Best Hikes in Colombia
A few years ago I lived and worked in Bogota and got to explore Colombia for a few months after my contract finished. It is a beautiful country and a place I loved.
When I was travelling around Colombia it wasn’t really a country that was famous for hiking like other countries in South America. The Lost City hike is the only multi day hike I know of (please let me know if there are any others you know of) and there are few well known day hikes. The most famous being the hike in Salento, which I loved.
I decided to ask my fellow travel bloggers about their favourite hikes in Colombia and so here is a list of the best hikes in Colombia.
Let me know if you have any other favourites that I can add to this list and explore myself next time I am in Colombia.
The Lost City Trek Colombia
Clare from Travels in Peru
The Lost City is located in the Sierra Nervada colombie mountains near Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The Lost City Colombia hike is a 4, 5 or 6 day hike (46km round trip). The longer hikes you cover the same trip you just rest for longer in the camps.
Most of the hiking is done in the mornings and early afternoons so that you can relax for a few hours at the campsite before dinner.
The trek is hard as most days you will need to trek uphill over a mountain and down to the river to camp. The paths are steep and rocky and in many places uneven due to the horses that also use these paths.
The most popular time of the year to do the trek is in the dry season of December to early March though you can hike it all year around.
It is a great hike and when you finally reach The Lost City and hike up to the main plateau it takes away your breath. It has been inhabited since the 1st century, initially by the Tairona’s and now their descendants live on the land surrounding the city.
169 terraces were carved into the hillside and were linked by stone paths into this the political and manufacturing site of the Tairona’s which was lived in and used until the Spanish conquest in the 1500’s.
The lost city hike colombia is the most famous of the hikes in Colombia and if you have time one I can definitely recommend you should do.
Valle de Cocora – Salento
Sarah from A Social Nomad
The Valle de Cocora near Salento is a UNESCO World Heritage site, listed and protected because of the stunning and massive wax palm trees to be found there. It is possible to get a jeep directly to them from Salento, but you’ll get much from stunning views if you hike the Cocora Valley.
You’ll still need to take a jeep ride from Salento, but then you can decide whether to take a short or long hike, and whether to take the circuitous route clockwise or anti-clockwise. We say anti-clockwise, as then, the first time you see the wax palms will be an incredible view.
You can also head to the Acaime Hummingbird reserve (if you get up early and get on the road it’s a great place to have your breakfast in the middle of the forest) and spend some time with these delightful birds.
The circular cocora valley hike can be done in around 5-6 hours and around 7.7 miles. There is one intensive climb and if it’s been raining you will find it tough going, but the landscapes and viewpoints are spectacular and well worth it. Take bug spray, sun lotion, a hat and water. If you have a filter water bottle you’ll be able to fill up from the streams and rivers you’ll be crossing.
The Cocora Valley Hike is a superb way to both see some of the landscape of Colombia and explore a little of her UNESCO World Heritage sites and its also one of the best things to do in Salento, Colombia.
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Cabo San Juan
Sean from Living Out Lau
Cabo San Juan is arguably the best beach in Colombia. Located inside Tayrona National Park, the only way to reach Cabo San Juan is through a short 2-hour hike inside Tayrona National Park.
Spanning 150 square kilometers, Tayrona National Park is a huge natural preserve located on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Travelers that want to hike to Cabo San Juan can take the El Zaino entrance to get inside the park. Afterward, visitors have the option to take a shuttle which takes an hour off the hike for them.
With close to nothing to see for the first hour, I recommend taking the shuttle and spending that extra time in Cabo San Juan. The hike to Cabo San Juan takes you through some of the lushest jungles of Colombia into amazing vantage points of the Caribbean Sea. Hikers will also pass through many of the other beaches located in Tayrona National Park along the way.
Once you arrive in Cabo San Juan one of the most famous beaches in Colombia, the beautiful turquoise Caribbean waters and the white fine sand will leave you astonished. I highly recommend staying in Cabo San Juan for a night and renting a hammock on the watchtower if they are available.
Sleep under the bright stars and the sound of crashing waves at night and wake up to the sounds of the jungle and an amazing sunrise. If you cannot stay the night, the hike to Cabo San Juan is still something worth your time!
If you don’t want to go on your own then you can consider hiring a guide to take you from Santa Marta to Tayrona Park and visit San Juan Cape or even consider doing the Ciudad Perdida 4 day trek.
Tatacoa Desert
Daniel from Layer Culture
When looking for the best hikes in Colombia, the Tatacoa desert should be high on your list. If you fancy a change from the luscious green rolling hills of Colombia, Tatacoa desert offers an ‘out of this world’ landscape for you to discover.
Located close to Villavieja in the Huila Department, Tatacoa desert is home to a unique landscape, which on arrival, you almost feel like you are on another planet.
The desert is located quite far from the bigger cities like Bogota or Medellin but you can find transport that will take you to a nearby town of Villavieja from which you’ll take a tuk-tuk that drops you off at the desert’s entrance.
There are various hikes that you can do here depending on the amount of time you have. To do all the hikes on offer, though, you’d need a few days. However, the two main hikes are through the Red desert (Labyrinth of Cuzco) and the Grey desert (Valley of the Xilopalos).
Hiking through the red desert was my particular favorite which took around two hours at a slow pace. Along both trails, you’ll encounter information boards as well as many photo-worthy plants, insects, and birds that will make the duration of your hike slightly longer.
