Let’s face it, the Cocora Valley has become one of Colombia’s most visited nature destinations. Who hasn’t seen those images of immense, majestic palm trees enthroned in the middle of a verdant mountain valley? Well, the answer is: nobody.
Over the last ten years, tourism has developed at breakneck speed, for better but mostly for worse. The Cocora Valley has gone from being a natural site where people come to hike to an (almost) amusement park where people come to take photos.
Far be it from us to advise you against visiting the Cocora Valley, but it’s important for us to talk about reality and the alternatives that allow you to admire sublime landscapes covered with wax palms far more impressive than Cocora.
In any case, here you’ll find all the information you need about the Cocora Valley Day Trek, a relatively easy hike and the highlight of any stay in Salento.
Contents
Related posts
General information Los Nevados Natural Park
- Protected Area: Los Nevados National Nature Park
- Ecosystem: Cloud forest
- When to go: all year round
- Temperatures: 15° C average
- Climate: Cool and humid
- Minimum altitude : 1800 m avg.
- Max. altitude : 2400 m avg.
- Region: Andes
- County: Quindio
- Distances: 10km from Salento, 30km from Filandia
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Welcome to the Cocora Valley
AND ITS IMMENSE WAX PALMS
The Cocora Valley lies just a few kilometers from the typical, colorful village of Salento, within the Los Nevados National Natural Park in the department of Quindio. The region is renowned for its coffee and its typical zona cafetera landscapes, combining mountains, plantations and quiet villages.
The Cocora valley is home to a natural curiosity, a unique species of palm tree: the wax palm!
This incredible palm can grow up to 60 m tall, making it the tallest palm in the world. It is so named because wax can be extracted from its bark to make candles, for example. The wax palm is endemic to the Colombian Andes, and its splendor has made it one of Colombia’s official symbols.
Threatened with extinction, it has been classified as a protected species by the Colombian government for some years now.
All this to say that you are in the presence of a true treasure of nature, something you’ll only see once in your life.
We don’t know about you, but for our part we’re quite sensitive to the symbolism of things, and this kind of information adds an emotional, even mystical character to my travel discoveries. When we’re there, on the spot, we can measure our good fortune, take in the magnitude of what surrounds us, and put ourselves, little humans, back in the place of simple observers, respectful and grateful.
Unfortunately, with the development of tourism in Salento, local landowners decided to create attractions dedicated to tourism right in the middle of the famous “Bosque de Palma”, destroying the natural panorama that only a few years ago was the charm of the Cocora Valley.
A parking lot, huts where you can eat, buy a few trinkets, spots to take a photo for Instagram… Sunday hikers, mountain bikers in full shampoo and beard outfits, families in moccasins who’ve come just to get to the Bosque de Palma, classic stuff.
Many tourists (mainly Colombians) come here just to see the palm trees, take a selfie and then leave.
But we’re sure you’ll want to take your time, like us, and do a real hike in the Cocora Valley. A 12km loop that will still allow you to enjoy the mountains and landscapes, but won’t spare you the shock (final or initial) of the disaster that tourism has caused.
Highly recommended local agency
Contact Cristina to visit Cocora Valley
Hiking in the Cocora Valley
A BEAUTIFUL Hike
Let’s move on to what really interests us: the hike itself. As you’ll have gathered, we strongly recommend that you don’t just go and see the bosque de las palmas (accessible directly from the park entrance), but take the whole day to do the loop, starting at the valley floor, climbing up to the hummingbird house (optional) and then coming back along the mountainside path that will take you straight to the Graaaaaal: the famous bosque de palmas.
The loop is about 12 km long, which is quite a hike, but if you take your time, it’s really not that difficult. There is one main difficulty: the ascent to the finca La Montaña, which is quite intense, but relatively short (if you do the loop the other way round, it becomes a descent).
