Trek in the Cocora valley - Salento

Colombie Voyage Salento Trek Randonnée

Journey to Salento Salento! If you have any familiarity with Colombia, it’s highly likely you’ve come across those magnificent images of gigantic wax palm trees, growing at nearly 3000m altitude. Indeed, these (protected) trees are part of Colombia’s cultural heritage and are one of its iconic symbols.

It goes without saying that this was one of my destinations during the trip!

Starting from Villa de Leyva, I took the same jeep as on the way there. Fortunately, this time I was able to keep my backpack on board rather than having to place it simply on the roof. Phew!

Back to the Neiva hub to catch a new bus that would take me to the intermediate destination of Armenia, where I spent the night. It was getting late when I arrived, so I booked an Airbnb at the last minute.

Speaking of the road to the destination, nothing special except for the numerous construction works, including tunnels and viaducts that will eventually connect these cities even faster by bus. Currently, it takes 8-9 hours between Bogotá and Armenia, and more if you’re coming from Neiva. That said, the road is beautiful, and the landscapes are breathtaking! Even if you lose a whole day, I recommend experiencing at least one complete daytime journey to take in the views.

Finally, from Armenia to Salento, you need to take a mini-bus (which is mostly filled with Western tourists) that will bring you to the main square in about an hour.

For my stay, I chose the “Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel.” It was my first experience in a youth hostel, and I must say that despite all the preconceptions I had before trying it, everything went extremely well! Clean rooms, dormitories with little curtains on each bed for a bit of privacy, friendly and kind staff… Apart from knowing that other people are sleeping in the same room, it’s just as comfortable as a hotel! And it’s the perfect opportunity to meet other travelers; Olivia, Tom, Inès, and others—it was a pleasure to exchange (mis)adventures and share good little tips with each other.

Without further ado, after a good meal (a local trout, yum!), one or more beers, and a refreshing night’s sleep, it’s time for me to tackle the highlight of this leg: the trek in the Cocora Valley!

But before anything else, I must warn you that I’m not in peak physical condition. In fact, this was the first trek of my life, at over 3000 meters altitude. Needless to say, these are not exactly ideal conditions.

For this adventure, I was accompanied by three French women who were used to this kind of activity. And indeed, on a trek that was supposed to take 5 hours, we managed to complete the entire route in just 4 hours! A great challenge that I’m delighted to have accomplished, and honestly, I couldn’t have done it alone. A big thank you to them for pushing me! :-)

The walk itself exceeded my expectations. We started with the famous valley of palm trees, where the climb is quite steep and demanding. To do this, you have to take the loop... in reverse!

It starts off quite steep, and with the lack of oxygen due to the altitude, you shouldn’t hesitate to take your time and stay well-hydrated! At the top of the first section, it started to get cloudy (it’s strongly recommended to leave early in the morning with the first jeeps from Salento if you can!). From there, it’s mostly downhill, passing through a forest and numerous hanging or wooden suspension bridges. For a few pesos, you can also admire the hummingbird house while “enjoying” a good hot chocolate with cheese. It’s a wonderful experience, and it would be a shame to miss it!

The descent is much more pleasant along this small path, where you can once again see the beautiful palm trees. Before reaching them, you’ll need to cross a few wooden suspension bridges over a small river (it’s worth reiterating the importance of having good hiking shoes!).

Our return was by the same small jeep... The only difference was that the space available inside was a luxury, so we found ourselves, three of us, clinging to the outside, with our feet shared on the tiny platform of the jeep! This unique experience, although inconceivable in Belgium for all safety reasons, was nevertheless a way to contemplate the landscape one last time on the way back to Salento.

The shower that followed was a blessing! It was time to treat myself to a good Bogota beer (the “BBC”) and sort through the numerous photos!

The next day, I continued with a visit to a Colombian coffee plantation.

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