The Wayro route from Cali to Guatapé is 314 miles (506 km), about 8 h 39 min of driving without stops.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Colombia: Valle del Cauca (excluding Cali).
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: Colombia. Advisory issued: Colombia March 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Colombia: “Highways may not have lights or signs showing destinations.”
| Total distance | 314 mi (506 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 39 min |
| Main roads, in order | 25-04A → 25BAN |
| Departments on the route | Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Antioquia |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Cali to Guatapé is like
25BAN (19 mi) and 25-04A (8 mi) carry about 9% of the 314 miles. It runs through 4 departments: Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Antioquia. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cali to Guatapé, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–16 | 16 | Valle del Cauca |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Valle del Cauca |
| 25-04A | 17–25 | 8 | Valle del Cauca |
| local roads | 25–179 | 154 | Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas |
| connecting roads | 179–180 | 1 | Caldas |
| local roads | 180–231 | 51 | Caldas, Antioquia |
| 25BAN | 231–250 | 19 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 250–264 | 14 | Antioquia |
| connecting roads | 264–265 | 1 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 265–270 | 5 | Antioquia |
| connecting roads | 270–273 | 3 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 273–314 | 41 | Antioquia |
- Mile 117 of this route: Valle del Cauca → Risaralda (department line)
- Mile 133 of this route: Risaralda → Caldas (department line)
- Mile 170 of this route: Caldas → Risaralda (department line)
- Mile 173 of this route: Risaralda → Caldas (department line)
- Mile 208 of this route: Caldas → Antioquia (department line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Cali and Guatapé
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral, Buga (mile 46), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca (mile 116), Casa del Virrey (mile 116), Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 264), Casa de la Convención (mile 291)
- Nature and outdoors: Arví Park (mile 277)
- Museums and history: Museo Aéreo Fénix (mile 14), St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral, Buga (mile 46), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca (mile 116), Casa del Virrey (mile 116), Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 264), Water Museum EPM (mile 273), Casa de la Convención (mile 291)
Museo Aéreo Fénix
In Palmira, Valle del Cauca, the nonprofit Museo Aéreo Fénix tells the story of transportation in Colombia over the years, with a main focus on air travel.
St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral, Buga
Seat of the Catholic bishop of Buga, St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral stands in Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia, and is dedicated to the Apostle Simon Peter.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca
Two blocks from Bolívar Park in Cartago, Valle del Cauca, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel stands out for a bell tower set twenty meters apart from the church.
Casa del Virrey
A colonial-era building in Cartago, Casa del Virrey takes its name from the popular tradition that it was built to receive Viceroy José Manuel de Ezpeleta.
Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella
Part of the Archdiocese of Medellín, this Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá stands in the municipality of La Estrella, Antioquia.
Water Museum EPM
Part of Medellín's Barefoot Park, the Water Museum EPM receives about 1,000 visitors a day, most of them students.
Teatro al aire libre Carlos Vieco
On the north slope of Cerro Nutibara in Medellín, this Greek-inspired open-air theater opened in 1984 and honors Antioquian composer Carlos Vieco Ortiz.
Arví Park
On the eastern slopes of the Aburrá Valley above Medellín, Arví Park is both a nature preserve and a pre-Hispanic archaeological site, reaching into Envigado, Bello and Copacabana.
Casa de la Convención
Built in colonial style, the Casa de la Convención is a history museum honoring the Constitution of the United States of Colombia, which was written in this building.
When you get to Guatapé
Embalse del Peñol
Embalse del Peñol (Embalse Peñol-Guatapé) is a reservoir in eastern Antioquia that covers a quarter of Guatapé's land. Visitors come for water sports and rides on motorboats, jet skis and yachts.
More drives to Guatapé
- Quibdó to Guatapé
- Manizales to Guatapé
- Pereira to Guatapé
- Cartago, Colombia to Guatapé
- Armenia to Guatapé
- Tuluá to Guatapé
From Cali to other places in Colombia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cali to Guatapé?
About 8 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 314 miles.
How far is Guatapé from Cali by car?
About 314 miles (506 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Cali to Guatapé?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Colombia: Valle del Cauca (excluding Cali)). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Cali to Guatapé?
In order: 25-04A and 25BAN. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cali and Guatapé?
Closest to the road: St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral, Buga (cathedral, mile 46, 0.6 mi from the route); Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (basilica, mile 264, 0.8 mi from the route); Casa de la Convención (museum, mile 291, 0.2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.