Colombia Cocora Valley Trek

Salento, Colombia · Colombia

Moderate7 daysSouth America~£400 est.

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Overview

The wax palms of the Cocora valley are a botanical joke played at altitude: the world's tallest palms, sixty metres of bare silver trunk topped with a pom-pom of fronds, growing not on a beach but in Andean cloud forest at 2,400m. The classic circuit runs clockwise from the trailhead: up the Quindio river on a muddy track that crosses and recrosses the water on wobbling suspension bridges, a steep pull to the hummingbird house at Acaime - where dozens of species mob the feeders while you drink hot agua de panela with cheese - then over the ridge at Finca La Montana and down into the open valley where the palms stand against drifting mist like green candles. Mud is the constant: this is cloud forest, so waterproof boots or hired wellingtons beat trainers every time, and an early start beats both the afternoon rain and the crowds. You reach the trailhead by shared Willys jeep from Salento's plaza - an experience in itself - and the coffee fincas around town turn the trip into a proper week: tours, tastings and some of Colombia's prettiest streets. December to February and July to August are driest. Around £400 covers a week of guesthouses, jeeps, coffee and unreasonable quantities of arepas.