What’s interesting about this short hike of just a few hours is that it takes us through different landscapes and moods. We start out in an alpine, pastoral spirit, with a few wax palms on the heights. When it rains, the path can be muddy, but the whole start is gently sloping and very easy. Then we enter the cloud forest, that very special biotope of mountain rainforests. The vegetation is luxuriant, and we cross monkey bridges over the river – it’s like Indiana Jones!
The path gradually begins to rise, and at a crossroads you’ll have to decide whether to continue a little further to the hummingbird house, or turn off towards the La Montaña finca. If you have time, you can make the round trip to Acaime, the hummingbird house. It’s expensive for what it is, but if you want to be sure of seeing hummingbirds, don’t hesitate to go up.
Colombia has one of the greatest diversity of hummingbirds in the world, with over 120 different species.
Back at the fork in the road to La Montaña finca, you’re about to embark on the most difficult part of the climb – an intense but relatively short climb. Take your time, take it easy and it will go by itself. Look up, the trees are changing, the vegetation is changing, and when a clearing opens up you’ll see the finca La Montaña, where you can have a drink and a breather if you need to.
At this point, you’re done for! The rest of the hike is all downhill to your final destination, el bosque de las palmas, with its “Cocora” in giant letters, its Willys Jeeps set against the landscape, its arches and wings and… In short.
On the way back, below you, the valley you’ve just come from stretches out, and you’re finally at the height of the wax palms, see how they punctuate the landscape in a beautiful photogenic display. Along the way, numerous “Miradors” have been created to take in the view.
Then comes the bosque de palmas. On Samuel’s first visit to Cocora in 2013, he wrote: “The green of the meadow invites the epicurean to roll in the grass of joy, the majesty of the wax palms, like little old men with gentle eyes, make us want to kiss them and let them tell us their secrets. Wisdom reigns here, we sit, we sit and we contemplate. Shhhhhhhhhh.”
Today, barriers, signposted routes and attractions of all kinds no longer invite contemplation, but rather… escape.
Good to know
The wax palm, an endangered species
Be aware that this landscape has been sculpted by man for livestock, and that it is this deforestation to make way for pastureland that has led to the loss of over 70% of the Cocora Valley’s palm trees since 1985… enough to keep you thinking!
Today, the Cocora Valley is home to just 2.000 wax palms, almost all of which have reached an advanced age and are therefore dying on the ground.
To reproduce, the wax palm needs the shade of a forest where the plant can develop slowly, over several decades, before breaking through the sky and reaching 60m in height and 150 or 200 years of age…
However, in an open meadow like those in the Cocora Valley, the seeds of the wax palm will fall to the ground without being able to germinate or develop, as they will either be eaten or trampled by cows, or if they are lucky enough to escape, the young plants will be burnt by the sun.
Replanting programs have been underway for a number of years now, but the specificity and slow growth of the wax palm make this difficult. It’s a safe bet that in a few decades’ time, the Cocora Valley will be nothing more than a prairie landscape without wax palms.
Highly recommended local agency
Contact Cristina to visit Cocora Valley
The lesser-known alternative to Cocora
Largest concentration of wax palms
It’s no secret that the Cocora Valley is not the only place in Colombia where you can see wax palms! In fact, today it’s probably one of the least interesting places in Colombia to see them…
Here are some of the alternative sites to the Cocora Valley where the wax palm can be seen in Colombia:
- Murillo, Tolima
- Pijao, Quindio
- San Felix, Caldas
- Toche, Tolima
- Anaime, Tolima
- Roncesvalles, Tolima
- Tenerife, Valle del Cauca
- El Palmar, Boyaca,
- Serranía de Perijá, Cesar,
- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena
- Etc.
The Carbonera Valley (Toche)
And the Carbonera Valley is one of the best-known of these lesser-known places.
La Carbonera is reputed to have the largest concentration of wax palms in the world! The Carbonera Valley is home to 80% of all the wax palms found between Peru and Venezuela… so you could say 80% of all the world’s wax palms, since this species is virtually endemic to the region. It’s amazing.
