La Samaria Valley.
Colombia’s best kept secret.
There’s a valley near Medellin sprawling with wax palms amongst a neatly set up farm. It’s a low-budget tourist destination that provides an unforgettable experience. Twice as large as the more famous Cocora wax palm valley, sustainably managed and has very few foreign tourists. It takes more work to reach, but it’s worth it.
To reach it, take a bus from Medellin to Manizales — from Manizales take another bus to the town of Salamina.
Unlike the overcrowded destinations of Cocora Valley and Salento, you won’t find this place listed on Lonely Planet. This is why most travellers have never heard of it, despite being recognised as one of Colombia’s 17 heritage towns. And it’s why – if you value authenticity over popularity – you should plan to include the town of Salamina and La Samaria Valley on your trip to Colombia.
Visit the village of Salamina.
When you walk around the colourful village of Salamina, for a moment it feels like being in the Disney Cartoon ‘Encanto’.
The best way to explore it, is to wander around and enjoy the atmosphere of this quiet and authentic mountain town. Indeed, foreign tourists are still something of a novelty in these parts, so you shouldn’t get surprised by the occasional stare.
Of course, this being a coffee country, you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to stop and sample a freshly brewed cup of local coffee. I recommend going to ‘Cafe Calicanto’, in the main square, where you will have one of the best cups of cafe negro in Colombia.
Hike in
‘Bosque De Palma De Cera’.
This is a national natural park. You can hike up to about 2460 meters and the hike is 2 km long. The trail is well marked, and if you want, there are also horseback riding opportunities, while you watch the amazing views of the cloud forest, with the tallest wax palms in the world.
Your final destination is the viewpoint ‘Finca Mirador de la Samaria’, which is signposted along the way. However, the final “2 kilometres” is grossly under-estimated and I reckon it’s a further 4 kilometres or so before you finally reach it.