A Guide to Hiking in the Cocora Valley in Colombia

Introducing the Cocora Valley (Valle de Cocora)

Located in the Central Cordillera of the Andean mountains, the Cocora Valley (Valle de Cocora) is part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park. It sits at an altitude between 1,800m and 2,400m (5,905 – 7,874ft), and was created by volcanic activity thousands of years ago.

The valley is home to the Quindío Wax Palms (Ceroxylon quindiuense) which are native to Colombia and parts of northern Peru. The palms can grow to more than 60 meters (200 ft) in height and live for over 200 years. No wonder then that these impressive palm trees are also Colombia’s national trees.

Apart from the palms, Valle de Cocora is also home to hundreds of other flora and fauna. There are plenty of bird species living here such as yellow-eared parrots, hummingbirds and even Andean Condors. However, the valley is also home to other wildlife such as sloths, pumas and bears.

How to Get to the Cocora Valley from Salento

Thanks to the popularity of visiting the Cocora Valley, getting there from Salento is very easy.

The favoured way is to travel in one of the Willys jeeps leaving from Plaza de Bolivar. Just turn up at the square, buy your return ticket from the kiosk and join the short, or long, queue to board one of the colourful jeeps. Willys jeeps start departing from around 6:30AM and run all day until 5:30PM. A return journey is around 9,000 COP ($2.30 USD) per person. The ride takes about 30 minutes one-way.

Drivers normally wait until their jeep gets full before they leave. There will likely be queues to board a jeep after 8AM. If you want to leave around that time or earlier, then you won’t need to wait around too long before departing. We recommend leaving as early as you can, especially if you want to complete a longer hiking trail.

On the way back you might need to wait a little longer, but again, if you don’t leave later than around 4PM, you won’t need to hang around for too long. The last jeep normally departs around 6:30PM from the Cocora Valley back to Salento.

Even if the jeep isn’t quite full, the driver will still take you, but you might need to pay a bit extra per person.

Top Tip. For the best experience, we recommend getting a standing spot on the back of the jeep in one direction at least. Would riding on the back of a fast moving jeep by holding onto the roof grating be considered a safe way to travel? Possibly not. Would trying to hold on for dear life and ducking from tree branches whilst enjoying the views of the Colombian countryside be an unforgettable ride? Certainly yes!

Hiking in the Cocora Valley

Below are two trail options for hiking in the Cocora Valley. The first one is much shorter and only takes you through the most photogenic palm tree section of the valley. However, you can also complete a much longer hike that will take you to other parts of the valley. This trail can be done in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. We’ll detail the pros and cons of each down below.

You can check out the routes for both on our AllTrails map.

1. Cocora Valley Short Hiking Trail

If you’re not a big hiker and/or short on time, then consider only completing the short trail around the wax palm trees.

This short loop is less than 4km (2.5 mi) long with an elevation gain of around 170m (328 ft). Depending on how long you spend walking and taking photos, it can easily be done in 1.5 – 2 hours or less.

To get to the trailhead you’ll need to walk up to the park entry point from where the jeeps drop you off. You’ll pass the toilets, which we highly recommend using, and a few other facilities like souvenir shops and cafes. At the park entrance you’ll have to pay a 15,000 COP ($3.80 USD) entry fee per person.

From there, you just follow the trail that leads you through the Wax Palm Forest (El Bosque de Las Palmas). You’ll have a little uphill section to get through, but it’s not that difficult, especially if you’re used to doing a lot of walking. What can make this short walk harder is the altitude. Mirador 2, which is the first viewpoint along this short loop, is around 2,500 m (8,202 ft) above sea level.

Once you’ve reached the top, you’ll need to retrace your steps a little and follow the stairs down to where you started. The top of the stairs is another fantastic location for photo taking (Mirador 1).

2. Cocora Valley Long Hiking Trail

If you’re into hiking, want to get away from the crowds, and see a bit more of the Cocora Valley, then definitely opt for the longer hiking trail option. Just bear in mind that you need to allow enough time for your hike. Below we’ve provided further details on this particular trail, so you can decide if it’s doable for you, which way around you’d want to do it and how not to get lost!

Which Way to Complete the Cocora Valley Loop: Clockwise or Anti-clockwise?

You can complete the long trail in both a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. For reference, we completed it in the clockwise direction.

