sierra nevada de santa marta

Visit the indian drive of the Cogui, Mule ride to Sierra Nevada and the Picos of Colon and Bolivar, Santa Marta

Everyone should go there and spend at least few days. You can find there amazing nature, green lush forests, hills, a lots of waterfalls, streams, natural swimming hools. You can observe there plenty of wonderful birds. This is an ideal area to hike of any level of difficulty. You can visit there coffee farms, cocoa farms. And this is perfect place for relax. After spending there at least few days, you will be looking forward to comming back.

They say Minca is a magical place. I wasn’t convinced at first, but after several days spent sitting at the river contemplating things, I started to believe it. It’s magical if you let it start to affect you, if you really let what it is in, at least that’s what I’d say. I stayed at La Candalaria, a coffee farm found a 40 minute hike outside of town and a place I’d recommend to anyone thinking about staying in or around Minca. From atop a Sierra Nevada mountain overlooking Minca and Santa Marta, the day’s worries can be left behind with a fresh glass of juice or coffee and the warm smiles from the hospitable people who run the finca. But, back to Minca. The river is a great place to go during the hot humid hours of the afternoon. Several great restaurant/bars are also available. I don’t know the names of any of them, but I can tell you how to get there. Coming into town from Santa Marta and crossing the bridge over the river, you’ll want to take a right. Turn right on the first (and only road) in Minca and the first bar on the right will be inconspicuous but worth the visit if you don’t miss it. This bar has a great selection of liquor and wine, but I found the Club Colombia to be quite refreshing and cheap. Plus, with the several floors of tables to choose from, I found this to be the best bar to quietly take in the beautiful view and sounds of the river. The Lazy Cat, a couple doors up, is a popular spot for backpackers. It also has some outdoor tables, but I found this first bar to have much more rewarding views. If you go further up this road, there will be two roads on your right. Take the second road and the restaurant after “Mi Tienda” is also another good spot. I only had a mojito here (which was delicious), but their outdoor grill looks amazing. Fresh vegetables everywhere, they have an extensive menu worth checking out, if you have the money. Go further down this road and you’ll find many good spots for soaking in the river. Go back out this road to the main road you were on and take a right to walk out of town (past the Internet café) and, after about 40 minutes, you’ll find yourself at La Cascada de Marinka. There’s another waterfall, El Pozo Azul, but Marinka is the grander of the two. It’ll cost 3,000 pesos to get in to see it, but it’s worth it, having an upper and lower level in which to bask. Coming back into town, if you walk to the main road that crosses the bridge, you can take a right (away from the bridge) to walk about 40 minutes to El Pozo Azul, also worth seeing. If you walk past the entrance to El Pozo Azul about another 40 minutes (yes, everything’s 40 minutes), you’ll find La Victoria, the largest coffee finca in the area. A tour will cost you 5,000 pesos, also worth it to see the way this place operates. Coming back into town again and crossing over the bridge, if you take the first street on the right and walk about 45 minutes you’ll find La Candalaria, the coffee farm I recommend you stay at for a truly genuine Colombian experience. Breakfast is included with your stay and you will want lunch and dinner too after trying it. But, if you’d rather eat in Minca I recommend “Ei Mox Muica.” You will find this restaurant a 5 minute walk on the road that curves around behind El Café Minca. Here they make delicious crepes. I had a chicken and mango crepe with ginger and mango sauce. Mmmmm. You should just go there. What else? There are always guys ready and happy to give you a ride (for a fee of course) on their motorcycles if you don’t feel like walking. But I recommend the walking. It’s what makes part of the Mincan experience and makes the cold embrace of the waterfalls all that more refreshing and rewarding.

These mountains are 18,800 ft and 26 miles from ocean. Very impressive. We came in on a cruise ship and viewed from Santa Marta.

Even with the limited amount of time we had (two days), my friends and I saw and experienced so much -- Sierra Nevada mountain range is a paradise for hikers, bird watchers, and folks who love nature.

