Hiking the Cocora Valley
From the very beginning, the Cocora Valley trail offers stunning views
Despite being on the ‘Gringo Trail’ for a little over 3 weeks, Salento was the first place we visited that felt full of backpackers.
The Gringo Trail is essentially a route of well-visited places throughout Latin America, towns that attract backpackers and visitors from America, Canada and Europe. We have no problem or snobbery around this - we are choosing the places we want to go based on things we want to see and experience, Gringo Trail or not. There is a reason popular places become that way! To date, we’ve largely been on a well-trodden path, so we have been surprised that we have encountered few backpackers outside of the big cities. Until we boarded our mini-bus from Medellin’s South Terminal direct to Salento, which was exclusively full of backpackers.
So, what is the draw? Salento is located in the heart of Colombia's coffee region, and is lauded as the most picturesque of the places to stay in the area. The surrounding countryside is a paradise for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, and it is the jumping off point for one of the of the region's premiere hikes in the Cocora Valley. Like many others, this is why we were heading to Salento.
The Cocora Valley Hike
We woke up early the morning after arriving in Salento and walked over to the main square, where jeeps ferry passengers 25 mins out of town to the start of the hiking trail. Unsure of where we were meant to be, we joined a line that looked like the place to buy tickets. We must have looked like we knew what we were doing, because a couple of other travellers approached us and asked if we were waiting for jeeps!
Feeling more confident in my Spanish that morning, I walked to the front of the line and confirmed with the staff that we were in the right queue to buy our return tickets to the hiking trail. Going back to our place in the queue, we got talking to Cath and Tess - friends from London, who had only arrived in Bogota two days earlier. Considering it took me about four days to fully recover after the flight, I was impressed by their powering through to make it to Salento and be up for a 5 hour hike within a few days of arrival!
We boarded our jeep and took the very bumpy ride to the trailhead. There are a few ways to tackle the hike, which is a loop. The main attraction is a valley full of Wax Palm trees - the tallest in the world, reaching heights of over 60 metres. Once forested for their wood, they now have protected status and are the National Tree of Colombia.
You can tackle the trail in a clockwise direction, directly to the valley of the palm trees then loop back around. You can go anti-clockwise, finishing with the most spectacular views of the hike. Or, you can simply hike directly to the palm trees and back out.
We all agreed it made sense to go anti-clockwise and have something to look forward to at the end of the hike, but it didn’t seem to be a popular choice. We hesitated at a gate whilst watching everyone walk off in the opposite direction - it was only when a local pointed us to a map and assured us it was the right path for the anti-clockwise hike did we all set off, sticking together . Strength in numbers, after all.
Whilst it is not the main attraction, the first 3 to 4 hours of the hike are certainly not boring. We were hiking through a stunning landscape of verdant valleys, mist-covered mountains and thick forest. The trail led us through the cloud forest, across crystal-clear streams on rickety wooden bridges, past waterfalls, and up to the Finca La Montaña viewpoint.
As we hiked, we chatted to our new travel companions. Graeme and I love spending time in each other’s company, but let’s face it, we have a long stretch of time ahead of us where we will be spending every single second together! So, talking to different people did seem like a novelty! Cath and Tess met whilst travelling in Nepal and kept in touch, and they were just starting a two week holiday together in Colombia. They told us all about their travels, together and separately and we excitedly told them our plans for the year (and most of the rest of our life story!)
The trail wasn’t too difficult most of the way - the most challenging part was a steep uphill section. But, as is always the case, you forget the struggle of the climb when you see the reward at the top - the most incredible viewpoint, looking over the forest-covered peaks obscured by low-hanging clouds.
Wax Palm Trees
The viewpoint marks the place where the loops arcs round and you start heading back to the town of Cocora - past the famous wax palm trees.
The wax palms are the true stars of the Cocora Valley. These towering giants, some of which are over 200 years old, create a surreal and mystical ambiance. Wandering through the valley, our necks craned upwards as we tried to take it all in. These magnificent trees, adorned with vibrant green leaves, create a surreal and awe-inspiring atmosphere.
After walking slowly back to where we started, we jumped on a jeep back to Salento where we said goodbye to Cath and Tess and passing on all of our tips for the rest of their trip to Medellin and Cartagena.
The Coffee Farm That Never Was
Salento and the Cocora Valley are not only about natural beauty but also offer a chance to immerse yourself in the region's rich coffee culture. We had originally planned to have a rest day after the long hike, but we thought it would be silly to come to the area and not visit a coffee farm.
Of course, being the place we had seen the most other travellers meant that it was also the place where tours were most expensive. After looking it up online, we realised if you could make your own way to a coffee farm the tours were a lot cheaper. That was our plan… except we never quite made it. We set off in completely the wrong direction (Maps.Me fail), down a trail that was not well maintained to say the least, and ended up nowhere near where we intended.
The only stroke of luck we had was that we had found ourselves on the main road into town, so we could flag a passing bus to save us walking 5km back. It was the first time things hadn’t gone exactly as we planned, and we are sure it won’t be the last! So, we didn’t get our coffee farm experience, but with the rest of South and Central America ahead of us, we know we will have plenty more opportunities.
An explosive afternoon
To save the day from being a write-off, we decided to spend the afternoon playing the Colombian game of Tejo.
Tejo is a traditional Colombian game that blends skill and explosive fun. Played on a field with targets, players throw metal discs called tejos, aiming to hit the target's center. Also on the target are triangular paper envelopes… filled with gunpowder. When a tejo lands on the envelope it triggers a small explosion, adding excitement to the game. It's a popular social activity in Colombia. We met a lovely English-Colombian couple playing in the lane next to us who explained how seriously locals took it - the sport has amateur teams and a league set up!
I’m pleased to say I beat Graeme 2 games to 1! It was a fun afternoon and, after a slow start, we soon got the hang of getting the gunpowder explosions. As all the signs around us read: beer and gunpowder is a great mix!
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