There are pros and cons to each way. If you arrive early and hike clockwise, you can enjoy the palm forest section of the route without the crowds. However, be ready for the hike to be not quite as scenic or exciting for a while once you leave that area. We personally didn’t mind and were happy that we did the hike clockwise. The trail was also easy to follow going clockwise, as we’d read before the hike that it can be more confusing and difficult doing it the opposite way around.

If you complete the hike in an anti-clockwise direction, then you’ll have the palm forest and iconic viewpoints to look forward to at the end. However, by that time this section will likely be more crowded, plus the weather conditions can change for the worse in the afternoon too. For reference, we only got a few minutes at Mirador 2 in the morning before thick clouds rolled in covering the views. On the flip side, these conditions created a mystical and spooky atmosphere which we also enjoyed.

Cocora Valley Long Loop Stats (incl. Length and Difficulty)

The long loop is around 10 km (6.2 mi). You can make the trail longer by hiking to the Acaime Hummingbird Sanctuary (Casa de los Colibríes del Valle de Cocora). This would add an additional 2 km (1.2 mi) to your hike. Note that you’d also need to pay an entry fee of 20,000 COP ($5 USD).

Depending on how often you stop, you can complete this trail in 5-6 hours. You’ll gain nearly 600 m (1,968 ft) of elevation along this long loop. The highest point along this trail is 2,860 m (8,792 ft) at Finca La Montaña. The altitude and ascents can make this hike more difficult if you’re not used to being at high elevation. If you’ve already spent some time in Bogota for example, then you’ll most likely be fine.

Note that you’ll have to cross six dodgy looking bridges along the river section of this hike. They don’t look particularly safe but there’s no other way around them. You’ll definitely feel like you’re in some kind of adventure movie!

We saw a few landslide signs indicating sections where you should hike a little faster. Make sure to double check with staff if the trail is open and passable before committing to it.

Cocora Valley Long Loop Trail Description (Clockwise Direction)

Now, if you’re doing the loop in a clockwise direction like we did, then we recommend making a short detour towards Mirador 1 first (where the stairs go down back to the ticket booth). Then head back up to Mirador 2 and enjoy the palm trees from this viewpoint as well. After this, you won’t be so close to the palms again for a while, so make the most of it.

Once you leave the second viewpoint you won’t see too many more people. The track will wind up through a forest and the views will be gone for a while. Shortly, you’ll reach a ticket booth where you’ll need to buy an additional entry ticket for 6,000 COP ($1.50 USD). Keep hold of your ticket, just in case they ask you to show it at the booth at the other end of the hike.

Keep following the wide rocky track through the forest. There will be a few signs along the way indicating your elevation and how far you are from Finca La Montaña. Soon you’ll reach the highest point of the trail, Finca La Montaña, at 2,860 m (8,792 ft). From there you’ll need to descend down some switchbacks and back into the forest.

After a while you’ll see a sign towards the hummingbird sanctuary. If you want to visit it you’ll need to go that way. If not, then continue to the right and follow the river. Soon you’ll reach the first of six bridges you’ll need to cross along Rio Quindio.

Once you come out of the forest you’ll be following the meandering river through the valley. This part of the hike is really beautiful and you’ll be able to see the hills covered in wax palms in the distance. You’ll pass the ticket booth and a‘Truchas Cocora’, aka a trout farm. In a few minutes you’ll arrive to a blue gate, which is the start of the hike if you do it anti-clockwise. You’ll roughly come out near the car park where the Willys jeeps dropped you off in the morning.

Cost of Hiking in the Cocora Valley

Below is a summary of how much you can expect to pay if you want to do a day hike in the Cocora Valley.

• Return Willys Jeep ride: 9,000 COP ($2.30 USD). (Could be slightly more if the jeep isn’t full).
• Cocora Valley short hike entrance fee: 15,000 COP ($3.80 USD).
• Additional fee for the Cocora Valley long hike: 6,000 COP ($1.50 USD).
• Acaime Hummingbird Sanctuary: 20,000 COP ($5 USD).
• Toilet: 1,000 COP ($0.25 USD).
• Any packed lunches, drinks and snacks for the day.

Top Tip. We recommend withdrawing enough cash in Salento to cover most of your expenses for the day.