However, as in the Cocora Valley, the wax palm is also endangered here. Programs are underway to protect the Carbonera, and it is hoped that tourism will not accelerate the problem.
Samaria Valley (San Felix)
On the Salamina side of the Caldas, between Medellin and Manizales, lies the small village of San Felix. A traditional hamlet where life revolves around the milk factory. And just a few minutes from the main square, you’ll find the Samaria Valley. A small valley where wax palms, a different species to those seen in Cocora or La Carbonera, proudly display their beauty..
Murillo
Murillo is a destination that for us represents a spectacular alternative to Salento and the Cocora Valley. Located 2 hours from Manizales on Colombia’s most beautiful road, the village perched at 3000m offers an incredible diversity of possibilities. Not least of which is the opportunity to observe spectacular landscapes where wax palms play the leading role.
In the meantime, if you want to get off the beaten track, we suggest you consider these alternative options to the Cocora Valley.
Local guide for a trek in Cocora Valley
Recommended local agency
There are several guide agencies in Salento, but we really advise you to use the services of our local partner, who, in our opinion, is probably the best guide agency in Salento.
Responsible tourism
Our partner is the first trekking operator in Colombia to have been awarded the Tourcert certificate and is working to develop a responsible tourism policy:
- Joint work with National Park authorities
- Guides certified in high mountain first aid
- Employment of local people with fair wages
- Contributing to the local economy with the aim of improving working conditions
- Commitment to local communities (school tool collection programs)
- Application of “Leave no trace” principles
Where to stay in Salento
Salento
Hotel
Salento Plaza Hotel
A superb hotel in Salento, in a beautiful colonial house very close to the main plaza.We would have loved to have stayed there, to tell you the truth! The decor is superb, and there’s a small interior garden that invites you to relax. The rooms are spacious and the bedding looks comfortable.Highly rated
Salento
Hotel
Hotel Vista hermosa
A nice hotel, and above all, very attractively priced for a city like Salento! This is where we stayed on our last trip in February 2022Basic but comfortable rooms, perfect cleanliness, good service.
Salento
Hostal
El Viajero Hostel Salento
A chain of hostals found in Cartagena, Cali and San Andres. Newly installed in Salento, El viajero offers a wide variety of rooms to suit all budgets, and can accommodate up to 90 people. Having said that, we have to admit that the location they have chosen has everything to seduce!
Salento
Hostal
Segrobe City Hostel
Somewhere between a hotel and a hostal, here’s a place where the decor is particularly meticulous! We love the ambiance of this superb colonial house. The location is central, just a few steps from Salento’s main square. But beware: almost all rooms face the street.
Salento
Finca
La Cabaña Eco Hotel
A hotel in a sublime traditional Colombian finca. A real value for money, located just outside the village, in the countryside. They offer a wide range of activities, including horseback riding and birdwatching.
Salento
Hostal
Yambolombia Hostal
This is the hostal where we stayed on our first visit to Salento. It’s a house on the outskirts of the village, about 20mn from the village on foot, 5mn by Jeep. Gabriel is an endearing character and the atmosphere is cool. Everything is meticulously maintained.
How to get to the Cocora Valley
First of all, you’ll need to travel to the Pereira and Armenia region and stay in a Quindio village. The nearest is Salento, of course, but other options such as Filandia are just as interesting.
From Salento
The famous Willis Jeeps will take you to the Cocora Valley. Make your way to the village’s central square, where you’ll see the colorful machines waiting to take off. Ask a driver, and he’ll tell you when the next departure is.
- Leave as early as possible to avoid the crowds!
- Fare: $8.000 COP per person (one-way)
- Timetable: Every 30 minutes from 5.30 a.m. / The last Willy Jeep leaves Cocora at 6.30 p.m
- Journey time: approx. 30 minutes,
- Distance from Salento: 12 km
From Cocora to Salento
The last Jeep Willis leaves at 6.30pm! Take your precautions, but in any case, night falls at 6pm in Colombia, so we advise you not to be on the road at that time… But if you’ve listened to us and left early,
Equipment for the trek?
