My Guide To Hiking Cocora Valley Solo (Is It Safe?)

The Cocora Valley in Colombia is out of this world. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen!

How often do you arrive at the lush green valley surrounded by cloud-shrouded hills and find 25-meter-tall palm trees dotting the landscape? Not very often, I know. But Colombia is simply full of surprises like this.

Although I was not initially planning to do the whole 5-hour loop hike, I just could not resist. I was so fascinated by the landscape that I really wanted to see what this hike had to offer, and I also wanted to experience the cloud forest (spoiler alert – it’s magical!).

But let’s start from the beginning.

Here is my complete guide to hiking Valle de Cocora in Colombia solo.

Why you have to visit (and hike) Cocora Valley, Colombia

Cocora Valley (Valle de Cocora in Spanish) is a stunning natural reserve in the Andean mountains of central Colombia, within the Quindío department, not far from Salento. It belongs to the Los Nevados National Natural Park and is famous for its breathtaking landscapes. 

Lush mountains, towering wax palms, and mysterious cloud forests form this out-of-this-world scenery. The valley has dramatic topography and biodiversity and is one of the must-see places in Colombia. 

One of the valley’s most unique features is the presence of the Quindío wax palm which in fact, is the national tree of Colombia. These palms can grow even as high as 60 meters (200 feet), making them the tallest palm trees in the world!

The wax palms are an endangered species and thrive in the unique environment of Cocora Valley but they can also be found in Peru. Luckily, since 1985, the tree has been legally protected in Colombia and hopefully, we will be able to admire it for many years to come.

All these natural wonders make Cocora Valley one of the most unique places in the world!

How to get to Valle de Cocora?

The best way to get to Cocora is by shared Willy Jeep from Salento which costs 4.500COP one way and the journey is less than half an hour. Apparently, you can also travel from Filandia the same way but Salento is the nearest and most popular departure town. This is where I traveled to Cocora from.

The last jeep to Salento leaves at 5 pm so plan your hike timing well.

Although there are specific times for Jepp departures (check the day before), the driver will wait until the jeep is full, which shouldn’t take long.

Is it safe to hike Cocora Valley solo?

I found the coffee region in Colombia to be very safe and the Cocora Valley was no different. As much as I avoided walking around bigger towns in Colombia alone in the evening (especially in Bogota), I felt safe in Salento, Filandia, and Jardin, so I decided to hike the Cocora Valley loop hike alone.

I found the trail safe and I kept meeting other hikers, and at no point did I feel worried. There are parts of the trail where you need to be a bit careful. Some small bridges over the stream were very dodgy and the trail can be slippery or steep at times. I will give you more details in the hike description below.

I will have to end this section with a disclaimer. Just because I found it safe (and I would do it again in the same way) does not mean that nothing COULD happen and you should not be careful. Whether in Colombia or anywhere else, hiking alone is always more dangerous than hiking in a group. ”Officially” I will not be encouraging you to do this hike alone. I did it, be it out of ignorance, be it because I had been in Colombia for almost 4 months at that point, or maybe because I found Eje Cafetero super safe too. Maybe because I was silly, you be the judge.

But if you decide to do it, I am here to advise you on how to do it best! And safest.

Is the Cocora Valley loop hike hard?

It can be a challenging hike, but it can definitely be done by anyone of average stamina. It is a long 5-hour hike so you need to be prepared for a lot of walking and there are some steep inclines and tricky down paths. But if you start early and allow plenty of time for breaks, even if you are not an avid hiker, you will do just fine.

I am not exactly the best hiker out there and I didn’t find it overly difficult. I met a Colombian family of 3 generations on the hike so this should tell you all you need to know. You just need to come prepared. It is not a walk in the park and the conditions can change rapidly. Wear good shoes, and come prepared. You will enjoy it immensely!

How to hike Valle de Cocora?

Prepare for hiking Cocora Valley solo

Here are my tips on how you get best prepared and what to know about before hiking Valle de Cocora on your own (and not only)

As you noticed I decided to hike it in my hiking sandals which totally made sense, and still does to me. Because it is just so much easier to clean bare feet from the mud and after crossing the rivers you won’t have to deal with wet shoes. Of course, the most conventional hiking shoes will also be an excellent choice! Just skip flip-flops or plain sneakers.