Great place to be with Nature and see wild life. Got to see lots of humming birds, monkeys and tucans. River swimming and waterfalls.

Minca is a very disappointing place but the mountain range nearby is a must! With spectacular views. The Faunal reserve of Pozo Azul is definitely worth a visit

If you like loud music, garbage and a messy flilty place, this is your town. They call it the ecological capital of Colombia. What a joke!This review is only about the town itself. The surrounding area is quite nice and is worth a visit. Just stay as little as possible in the town itself, they don't deserve tourist money.

If you can, don't leave Colombia without visiting this beautiful mountain range in the north. The views are spectacular with the sea on one side and mountains on the other. Also a great area for birds. Come and just relax and stroll around.

Wonderful place to walk, cascades and pools to swim in. Definitely there is a basis for its claim to be the " ecological capital" of Colombia. A gentle pace of life. The Faunal nature reserve at Pozo Azul is well worth a visit. There is a marvellous spot to sit and watch birds and wildlife while drinking the best limonada naturale in Colombia. A 600 metre nature trail has also been made to give a sense of what is available. The manager, with excellent English, who lives on site is happy to name the birds etc. and to organise treks and night safaris.A real enthusiast Camping is also possible and accommodation is available, but we did not see the rooms as ours was a half day visit.In the same spirit, the coffee/ cocoa place at the entrance to Minca is worth visiting. For 15,000 Col. pesos, you are guided through the process from plant and bean (picked from plants on the wild locally) to the variety of finished products. The manager speaks English. You get a small pack of cocoa as a souvenir.

It is definitely a place to visit. The sea on the east, snow-capped mountains on the west, rain forest all around, visiting the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a memorable experience.

where coffee plantation meets Dschungle, easy walking up in the mountains and away from the hustle and bustle of the city

Nicole RWe went to a very nice hostel. Oscar Place! It's really a place to come down and enjoy! We were very welcome and it was like to be in a family. We liked it really that there where no doors, it's just a feeling freedom. The breakfast was great (oscar special :-)!).It's dificult to find, just usk in town and walk down till it's not mor possibel.

If you are heading to the Caribbean coast of Colombia and like hiking, this is a stop you don't want to miss. A friend and I planned a trip to Cartegena and quickly got bored of beaches - coming here was the best decision. It feels like it has not been really "discovered" yet, as few guide books and review places have many details, it is also not over-run by tourists or the tourist-serving business. How to get here: In Santa Marta ask where the colectivos (shared taxi) to Minca are. The drivers sit under a little awning on a street corner. You have to wait until the car is full of other people also going to Minca, and then it will leave for the approximate hour ride up the mountain to Minca. Minca is a very small little town with some hostels, little stores, and restaurants. What to do:We knew we wanted to see the pozos azules (blue wells) which is a river, and waterfalls with some swimming areas. We wanted to do some other kinds of tours, but we didn't really have time to plan it all, but just a hike up to the waterfalls was nice. When we got out of the colectivo in Minca, our driver directed us up the road to the left. Which you follow for a while and then you see a small sign for Pozos Azules, you go to the left and follow a trail down to the river. It is all very rustic and rough. you can follow a light trail along the left side of the river bank up to more falls and swimming areas. It is a bit of a climb through jungle, over rocks and roots, and mud. You probably want some decent shoes, though some people were doing it barefoot. We brought a lunch and ate it on the river bank - the water was clear and cold, with beautiful rocky bottom. This was really the highlight of our whole trip. Note: there is not a bathroom, a shelter, or anything down by the waterfall and swimming area. When you turn off the road onto the trail, there is a store that sells beer, water, and snacks, but the trail is long enough that you would want to stop to get anything on your way in.

If u are visiting santa marta, going to Minca is a must! It's only 40min away by taxi. The landscape is amazing, it's like jungle! Huge trees, coffee plantations, mangos, bamboo. Amazing waterfalls, bird watching. And the best... The weather! It's much cooler than santa marta, so is the perfect place to go and scape from the exhausting heat!