The heat gets very intense during the day so remember to carry a sun hat and refillable water bottles to quench your thirst during the hike. It is also worth noting that provisions are scarce in this region, so it is wise to stock up on any extra supplies you may need before you arrive in the desert.
Pico de Loro
Mitch from Project Untethered
One of my favorite hikes in Colombia is Pico de Loro (Parrot Peak) just outside of Cali. It’s a hike few tourists know about and, in my opinion, is one of the top things to do in Cali for those looking to get their sweat on (other than salsa dancing, of course).
It only takes 3 or 4 hours to reach the summit depending on your fitness level. I consider myself moderately fit, and I was still huffing and puffing a bit. I recommend taking your time to give yourself a chance to spot some of the beautiful tropical birds that inhabit the jungle.
Once you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with 360 views of the surrounding mountains. You’ll be up in the clouds, so if visibility is low, wait for the wind to pick up to blow the clouds away.
The trailhead is located near Pueblo Pance, about an hour drive from Cali. The trails aren’t well-marked, so I recommend going through a tour company that can help you find the trailhead and guide you up the mountain (we used PicoLoro Ecotourism).
Lastly, they only allow 30 hikers on the trail per day, so get an early 5am start!
The Peak, Old Providence Island (San Andrés Archipelago)
Iris from Mind of a Hitchhiker
Because of its history, the San Andrés archipelago is already a wildly interesting place to visit. Nearly all place-names are bilingually noted in both English-based Creole and mainland Colombian Spanish. That’s why it’s good to know both names before hiking up to ‘The Peak/El Pico’ of Old Providence Island/Isla de Providencia.
This hike is a half-day trip from anywhere on this small island, as long as you take the normal route up (3.0 kilometers one-way). You can take a motorbike taxi ride to the trailhead. The hike starts in the village of Bottom House and then goes up a very well-maintained trail-cum-boardwalk up to the summit at 360 metres above sea level.
Up top, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views of the forested mountains, distant Santa Catalina island, and crashing waves on the reefs surrounding the humble rock you’re standing on. Getting to Old Providence Island was the hardest part of standing on that mountain.
To get down, the recommended way is to backtrack over the easy path. But if you still have plenty of daylight, a modicum of fitness, and a slight disregard for bodily safety, you can descend The Peak in direction of Fresh Water Bay (3.0+2.7=5.7 kilometers in total).
This will require a scramble down with the help of ropes attached to trees back to the forest, followed by a hike across boulders, and then losing the trail under the forest canopy before arriving at the freshwater reservoir (la represa de agua dulce).
It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it’s definitely a cool way to arrive back at sea level. Most of all, it shows the more badass side of this otherwise very cute island.
Páramó de Ocetá, Monguí
Nicky from Above us only Skies
The high-altitude and colourful Colombian town of Monguí is worth a visit in its own right. But its real draw is its close proximity to perhaps the world’s most beautiful páramó – or high-altitude wetland.
Starting in Monguí’s main plaza, the 15-kilometre Páramó de Ocetá hike ascends 1,000 metres to a summit of 3,900 metres, so a certain amount of acclimatisation in Monguí is needed first.
Along the way, you’ll pass farmland and sacred grounds of the indigenous Muisca people (who were, along with the Incas, the Mayans and the Aztecs, one of the four advanced civilisations of the Americas). And the panoramic views back across the valley towards and beyond Monguí make the regular rest stops worthwhile.
But once you reach the stark landscape of the páramó, you’ll be wandering amidst gigantic frailejónes, which dominate the hillsides like guards at an imaginary gate. They’re essential to the ecosystem of the paramó due to their water retention capabilities. And they’re an unforgettable sight.
The descent on the other side of the valley back down to Monguí resembles Switzerland with its green pastures and Alpine peaks. And it’s one of the reasons why the hike is undoubtedly the most varied we came across in Colombia.
Although it’s possible to hike it independently, the trail isn’t always that obvious. And you won’t gain an understanding of the fascinating Muisca culture.
Instead, we’d suggest hiring a guide (we can recommend Mongui Travels in the main plaza). Which, at 40,000 pesos ($12 USD / £10) for a full day, is a no-brainer.
Nevado Santa Isabel
Elisa from World in Paris
Nevado Santa Isabel hike does not sound like the most popular hike in Colombia but it is the perfect B plan when Volcán Nevado del Ruiz is off-limits due to the risk of eruptions.
Nevado Santa Isabel is also located in the PNN Los Nevados, in the same area as Nevado del Ruiz but far enough to be safe to climb. It is an easy day trip from Manizales, usually organized through a local agency.
The trip starts around 5.00 am because there’s a 3-hour drive to the entrance of the park. The climb lasts 1.5 to 2 hours up to the foot of the glacier at 4.750 m (3 to 4 hours return) with plenty of stops to take pictures. On the way, the path crosses different thermal floors: cold, páramo, superpáramo and of course ice and snow at the foot of the glacier.
The hike is not difficult but it also depends on how w ell you deal with high altitudes. For this reason, the guides stop many times during the climb to e nsure everybody has good acclimatization but they usually use this pauses to tell about the trees and plants of the different thermal floors.
After reaching the foot of the glacier and some pictures the group goes back to the last town for a more than deserved lunch before traveling back to Manizales.
The hike to Nevado Santa Isabel requires good boots and warm clothes. Also, bring at least 1.5 liters of water and a couple of snacks for the climb.
Save it for later.
