Valle de Cocora (Salento)

Places of Interest - Colombia

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introduction

Just founded in 1850 is the small "sweet" town Salento with a nice cozy central square which is actually a park, surrounded by beautifully brightly painted colonial buildings. There are plenty of hostels, hotels and coffee (fincas) where you can stay and there is ample choice of (souvenir) shops, restaurants and cafes in the busy but small shopping street that offer trout, among other things.

You can visit a coffee farm and just enjoy an afternoon in the town, but the main driver of tourism is the nearby valley de Cocora; you can simply walk or (horse)ride here to see this unique piece of nature. Besides fincas and many huge "wax" palm trees you can extend your walk and walk through the "cloud" forest (or jungle).

highlights

Valle de Cocora:

One of the highlights of a visit to this region (and perhaps also to Colombia) is a visit to the valley de Cocora. It is important to leave as early as possible in the morning with a jeep departing from Salento towards the starting point of the walk.

First you walk around the valley for about an hour on a path with boulders and a lot of mud (especially if it has rained) along a raging brook and you will have to cross five times this over "narrow" small bridges that you have to cross one person at the time. Around you will see mountains and hills covered in clouds covered with green grass strips alternating with a lot of forest. Large long thin wax palm trees (the national tree of the country) complete the unique picture.

Then follows a piece through the dense jungle until you reach a junction where you can choose to take an extra walk to a farm where they sell hot chocolate with cheese and dozens of hummingbirds fly around. A steep climb follows to the ranger house La Montana where a family lives and a garden full of orchids blooms and grows (you can order a cup of coffee, among other things).

Finally, a wider path leads back to the starting point where the jeeps are waiting for you again tob ring you back to Salento. Especially this last part is beautiful with a view of constantly changing clouds that come into the valley and unique piece of nature with the tall palm trees and fincas with some cows and horses. You can not and will not miss this.

TIPS:

If it rains (a lot) rent a pair of high boots (3000 per couple);
Take a snack and water with you because the entire walk takes about 5 hours (without the extra walk about 4 hours) and it will costs quite some energy;
It is not a difficult walk but it’s handy when you’re doing some sports back home (especially take the time with the climb);
Leave Salento as early as possible (the chance of rain is less and the clouds too) and then there are fewer other tourists.

Salento-Streetlife-Colombia-Valle-de-Cocora

tips & advice (2013)

Salento - Cocora (valley): jeeps leave from Salento (main square) at 06:10, 07:30, 09:30 and 11:30 to Cocora where the path to the valley begins. This ride costs 3200 COL and takes half an hour. The jeeps leave at 11:30 12:30, 15:00 and 16:00 back to Salento.

Salento - Armenia: every 20 minutes there is a minibus from the central square in Salento - thirty minutes to an hour and the cost is 3400 COL.

Rincon del Lucy is a small local restaurant in the middle of the busy shopping street (there is only one) in Salento where already made-meals are provided. It is busy so occasionally you have to sit between other people at the tables but it is cheap and good and a good way to meet and talk to locals and other tourists.

"Trout" or "chicken" is offered with rice, vegetables and / or beans. You can get soup, a piece of "platano" (banana) and a glass of lemonade.

Valle-de-Cocora-La-Montana-finca-Salento-Colombia-wax-Palm-Trees-Fog-Hike

Name: Hostel Tralala

Address: Cra 7 no 6-45

Price: 22,000 COL (dormitory) but 18,000 if you stay at least 2 nights

Phone nr. : 314 850 5543

Website: www.hosteltralalasalento.com

Content:

This hostel is a stone's throw from the main square in Salento where jeeps and buses leave (there is no terminal). There are several options for sleeping (dormitory, singles and doubles). Run by a Dutch guy (Hermo) and a number of local staff, this is a very clean gem in the city. All beds have a safe under their bed and you get an extra blanket and a towel on a shelf with the number of your bed in your room.

There is free WIFI, a TV room with enough DVDs and books, a kitchen to use and plenty of showers and toilets. In addition, there is so much information that you need two days to read everything and there is a courtyard with a number of tables and chairs. The staff and Hemo are very friendly and helpful and there is a good comprehensive (English) free brochure with all information about all activities and information about Salerno and surroundings.

Not a patch of nature that you often see (to my knowledge I have never seen anything like this) - first there is the green valley with the green fields with finca's. The mist, fog or clouds of the "cloud" forest makes the whole magical and mystical and with a bit of luck you get ever-changing skies around the tops of the mountains. The climb is do-able for people who are in a reasonable shape.

The place is easy to reach from Salento which is a great base. In addition, you only have to pay for the jeep (so there is no entrance fee). Finally, the whole with the wax palm trees is a piece of nature that is unique. Let's hope that not everyone reads and goes there because mass tourism can spoil the whole thing. I only saw a few tourists who could be heard and seen at the end of my walk at the horse farm.

Valle-de-Cocora-Salento-Colombia-wax-Palm-Trees-Fog-Hike

Valle de Cocora (Salento)

Places of Interest - Colombia

introduction

highlights

tips & advice (2013)

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