South America is a continent known for its impressive hikes. You have the W trek in Patagonia, the Santa Cruz trek in Peru and the Cotopaxi Volcano climb in Ecuador. While they’re all incredible in their own ways, none impressed me more than the Cocora Valley, near Salento in Colombia.
HIKING IN THE COCORA VALLEY
The Cocora Valley is a really popular place for hiking. A well-trodden path winds through rolling green hills, over hanging bridges and along a ridge covered with giant wax palms.
The walk begins alongside a river, which winds its way through lush green fields in a valley with sporadic farm houses.
After about an hour, there’s a gradual climb through cloud forest.
WILDLIFE
As you make your way higher into the dense forest, there’s plenty of wildlife, including a wide variety of butterflies and some impressive wild birds like the toucan.
HUMMINGBIRD CAFE
The Cocora Valley loop works its way up a steep slope towards La Montane Ranch, but before you attempt it you have the option of a small detour to a hummingbird cafe.
There’s a small fee of £3000 COP to enter the premises, but this includes a free drink. This is a great opportunity to try Aguapanela con queso, a traditional beverage.
JEEP WILLIES
Daily jeeps known as ‘jeep willies’ head out of the centre of town, dropping hoards of backpackers off at the start of the hike.
These vehicles carry up to 10 tightly squished tourists, occasionaly with a few locals hanging off the back. They depart daily at 6:10, 8:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am, returning to pick up weary walkers between 2:30 and 5 pm.
WAX PALMS
The wax palms of the Cocora Valley grow to 70-metres in height. They have thin, bare trunks the whole way up, with huge palm fronds poking out through the mist. This creates mystical silhouettes akin to something from the Lost World.
WELLY HIRE
At times it can get quite muddy, especially after heavy rains. The mountains attract a lot of mist, which condenses and leaves you feeling a little soggy too.
If you don’t have purpose-built walking boots, you can hire wellies from some of the hostels in town. We were staying at Tralala Hostel on Calle 7 and they had a wide selection of different sizes.
TRAVELLING ALONE?
There are many opportunities to meet fellow hikers in Salento. It’s a small town and the chances are high that virtually every traveller you meet intends to do the hike at some point in the next few days.
If you don’t meet people in your hostel, you should be able to strike up a conversation with someone as you wait for the jeep willies, or on your way to the hike.
If you don’t, don’t be disheartened. It’s a reasonably easy route to follow, and the Cocora Valley might be best appreciated in solitude. Either way, visiting Salento and not hiking in the Cocora Valley would be like seeing Paris but not the Eiffel Tower. It simply has to be done.
OTHER ACTIVITIES NEAR SALENTO
Salento is located within Colombia’s Coffee Triangle, and another popular pastime for tourists is to go on a coffee making tour.
The landscape all around Salento lends itself very well to hiking, horseback riding and cycling. In the evenings, don’t miss the chance to try out a game of tejo – a national sport in which players throw heavy metal disks down an alley with the aim of hitting small exploding targets filled with gunpowder!
Toucans! The valley looks like an absolutely breathtaking hike (literally and figuratively haha!). Love the butterflies on the poop.
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Thanks. I’m especially proud of that photo. It’s a nice contrast between beauty and gross :)
LOVE the butterfly picture! Can we put that one up on the wall at home?
Come home and stop making me jealous x
YES. Above the dining table. We can find a new place for the African picture.
The butterfly picture’s shit! (and I love it)
Thanks Lou. Shit photos rock :)
Wow, gorgeous photos! I especially love the one of the toucan. Looks like a gorgeous hike.
Jennifer recently posted..Carpigiani Gelato University: An Education in the Art of Gelato
Thanks Jen! I was really pleased with that one too, because I failed to get one in Costa Rica last year.
Love your blog! Great read!
Thanks! It helps when I have great people to share the experiences with. That was one of my favourite days so far. I saw a lot of mist rolling through a valley in Mindo today and thought of you!
Also one of my favourite treks so far!!!! It was like something from a freakn’ movie!!! I can’t get enough of rolling clouds!!!
Loving ‘Wellies in the Mist’, although the shit (hot?) shot is pretty gosh darn awesome too.
And what is aguapanela con queso – cheesy water? Did you try it?
It’s a watery drink made from sugar cane. The cheese sits on the side of the plate and you nibble it as you drink. I’d prefer an English cuppa! I’m craving normal tea!
