Summary The pigment composition of three Colombian guava varieties, Regional roja , Regional blanca , and Palmira ICA‐1, in unripe, turning and full ripe maturity stages was studied. Lycopene was identified as the major carotenoid of Regional roja and Palmira ICA‐1 (18.25 and 28.07 mg kg −1 fruit, respectively in full ripe fruits) although a small amount of lutein was also found in the two varieties. β‐Carotene was only found in Palmira ICA‐1 , whilst no detectable levels of carotenoids were found in the white‐fleshed guava ( Regional blanca ). A good correlation between the total carotenoid content and the colour parameters of guava peel was found, such that the Regional roja and Regional blanca varieties could be discerned by colour coordinates. The most remarkable differences were found when comparing the pulp colour.