meats - chicharrón, beef ribs (costillas), morcilla, chicken, and a small arepa - typically served for two or more people on a large wooden board or metal tray. Guatapé’s restaurants often cook fritanga over charcoal rather than gas, which improves the flavour considerably. Plan on COP 35,000–50,000 (USD 9–12.50) for a fritanga plate for two people, ordered at lunchtime or early evening.

Arepas de Choclo Sweet corn arepas - thicker and slightly golden compared to the standard white arepa - are the street snack of the Coffee Region and Antioquia. Sold from griddles near the plaza for COP 3,000–5,000 (USD 0.75–1.25) each, filled with cheese (quesito) that melts into the warm corn. Eat them as a morning snack before the rock climb or as a midday pick-up between meals.

Sancocho A thick broth with chicken, potato, yuca, plantain, and corn, simmered for hours. The regional Antioqueño version (sancocho de gallina) uses old hen rather than young chicken, which produces a deeper, fattier broth. Available at local restaurantes corrientes (informal lunch-only spots) from around COP 12,000–18,000 (USD 3–4.50). It is a breakfast or early lunch food rather than an evening dish in most of the region.

Chontaduro and Seasonal Fruit The street fruit carts around the plaza in Guatapé often carry chontaduro (peach palm fruit) - a waxy, starchy fruit eaten with salt or honey that tastes unlike anything else. Strange in a good way. Also watch for lulo, maracuyá (passion fruit), and guanábana (soursop) - all available fresh or as juice for COP 4,000–7,000 (USD 1–1.75).

Where to Eat in Guatapé

El Rancherito (Calle del Recuerdo, near the zócalos): The most reliably good restaurant on the main tourist strip. Specialises in tilapia but also serves a good bandeja at lunch. The terrace at the front gives a view of the colourful street. Mains COP 22,000–32,000 (USD 5.50–8). Fills quickly on weekend lunchtimes; arrive by 12:30 or expect to wait.

Restaurante El Peñón (one block from the plaza, quieter street): Strong local reputation for fritanga and grilled meats. Portions are very large; the costillas ahumadas (smoked beef ribs) are genuinely good if you eat red meat. Mains and shared platters COP 28,000–45,000 (USD 7–11). Open for lunch and dinner; kitchen closes by 21:00.

La Tilapia de Mary (on the waterfront road, near the dock): A small, informal spot with five tables and a menu that is essentially tilapia in three preparations. The simplicity works in its favour - everything is made to order and the fish is off the farm that morning. Lunch only, closing when the fish runs out. Full plate COP 18,000–25,000 (USD 4.50–6.50). Cash only.

Donde la Abuela (residential block, Calle 28): The closest Guatapé comes to a home-kitchen restaurant. The menu changes daily based on what the owner’s family has made; there is typically one or two options at lunch for COP 14,000–20,000 (USD 3.50–5). Locals eat here, which is usually a reliable indicator of quality. Look for the hand-painted sign; it does not have a large storefront.

Cafetería del Parque (on the main plaza): Basic but useful - coffee, arepas, juice, and a light breakfast available from 07:00. Useful if you want to eat before the morning boat tour or before heading to El Peñón at first light. Coffee from COP 2,000–4,000 (USD 0.50–1).

Eating on a Budget

The cheapest and most filling meals in Guatapé are the fixed-price menú del día lunches served at local restaurantes corrientes on streets away from the main plaza. A typical set lunch - soup, main with rice and beans, juice - costs COP 10,000–16,000 (USD 2.50–4). Ask for the menú, not the à la carte options, for best value.

Juice from street stalls is consistently good and inexpensive: fresh-squeezed mora (blackberry), lulo, or maracuyá juice for COP 3,500–5,000 (USD 0.90–1.25). The reservoir climate keeps the town cool enough that hot drinks are also popular - agua de panela con limón (sugarcane water with lemon, served hot) is the local version of an afternoon pick-me-up at around COP 2,500–3,500 (USD 0.65–0.90).

What to Avoid

Tourist restaurants immediately at the El Peñón base charge a significant premium (sometimes 40–60% above town prices) for food that is consistently mediocre. Eat in town instead and take a water bottle up the rock. Similarly, the boat tour snack vendors on the dock sell packaged goods at elevated prices - stock up before you board.