Wow, amazing pictures. I had no idea Columbia was so green and misty and GORGEOUS! I always think of cities when I think of Columbia. Would love to do this hike someday.
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Yeah, it’s amazingly diverse. Gorgeous beaches, the Andes, lush green coffee valleys and of course some really cool cities too. You name it, Colombia probably has it. There’s even a couple of ‘deserts’ I think!
Love these photos Ari! x
Thanks Mads! It was such a stunning hike!
One of my favorite hikes ever, the pictures there take themselves. I really liked the chill vibe of Salento too. Oh, and you’ve gotta love those Willys :-)
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Yes, I nearly didn’t go to Salento because ‘I don’t like coffee’! But it’s about so much more than that. Great vibe, awesome hike, funny-named vehicles…it’s got it all! Did you play Tejo? What a brilliant game! I was going to post about it, but my camera got stolen in Cali. Such a shame.
Breathtaking scenery… simply breathtaking.
…and that shaky mini bridge… so funny!
That was a very beautiful and unique hike. I’ve never seen scenery like that before. The trees in the mist are so other worldly. Colombia really is versatile.
Your South American adventure looks amazing. Arianwen, thank you – thank you for inspiring me to go ahead and plan a South American adventure that I have dreamed of for a long time . I am going in August 2015, for 3 or 4 months and I plan to do a similar route as you except I will visit only Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. I will be travelling at a slower pace than you as I want to spend more time in different places – possibly take Spanish lessons in Cartagena, Sucre or Cuzco. Perhaps you can help me with my one major concern. I want to do some of the walking and hiking that you suggest (for example Guane and Salento), but I am 76 years old and am concerned about the difficulty. Any thoughts on this, and as to how fast guided tours move?
That’s fantastic to hear! Your trip sounds brilliant. I preferred those northern countries anyway. They’re cheaper and have more of that traditional South American feel (think llamas, colourful traditional clothing, etc). As far as the hiking is concerned, without knowing your fitness level, it’s hard for me to judge. Some of the guided hikes I took did move reasonably fast, but if you talk to them about your fitness level when you book it, they will be able to let you know if it’s feasible and they can put you in a group with others of a similar level. The full Salento hike was difficult in parts as there were some steep bits, as well as a few bridges that required good balance, but from what I recall, you could wander through the valley and see the massive palms without having to take on the steep part. We did that hike unguided, so you would have the option to find someone who’d happy to take it at your pace – either another traveller or perhaps a guide. I’m sure if you were willing to pay a little money, there’d be someone who could guide you and who might know some easier routes. I don’t remember the Guane hike being particularly difficult, and if you don’t faff around like I did, you should have the time to take it at a slower pace and still catch the bus back to San Gil. Perhaps another option would be to stay in one of the smaller towns, such as Guane and then you won’t have to rush. Even if you just visited the towns themselves, it would be worth it. They’re very beautiful. What I’ve generally found travelling in Latin America is that there are usually options to do what you want to do. Googling it before you go, you won’t find half of them, because there are so many small companies or hostels without websites that offer trips. Usually, if you ask at your accommodation you’ll find out about local guides who are happy to show you pretty much any place at pretty much any pace if you have the money for it. In countries like Colombia, I doubt they’d ask for that much. I hope this helps somewhat! I’m certain you’ll have a fantastic time, and good on you for not allowing age to be a factor in your travel decisions. I hope I’m still doing such adventurous travelling when I’m 76. Also, I’d love to hear how you get on if you have the time to stop by my site after your trip. All the best!
Thank you so much for your information and suggestions. I am sure that as I get closer to the time of my trip, I will be seeking more advice from you – that is if you do not mind.
Although I am originally from England and later lived in Canada, I now live in Isla de Margarita in Venezuela. I mention this because in one of your blogs, somebody was asking about Venezuela and why you did not go there. For what it is worth, although it is an incredible country with so much to see, it also is very dangerous. I want to tour the country myself, but not alone and to find others to go with, is almost impossible. Also, at this time, there are awful shortages in the stores – not only groceries but things that are everyday necessities. So for the time being Venezuela is not a good choice. Sad but true. Thanks again Arianwen, for your help.
I’m always happy to help, so ask away! Thank you for elaborating on Venezuela. I hope one day the situation will improve. I certainly agree there’s plenty to see there and I’d love to go one day.