Even if it’s only for a day, you still need to be prepared for a trek in the Cocora Valley. First of all, you’re going for a day’s walk, and secondly, you’re going into the mountains, starting at 2400 m and climbing to 2900 m altitude. The weather can be very changeable, and if it rains the path can be very muddy!
Camping is forbidden in the Cocora Valley. However, there are places around the site where you can pitch a tent for a small fee.
- Good footwear (hiking boots, if possible, and waterproof) or boots (hire on site)
- Waterproof jacket / Windbreaker
- Wool sweater or fleece for cold weather
- Sun cream or hat for the sun
- Snacks for picnicking along the way
- Plenty of water!
Price and practical information
You can make the loop begining from the bottom of the valley or begining from the mountainside path. Whichever way you choose, you’ll have to pay all the entry and exit fees.
The « La Truchera » entrance
This is the one we advise you to start with.
Entrance/Exit fee: $6.000 COP
You start off in the bottom of the valley and go all the way into the forest. You then have the choice of pushing on to Acaime, the hummingbird house and returning to the crossroads that leads you up to the Finca la montaña, or climbing straight up to the Finca to find the mountainside path leading back down to the Bosque de Palmas.
The “Bosque de palma” entrance
This is the one that leads you directly to the most famous point of view of the valley. Unfortunately, the Cocora valley’s success as a tourist destination has made this specific place a terrible disappointment (from our point of view).
Entrance/Exit fee: $20.000 COP
From there your can follow the mountainside path to Finca La montaña and then go down to the crossroads, where you can choose to make the return trip to Acaime or take the return route along the bottom of valley to La Truchera.
Loop distance
Full loop : 15 km
Difference in altitude: 540 m (2400 m – 2940 m)
Where to eat and drink
Once you reach the jeep drop-off point, there’s a lot of options to have a dring and eat. We don’t have recommendations. Once inside the Cocora Valley, there are only three places to eat and drink: Acaime, Finca la montaña and Bosque de Palma
Acaime: the hummingbird house is located at the end of the valley, a little after the turn-off for the ascent to Finca la montaña. Entrance fee: $20.000 COP including “agua panela”.
Finca la montaña: this finca is located at the top of the short, but intense climb back down through the valley foothills, offering spectacular views over the Cocora valley to the Bosque de Palmas.
Bosque de Palmas: This is the best-known site in the Cocora valley, with its meadows dotted with wax palms. For those lazy enough to avoid the trek, you can go directly to Bosque de Palmas from the park entrance, following the signs. Nowadays there a lot of private owners that are taking advantage of the flow of tourists to offer entertainment and selfies opportunities.
Bonjour Angelica & Samuel !
Votre blog est vraiment extra ! Nous prévoyons notre voyage en Colombie pour cet été (août) où nous avons prévu d’y passer 16 jours ! Votre blog nous est réellement d’une grande aide et nous nous inspirons beaucoup des idées / conseils pour organiser notre itinéraire, merci pour cela 🙂
J’avais une petite questions sur le trek d’un jour que vous avez fait dans la Vallée de Cocora : j’ai contacté votre agence partenaire pour avoir des informations : ils proposent 3 trek d’un jour, nous hésitons entre 2 options :
– 1/ 1 Day Trek Cocora Valley, Acaime : The iconic Cocora Valley, found within the Colombian central Andean mountain range, deep in the ‘eje cafetero’ (coffee region), outside of Salento. We will stand at the door to the ‘Los Nevados’ National Park, at the foot of the mountains. This particular valley has a distinctly unique cultural history, internationally renown for the 60 meter wax palms, the national tree of Colombia. Ideal for travellers with just a day to explore the region, but want to learn about the importance of this area of stunning natural beauty.
