The formation consists of conglomerates, shales and limestones, dates to the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods; Tithonian to Berriasian epochs and has a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

The formation was defined and named in 1976 by Rodríguez and Ulloa after the Guavio River, Cundinamarca.

[1] The Guavio Formation has a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and is characterised by a sequence of conglomerates, shales and limestones.

The age has been estimated to be Tithonian to Berriasian, spanning the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary.

The formation has been deposited in a shallow marine environment in an oxygen-poor basin.