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Best excursions in Minca, Colombia
Minca is a small town located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. A privileged location that makes you surrounded by nature, and that is The surroundings of Minca are full of vegetation and tropical birds.
It is a perfect place to escape the heat by entering the mountains of northern Colombia, a destination that Colombians also love. Ideal for a few days of relaxation between natural pools, viewpoints and charming hotels.
Minca is just 45 minutes from Santa Marta so it is very easy to get to and it is worth including it in your itinerary to take an excursion and get to know the biodiversity that inhabits this region.
- HOW TO GET TO MINCA
- HOW TO GET AROUND MINCA
- WHAT TO DO IN MINCA
- Trail to Marinka waterfalls
- Excursion to the Blue Well
- Bathing in the lost waterfall
- Coffee Tour at Finca La Victoria
- Bird watching, another essential in Minca
- Visit the Oido del Mundo waterfall
- Chocolate tour in Minca
- Hiking to Cerro Kennedy
- Visit Rio Elemento
- Go up to the Los Pinos viewpoint
- Improvised excursions through Minca
- WHERE TO STAY IN MINCA
In this article I recommend some of the best excursions in Minca, how to get there and where to stay.
HOW TO GET THERE TO MINCA
Most travelers visit Minca from Santa Marta, where you will have to take a bus heading to Minca in the Public Market, at the intersection of 11th Street and carrera 9.
Once in Minca It is very possible that you will need a motorcycle taxi to get to your accommodation, they are offered right where the bus stops so it won't be difficult for you to find them. I recommend you negotiate Because tourists, especially foreigners, are asked for much higher prices than locals, for the most distant hotels they should not charge you more than 20.000 COP/motorcycle (about €4-€5)
Alternatively Take a taxi from Santa Marta to your accommodation in Minca. It is a more comfortable option and the price is not much higher if you travel in a group or with family. It is around 70.000 COP (€16).
HOW TO MOVE BY MINCA
Before getting into the matter of telling you about the best excursions in Minca, or in general what to do during your time in Minca, it is interesting to talk about how to get around once there.
Do you want to combine your days in Minca for the jungle with beaches? I recommend you read our Palomino guide, the Colombian Caribbean very close to Santa Marta.
THINGS TO DO IN MINCA
In the town of Minca as such, there is little or almost nothing to do, the charm of Minca is its surroundings rfull of forested areas, streams and waterfalls in which you can bathe.
Throughout the area there are many trails along which take routes, watch birds and enjoy nature.
One of the negative things about this place is that due to the influx of tourists, locals have privatized their roads and charge an entrance fee to access the most famous areas such as pools and waterfalls. Still, the prices are not high at all and even some of the best excursions in Minca can still be done for free.
Trail to Marinka waterfalls
This waterfall is reached through an easy one-hour hike. Once you arrive you can enjoy a refreshing bath and take the opportunity to relax in a wild environment full of vegetation (don't forget the sudden mosquitoes) This waterfall is paid and entry costs 5.000COP per person.
Hay two different waterfalls in which you can bathe, a small restaurant and several areas where you can sit and rest.
Being one of the best excursions in Minca, it is a very popular place among Colombians to spend the day so It is better to go during the week and early so there are not so many people.
Excursion to the Blue Well
An hour's walk from Minca (or 10 minutes by motorcycle taxi) is Pozo Azul, which, unlike the Marinka waterfalls, is free. The Blue Well is ideal to spend a morning and take the occasional refreshing bath. It is said that the water has a turquoise blue tone, but at least on the day we went it didn't.
Again, these pools receive a lot of local visitors during the weekend, so if you can avoid it better.
The good part is that although the name is Pozo Azul in the singular, it is different levels with pools and waterfalls so you can go up and as you progress, people disappear. I think the one in the photo we left here was the third pool and as you can see it was almost empty. Along the trail there are areas to leave things and sit.
Bathing in the lost waterfall
Not far from the Pozo Azul is this much less known and visited waterfall. It is accessed by stairs that start next to the Montes de Beraka hotel.If you can't find them, you can ask around the area and they'll surely point you in the right direction.carThey are the way.
Visiting this waterfall was one of the excursions in Minca that we liked the most since peace and tranquility reigns in this area of the river thanks to the fact that most tourists do not know this place.
The vegetation is dense and if you take off your shoes or have water shoes you can walk along the river to find pools and small beaches or rocks where you can lie down and rest. Don't forget to bring repellent since in some areas of the river there are many sand flies.
Coffee Tour at Finca La Victoria
Finca La Victoria is a place where you can experience the country's rich coffee traditionThis historic coffee farm offers tours where you'll learn about the cultivation, harvesting, and production of Colombian coffee. The guides will explain...carThey tell the story of coffee in the region and They will take you through the coffee fields, teaching the process from bean selection to roasting.
