This trip is a really special one for me to reflect on because it was the first time traveling with the same brother who stars in my Girona travel journal đ .
During our 10-day trip, we explored Medellin and bused around to all the places I wanted us to see within that time frame. Although the entire trip in and of itself could be listed as a highlight, the place I always think of first when people ask me about our time in Colombia is the day we spent hiking in Cocora Valley.
Cocora Valley isnât very easy to get to, which was part of the lure.
Once a country considered an off-the-beaten-track destination, Colombia has seen an explosion of international tourism in the past few years, making certain cities such as Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena more commonly known. While this is excellent for Colombiaâs economy, as a traveler I usually prefer to use popular cities as launching points. For this reason, we flew into Medellin, bused to our second destination, Jardin, and then to Salento, a masterpiece of a tiny town in the rural Colombian countryside.
Salento is where this story begins, where you have to go if you want to get to Cocora Valley.
Itâs also quite a pain in the ass to get to, quite frankly. Finding a direct bus from Medellin to Salento isnât a problem and itâs also not very expensive (it should be less than 50,000 Colombian pesos (around 14USD) per person. The problem is that bus travel through the mountains is very slow, so when the bus trip is listed as 6.5-7 hours, itâs more like nine.
Colombia travel tip: Take care if you get motion sickness and be sure to bring medicine. You can also try and break up the trip with a stop like we did with an evening stopover in the tiny mountain town of JardĂn. But, this also has its drawbacks as, like I said, mountain travel by bus is very slow. No matter what you do, youâre going to be spending hours in a bus. And to that I say, câest la vie.
In my opinion, the effort to get to Salento and hike in Cocora Valley is worth it
Why? Quite, simply, this one leg of our trip could have been the âadventure of a lifetimeâ in and of itself.
So, how do you actually get to this hike?
Every morning in the main square, large Jeeps that the locals refer to as âWillyâsâ take hikers out to the valley. They run like clockwork starting at 7AM, cost a few thousand pesos per person, and take about half an hour to get to the starting point of the Cocora Valley Hike. Depending on how adventurous you are, you can sit inside the Jeep and admire the scenery as you wind up and through the mountains, or you can hang onto the back for some fresh air and a truly otherworldly experience. (Guess which we did ?.)
The Willy drops you off in a parking lot just across the road from the start of the hike. There will be two fees to pay, an entry fee and an exit fee, each totaling 3,000 COP, so 6,000 COP, per person, for the entire hike. (Thatâs less than 2 USD per person.) After paying the entry fee, youâve got two choices. The hike is a loop and can be started from either direction: the first takes you through a blue gate and the second starts with an easy walk up a dirt and gravel path. Each route is lovely in its own right; the only big difference is whether you want to see the wax palm trees that the valley is famous for at the beginning or at the end of the hike.
Personally, my brother and I are more âsave the best for lastâ types of people, so we set off through the blue gate.
Coming from this direction, we passed through a relatively flat path that passed between private properties for about a mile before entering the forest. Here, things got interesting, as there was a creek that at points swelled to a river, and lots of little bridges to cross that gave us little adrenaline jolts with each crossing. Upon reaching the mountain hiking section of the trail, we took a detour that my brother still bemoans to this day, but that I donât think either of us truly regrets as it let us glimpse how truly vast and magical the Colombian Andes are.
In any case, those wishing to do the trail as is should stick to the main path. Itâs very straightforward, save for one section that suggests a stop-off at Acaime Finca, where you can apparently birdwatch for around 5,000 COP (less than 2 USD) per person. If you have no interest in birdwatching, donât follow this sign.
The hike is the most taxing in this section, as you climb up, up, up before finally emerging into open air for a last switchback up to the Montaña lookout. This is a very natural resting point where you can enjoy the refreshments you packed for the hike and enjoy stunning views of Cerro Morrogacho and surrounding flora and fauna.
After this stop, itâs literally downhill from here. A wide dirt and gravel path flows down the mountain and sparse foliage allows for ever-increasing awesome views of the surrounding valley.
Finally, youâll emerge into the valley, where the grass is soft and spongy beneath your feet and the wax palms wave serenely high above you.
To complete the circuit and exit the park, simply follow the trail that slopes gently over the hills until you arrive at a consistent downhill. Turn left at the road and youâll arrive back to where you started, and from the parking lot you can find a Willy to take you back to Salento.
Useful information on hiking the Cocora Valley in Colombia, and on Salento in general
- I would bring at least 40,000 COP (about 12 USD) per person for this hike. Youâll be paying for the ride to the valley, the entrance fee to the park, and then the ride back, plus a little extra for any snacks or drinks youâd like after.
- Salento is generally very warm but does experience a rainy and dry season during the spring (April, May) and fall (September, October, November). It was July when my brother and I went; we had no issues with the rain.
- Try to always have cash on hand to pay and if not, be sure to ask before eating if a restaurant accepts payment by your type of credit card.
- My brother and I werenât on a schedule that allowed for lengthy add-ons, but if we had been we would have definitely looked into hang gliding, multi-day hikes, horseback riding in the mountains, and tours of coffee plantations.
And that’s a wrap for this week! What about you? Where are you daydreaming about this Sunday?
