By road, Tuluá and Guatapé are about 254 miles (408 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 12 min of driving.
- 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: “Mountain roads may lack safety features such as crash barriers or guard rails.”
| Total distance | 254 mi (408 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | 25BAN |
| Departments on the route | Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Antioquia |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Tuluá to Guatapé
25BAN (20 mi) carries about 8% of the 254 miles. It runs through 4 departments: Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Antioquia. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Tuluá and Guatapé
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–118 | 118 | Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas |
| connecting roads | 118–119 | 1 | Caldas |
| local roads | 119–170 | 51 | Caldas, Antioquia |
| 25BAN | 170–190 | 20 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 190–203 | 13 | Antioquia |
| connecting roads | 203–204 | 1 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 204–209 | 5 | Antioquia |
| connecting roads | 209–213 | 4 | Antioquia |
| local roads | 213–254 | 41 | Antioquia |
- Mile 57 of this route: Valle del Cauca → Risaralda (department line)
- Mile 73 of this route: Risaralda → Caldas (department line)
- Mile 109 of this route: Caldas → Risaralda (department line)
- Mile 112 of this route: Risaralda → Caldas (department line)
- Mile 147 of this route: Caldas → Antioquia (department line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Tuluá and Guatapé
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca (mile 55), Casa del Virrey (mile 55), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (mile 199), Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 203), El Castillo Museum (mile 209), Casa de la Convención (mile 230)
- Nature and outdoors: Arví Park (mile 216)
- Museums and history: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca (mile 55), Casa del Virrey (mile 55), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (mile 199), Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá, La Estrella (mile 203), El Castillo Museum (mile 209), Parque de la Conservación (mile 211), Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego (mile 213), Casa de la Convención (mile 230)
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.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas
This Catholic cathedral in the Colombian municipality of Caldas is dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy and serves as the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Caldas.
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.
El Castillo Museum
In Medellín's El Poblado district, El Castillo Museum displays porcelain and glass, stained glass, antiques, paintings and sculptures in its permanent exhibitions.
Parque de la Conservación
Formerly the Santa Fe Zoo and renamed in 2020, Medellín's Parque de la Conservación holds more than 500 animals of 122 species, mostly from the Americas.
Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego
Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego is a nonprofit natural history museum in Medellín specializing in insects.
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.
Once you reach 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
- Cali to Guatapé
From Tuluá to other places in Colombia
- Tuluá to Girardot City
- Tuluá to Zipaquirá
- Tuluá to Tunja
- Tuluá to Sogamoso
- Tuluá to Yopal
- Tuluá to Pitalito
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tuluá to Guatapé?
About 7 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 254 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tuluá to Guatapé?
About 254 miles (408 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Tuluá to Guatapé drive?
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.
Where can you stop on the way from Tuluá to Guatapé?
Closest to the road: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Caldas (cathedral, mile 199, 0.2 mi from the route); El Castillo Museum (museum, mile 209, 0.6 mi from the route); Casa de la Convención (museum, mile 230, 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.