The final point of the visit is a fresh coffee tasting, where you will appreciate the unique flavors of this important drink in Colombia. In addition to learning about coffee, you can chat with the local community and learn about the culture and daily life of the farm workers.. The visit costs 15 thousand COP and lasts one hour. Despite being one of the most popular excursions in Minca, we did not do it because we were heading to the Coffee Region in a few days and we were already going to do this type of routes there.
It is the most popular farm but not the only one, you can also visit the Miramar, Cincinnati, Onaca, Jirocasaca, María Teresa or El memoria farms.
Bird watching, another essential in Minca
Minca is a paradise for bird lovers. You can go on a bird watching tour in the surrounding area and see a wide variety of colorful species.
We were not aware of how good this place was for bird watching until we discovered that our Hotel accommodation Mountain Top It had an observatory and one of the owners explained to us everything you can see there.
The ideal times for sighting are sunrise and sunset., since during those hours the animals are more active.
Visit the Oido del Mundo waterfall
This pool with a small waterfall is located about 25 minutes walk from the center of Minca. It is not that popular or visited so you will be a little calmer while you take a dip in its frozen water. The waterfall is very important to the Kogui indigenous people, which has inhabited the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta for many centuries.
Chocolate tour in Minca
Another type of abundant plantations in this region are cocoa plantations. If you are interested in seeing what the entire process is like from harvesting to making chocolate, you can visit the La Candelaria farm., where they do tours about cocoa and of course, tasting!
As a good cocoa area, even if you don't go to any Finca, throughout Minca there are businesses with good chocolate both in pastries, smoothies or hot chocolate.
Hiking to Cerro Kennedy
If you like hiking walk to the top of Cerro Kennedy It is one of the best excursions in Minca. Along the way and at the top you will have impressive panoramic views and you will see how the vegetation changes with respect to the jungle forest that is around Minca.
The usual thing is to spend the night at Finca Santa Elena and make the 5 kilometer climb to the top of the hill during dawn. It is a very special experience since you will have some unique views of the Sierra Nevada and the Caribbean coast tboth dawn and dusk.
Also You can hire a mototaxi to take you to the top, but be prepared for bumps.
Visit Rio Elemento
In this hotel Located in an enviable environment, it just crosses a river and has a swimming pool also surrounded by vegetation. Even if you are not staying, you can go to the bar to have a drink and enjoy the surroundings..
It is very close to Minca town on foot and it seemed like a great plan for us to go have a coffee there.
Go up to the Los Pinos viewpoint
Another good route if you like walking is the one that connects Minca with Mirador los Pinos, about 10 kilometers, again, if you prefer you can get there by motorcycle taxi to almost the end for about 60.000 pesos. From this viewpoint you can enjoy beautiful views of the entire surroundings if the day is clear.
Although it is not the only place to do it, if you are looking for sunset pointsOr you can ask at your accommodation; they'll know.car because there are many places with privileged views of the mountains and the sea.
Improvised excursions through Minca
We did not want to end this article about the best excursions in Minca without recommending that look for any little path and take it. Minca is a safe place in moving freely and exploring nature at your own pace.
We went along trails that we saw on foot carWe've heard recommendations from restaurants where we ate, so we love walking to places!
This photo is in one of them, going down for about 10 minutes they told us that we would reach some pools in the river, there we were lying on a stone enjoying the place and its sounds for a long time, and the best thing, completely alone.
WHERE WE TO STAY IN MINCA
Minca is a very popular area and easily accessible from Santa Marta, so it receives a large number of visitors throughout the year. For this reason, there are also many different types of accommodation, although more carThese are similar to other areas of Colombia. Keep in mind that many hotels are located around the town, so you'll need your own transportation. You can also use motorcycle taxis to get around, but that will be an additional expense on top of the hotel price.
Cheap accommodation in Minca: Dunarinka
Located in an elevated place with magnificent views of the surroundings. The facilities are well maintained and have hammocks so you can relax with views of the mountains. Although it is on the outskirts of Minca you can get there walking no problem, or quickly by motorcycle taxi.
Average accommodation in Minca: The Minca Refuge
This hotel located in the village and that it has very well-kept facilities, in addition has a pool. The attention of the staff is splendid and they will help you organize your days in the area.
Good hotel in Minca: Costeño River Minca
Cprivate cabins surrounded by nature and with views incredible. It also has a gorgeous pool. in which you refreshcaryou when you return from the walks. Breakfast is included. And although it is on the outskirts, it can also be reached on foot from Minca.
I hope this guide on the best excursions in Minca helps you visit the area. Remember that we have many other items of Colombia which could be interesting if you are planning a trip or looking for inspiration. And for any questions you can contact us and we will try to help you in any way possible.
