Wax Palms and Mountains: Cocora Valley vs. Samaria Valley

Cocora Valley is one of the main attractions in the coffee region of Ecuador. It is close to the town of Salento, making it easy to combine a trip to Cocora Valley with some time exploring coffee farms or relaxing in Salento. You can read about my experience touring a coffee farm in Salento here. Cocora Valley is famous for the wax palms, the tallest palm trees in the world, which grow on the slopes of the lush green mountains. Tourism is well established in Cocora Valley, with easy access from the town of Salento and well-defined hiking trails to tour the valley. A lesser-known location to see many of these towering palm trees is in Samaria Valley. Samaria Valley is close to the town of Salamina, a small but pretty town in the north of the coffee region. Tourism is just beginning here, with a few bloggers and local travelers recommending it as a nice place to visit a bit off the beaten path. I decided to go to Samaria Valley on my way south to Salento in order to compare the difference.

I headed to Salamina from Medellín, arriving early enough to take a bus directly to San Félix (about 2 hours away) where the road to Samaria Valley started. There are a couple of hospedajes in San Félix but I had been recommended a guesthouse further up the road in the valley called La Italia. It turned out to be a nice place to stay, offering a bed in a private room in a quaint wooden lodge for 35,000 COP. The lady who ran the guesthouse was very nice and was even willing to cook dinner for me so I didn’t have to walk back to San Félix.

In the morning, I decided to see the famous wax palms of the valley. There is a finca (farm) called Mirador del Samaria which has set up private guided tours of their section of the valley. I walked there from the guesthouse, which took about an hour but led through beautiful views of lush farmland, cows, and of course towering palm trees. I arrived at the finca first thing in the morning so there were no other visitors at the time. It was nice since I had a chance to chat with the owner. He explained that it was a working farm where they raised cattle, farmed vegetables, and kept dairy cows, but that it was also home to some of the tallest and oldest wax palms in Colombia. He took me on a guided tour through the valley, explaining about the palm trees and the fruits they produce, which the birds eat as a main source of nutrition. The valley is fairly small but very pretty and it was wonderful to get a guided tour to understand what I was seeing.

After seeing Samaria Valley, I was curious how Cocora Valley would compare. On my second day in Salento, I took a jeep from the main square of town to the valley. There were plenty of other tourists headed there at the same time, but it didn’t feel crowded when I arrived. The first thing that struck me was how huge the valley is. It stretches over a wide distance, with only a portion visible from where you begin hiking. The surrounding hills tower over the valley. It was very imposing and impressive. There are two different loop options for hiking in the valley. The first is shorter, taking about 3 hours to complete the loop. The longer option takes about 5 hours and goes through more sections of the valley. I chose to take the 5 hour loop. There is an entrance fee for the hike (5,000 COP when I visited). The trail climbs steeply up the mountain, with several miradors (viewpoints) from which to look out over the valley. Everywhere I could see the giant wax palm trees surrounded by lush green grass. Each viewpoint was a place to soak in the grandeur of the valley. There were several other people on the trail, but it was not so crowded as to detract from the experience. I also chose to visit the hummingbird reserve on the far side of the mountain. There is a trail that detours to it from the main loop. It costs an extra 5,000 COP but you get to see some beautiful Colibri (hummingbirds) up close and the price includes a cup of hot chocolate and cheese (one of those interesting Colombian food combinations) so I thought it worth the price. The backside of the hike was not as majestic as the original ascent through the wax palms, but it was much more forested, with a wider variety of plants and birds to see.

Overall, I would say Cocora Valley was more impressive in its grandeur and hiking there was wonderful. I’d definitely call it a must-see in the coffee region. If you have the time and want to experience a more remote and personal tour of a similar landscape, Samaria Valley is beautiful too but takes more time and planning to visit. The town of Salamina (on the way to Samaria) is nice as well. It is known for the characteristic white buildings with colorful trim and doorways that can be found throughout this region. It was pretty just to walk through the streets behind the main square and take in the sights. The front part of the town closer to the bus station felt busy, with a lot of tourists in the shops and cafes, but it was still nice to see. I tried the famous vapor eggs, which are made in a coffee cup using the steam-wand on an espresso machine to cook the eggs rather than cooking on the stove. Supposedly this style of eggs was invented in one of the cafes in Salamina. I was skeptical at first but they were really tasty! This whole region of Colombia is home to beautiful landscapes, quaint towns, friendly people, and delicious coffee, making it one of my favorite areas in Colombia.