– 2/ 1 Day Trek Carbonera : The La montaña del Quindío (Quindío mountain) was the obligatory pass for the Spanish colonial forces, looking to exploit the trading routes of the indigenous tribes. Originally known as Camino de los Indios (Road of the Indians), then changed to the Camino Nacional during the colonial period before now being known as the Camino Nacional- this route has a deep, varied history that helped shape modern, Colombian culture as well as found the many individual towns in the local area. There are around 600,000 adult palms, a figure 600 times higher than the total number of palms there are in the iconic Cocora Valley. This day is our ideal for travelers and families short on time, but want to see and learn as much as about rural Colombia.
Lequel aviez vous fait ?
Merci pour votre aide et réponse !
Elisabeth
Hi Elisabeth, so we did the classic Cocora tour without a guide, but if we had the choice, we’d definitely do the Carbonera trek!!! It’s totally off the beaten track and looks magical! 🙂
Hello! Thank you for this wonderful blog that follows us through your trip to Colombia
I am currently in Salento and I saw that on the main square the prices and times to go to the Cocora Valley are listed! 4000 pesos each way and the same for the return trip. Jeeps leave every hour from 6.30 am to 5.30 pm. From the valley to Salento, the same every hour from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm 🙂
I’m off tomorrow, can’t wait to see it!
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
Thanks for your message! And for all this valuable information! 🙂
Hello Angelica & Samuel,
Your blog is great! We’re going to Colombia for a month this summer with our 2 children (7 and 10) and we’re getting a lot of inspiration from the ideas and information on your site to organize the trip. So thanks already!
At this stage, we’ve only booked accommodation for our arrival in Bogota and Choco, as we’re going during the whale season, so we’d prefer to plan ahead to avoid having to spend our time on the ground looking for nice, affordable accommodation. Apart from that, we’d also like to spend a few days in the coffee region, on the Caribbean coast and end up in Siera Nevada. But we’d like to know if it’s advisable to book accommodation in advance for these regions too? In absolute terms, our idea would be not to book everything in advance, so as to leave ourselves a little freedom in terms of planning, but also to let ourselves be carried along by encounters or desires that we can better judge on the spot rather than in front of our screen. But as we’re with our children, we don’t want to put ourselves in complicated situations either. We’re interested in your opinion. We have the same question about domestic flights, for example. To go from Medellin to Nuqui, can we book our flights on the spot or is it really advisable to do this well in advance? For the buses, I’m less worried, I imagine it’s quite easy to buy them on the spot.
Hi Stéphanie, thank you for your message 🙂 As for hotel reservations, outside the high season you can make them on the spot, and it’s true that with children it might be better to book them as you go along before arriving on the spot and having to find accommodation on the fly, with the risk that the hotel you’ve chosen may no longer have a room suitable for your family. As for flights, that’s up to you, but for the Choco we booked them from France, planes are small, fares can soar as the date approaches… we preferred to play it safe! But sometimes with Satena, it’s strange that not all flights are available long in advance… So we went back to ADA. As for the buses, you’re right, you can do that on the spot, just be careful on certain routes if you arrive too close to the bus terminal, the next departure may be full and you may have to wait 1 hour or more for the next departure.
Hello!
Thank you for your valuable advice!
I’m getting ready for my pro week trip
I’ll be staying in Pereira on Wednesday evening. So I plan to leave as early as possible on Thursday morning for Salento, then Vallée
How many hours should I allow for the hike?
Is between 10am and 3pm feasible?
To have time to head back to Filandia (have you been there? would you recommend it? or would you rather stay late to enjoy Salento?)
Then the next day we’d like to do something about coffee. Can you recommend a place/finca?
Thank you very much!
Hi Clémence, At the end of the article you’ll find a map of the trek, and you’ll see that it’s 15km with a nice climb at one point. Not knowing the pace at which you’re used to walking in the mountains, it’s hard to give you an idea of how long it’ll take, but a priori in 5 hours you should be able to enjoy it, yes.