The short hike

This is an in-and-out hike and it is pretty easy to find. The best way to take the short hike is to walk toward the Bosque de las Palmas. Not far from where the jeep will drop you off, you will find a gate to the park. You will have to pay the entrance fee of 15.000COP.

Then turn uphill towards the Miraduro 1 and 2. There you can just chill, take some photos, and walk back to the valley. The whole walk shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours.

The loop hike (around 5 hours)

Which is better clockwise or anti-clockwise?

The opinions are so divided that I decided to just give you the pros and cons of each and you will decide.

Anti-clockwise:

Clockwise:

I was glad I went clockwise. As I was carefully walking down that steep hill towards the end, I was glad I didn’t have to climb it up. But this is me. Many hikers say the clockwise way is a bit boring as at the start you just continue up the steady incline. It was fine for me 😉

I loved the surroundings, I admired the cloud forest, and was very content with my choice. But don’t think that this way is all bed of roses. You will have to walk up a hill at some point but it’s less brutal than the other way around.

Hike stats:

The whole loop hike is around 10 km (6.2 mi) and can take between 4 and 6 hours depending on your fitness level and speed. I did it in a little over 5 hours. You’ll gain almost 600 m (1,968 ft) of elevation and the highest point is 2,860 m (8,792 ft) at Finca La Montaña.

Entrance fee:

The reason why I went clockwise in the first place, is because I heard they sometimes collect an additional entrance fee on the other side near the Finca El Portón which is 6000COP. The ticketing system is a bit confusing and be prepared to pay twice. First time to enter the Bosque de las Palmas (15.000COP ) and then to enter the long trail – 6,000 COP.

If you want to visit the hummingbird sanctuary account for an additional 20.000COP.

The rickety bridges:

Around 40 minutes away from the Mirador you will be crossing the mountain river via wooden rope bridges which don’t look safe at all. In normal circumstances and if reroute was available, you would not make me cross those bridges. But at this point, I guess I had no other choice so I did. I am still here to write this post for you so I guess it all went well!

There are 6 bridges to cross and a few tricky passways too but all totally doable. Just be careful not to slip.

Detour to Acaime La Casa de Los Colibris:

You can take a detour to the Acaime La Casa de Los Colibris but of course, you don’t have to. You will find a sign showing you the direction. I decided not to detour as I knew this would add an additional hour to my hike and I knew the weather would change soon.

Acaime La Casa de Los Colibris means ”the house of the hummingbirds” and it truly is that! It is a hummingbird sanctuary. You will find a few feeders where you can observe the hummingbirds.

The entrance is 20.00COP but it includes a hot drink. You can have a cup of coffee or aguapanela with queso. For a truly authentic experience, I recommend aquapanela which is a traditional Colombian hot drink made by mixing hot water with caramelized sugar cane.

The summit:

The highest part of the trek is at the Finca La Montaña at 2860 meters above sea level. You can stop here for lunch or you can just refill your water bottles. Views are stunning!

The views and changing landscapes:

There are many different sections to the hike and they are all so different!

You will be walking among the rainforest, rolling hills, and lush valleys. It’s just such a wonderful hike!

Final Thoughts

Hiking Valle de Cocora was one of the highlights of my trip to Colombia and I loved every minute of it. I was not worried for my safety even for a moment and even the posters of pumas and bears that apparently can be found in the national park didn’t scare me much.

If you decide to walk the loop hike, come prepared. Hiking solo always comes with risks and the better you are prepared the better the experience. Wear comfortable shoes and breathable clothes, pack some warmer layers, have enough water and snacks, and walk carefully. It will be one of the best adventures of your life, guaranteed!

Where to next? Be sure to visit Jardin, possibly the most charming town I Colombia Coffee Axis. Speaking of which, don’t miss my complete guide to Colombia Coffee Triangle as well as this awesome and complete Colombia itinerary!