Park or nature areaDetailed guide

Valle de Cocora

Valley in Quindío, Colombia

Photo: Peterfitzgerald, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Valle de Cocora is a protected area in Quindío near the eco-tourist/backpacker haven of Salento, known for its surreal, striking landscapes pegged with the slender, towering Colombian national symbol, the wax palm.

Sights and activities

From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.

Acaime
See
Acaime is a hummingbird sanctuary and a strategically placed coffeeshop. It costs COP$5,000 for entry and a hot beverage plus fresh cheese, which is very worthwhile, if only for some hot chocolate, tea, or coffee and some chit chat with other travellers, all happy to sit down after trekking around the jungle. There are hummingbird feeders right by the sitting area, so you can watch various varieties of hummingbirds flit about while you sip.
Price
COP$5,000
Details

Where to eat, drink and stay

Sleep1 place

Bosques de Cocora campgroundCOP$10,000/person
The one official campground in the park is right at the entrance, behind the little roadside restaurant run by the same people. You'll need your own tent, but they do have showers and flush toilets. For an extra fee, you can get meals included at the restaurant.
Price
COP$10,000/person
Phone
+57 6 746-3515
Website
valledelcocora.com.co

Getting there and around

Getting there

There are supposed to be jeeps going from the central plaza of Salento at 7:30AM, 8:30AM, 9:30AM and 11:30AM, which then leave on a return trip from the park at 5PM. But there really isn't a set schedule.

Read in the guide

Getting around

The park/valley is small enough to cover the trails in one day on foot, although horseback riding is also an option (see below).

Read in the guide

Airports and nearby hotels

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Matecaña International Airport

Pereira · Regional · PEI

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Read before you go to Valle de Cocora

Articles and travel topics about Valle de Cocora and Colombia.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandThe area was designated a national natural area by the Colombian government in 1985 in response to the imminent threat of extinction of the Ceroxylon quindiuense, the Quindío wax palm.

Get inThere are supposed to be jeeps going from the central plaza of Salento at 7:30AM, 8:30AM, 9:30AM and 11:30AM, which then leave on a return trip from the park at 5PM. But there really isn't a set schedule.

Fees and permitsIt costs COP$20,000 (December 2023) to enter, which you pay in cash at a kiosk a few minutes after starting on the trail.

Get aroundThe park/valley is small enough to cover the trails in one day on foot, although horseback riding is also an option (see below).

SeeValle de Cocora isn't exactly long on sights—the attraction is the environment, and of course the wax palms. The one exception might be the hummingbird sanctuary:

DoThere's really only one activity here: to explore and photograph the valley. Most visitors do so on foot:

BuyAlas, they have yet to capitalize on the potential wax palm tchotchke and t-shirt market. For all the tourists, this place is not touristy.

EatWithin the valley, there is only the cafe at Acaime, which is cheap and very welcome after trekking, but also extremely basic—most visitors get their calories just via the oh so Colombian hot chocolate and fresh cheese…

DrinkIf you want a beer, the only hope would be at the entrance, but alcohol doesn't go that well with high altitude hiking anyway. Water does.

SleepThe main place within the park to stay at is Acaime, which does have beds for hikers, mostly intended for hikers going in or out of Los Nevados.

Stay safeThere's nothing to be afraid of in this beautiful, happy valley, except maybe that big dog at Finca la Montaña. The cows don't bite!

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Valle de Cocora" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Cocora Valley", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Peterfitzgerald, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Improve this guide on Wikivoyage

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Valle de Cocora" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Summary from the Wikipedia article "Cocora Valley", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia

Photo: Peterfitzgerald, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Improve this guide on Wikivoyage