We haven’t been to Filandia, but we recommend it as a less touristy alternative to Salento. You can read our article on the most beautiful villages in the coffee region
As far as the coffee tour is concerned, we’ve only done the one in Don Elias, which we talk about in our article on Salento. Apparently it’s changed and become more touristy, but you can try another one, and in any case you’ll learn interesting things wherever you go. If you do it in Filandia, we’d love to hear from you 😉
Hi there,
Merci de votre blog qui es vraiment super 👍 dans les détails, la mise en page et les textes au top. Bonne continuation
Flavien
Hi Flavien and thank you very much for your message, which means a lot to us! 🙂
Hello, thank you very much for this great blog which has been a real mine of information to prepare our trip to Colombia. We’ll be leaving tomorrow to discover the country in 15 days
Delphine and Julien
Thank you very much Delphine and Julien! We’re delighted to have been able to help you, and now enjoy your trip to Colombia! 😀
Hello to both of you,
I’m starting to prepare our trip to Colombia for May 2019 and I must admit that I was under a lot of stress about the organization and I came across your site, I only have one word to say Wonderful!
It’s a real gold mine, the backpacker guides and lonely planet can use it as a model or rather not keep it exclusive because I think it’s a big job and for us it’s free so a big thank you!
Just one small question from Jardin in Salento: can we find a means of transport that will save us the trouble of going back up to Medelin?
Maybe I’ll come back to you later, but your site is so complete that I doubt I’ll have to ask you any more questions
Many thanks again
Valerie
Hi Valérie, thanks for your compliments! It’s a pleasure 😀 Regarding your question, yes, it is possible to get off at the Eje cafetero from Jardin, you have a bus that goes down via Rio sucio to Manizales, from there you can take a bus to Pereira or Armenia and then on to Salento 😉 For more information, see our article on Jerico: https://mytriptocolombia.com/visiter-jerico-sublime-village-patrimoine/#jerico-infos-pratiques
Hello and thank you for this wonderful blog!!!!
A little question about the cocora valley
If I understand correctly, you recommend doing the trail from the exit to the main entrance. Can jeeps drop you off at the exit without any problem? Is it possible to rent boots there if necessary? Thank you very much! 🙂
Hello and thank you for your comment, which makes us very happy!
Concerning cocora, I’d say it depends on the effort you want to make. Doing it from the “exit” is a bit harder (Especially a climb) but you’ve got the best for last : The wax palms.
So it’s up to you… The jeeps all arrive at the same parking lot, I think. As for the boots, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t say they’re necessary; with good walking shoes, it’s okay.
Your blog is great, I’m currently in Colombia with my boyfriend and we often go there to get information, it’s great!
Yippee! Thanks a lot 😀
Hi Samuel! Hola Angelica! Nice discovery of your blog!
Adriana (a Colombian who has lived in France for 11 years) and my husband Maxime (a Chti from Cambrai) are planning to go to the Zona Cafetera on our next trip to Colombia in March next year. Your articles will certainly help us plan our trip!
I can’t wait to discover your entire blog, which looks very interesting! Thank you and congratulations!
Thank you so much Adriana! 🙂 Glad we could help you plan your trip 😉 Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions you may have in the comments!
Your blog is way too stylish! We’re leaving tonight for Colombia and our first stop is Salento 🙂 We are still hesitating between the bus and the plane from Bogota, you had chosen the plane option if I understood correctly? 🙂
Hi Ludivine and thank you for the compliments on our blog! It’s a pleasure 😀
To answer your question, yes I flew both times, but it can be done by bus if you have the time (about 9h to Armenia, then 1h to Salento) it’s a cheaper option (about 20 euros) 🙂
Thanks for your reply! 😀
Have a nice day!
The wax palm is out of this world. Until now, I’d never even heard of this tree. Yet this type of palm tree is even the national emblem of Colombia. A
Yes, the wax palm tree is truly exceptional, it alone is worth the trip 😉