Welcome back to my Unexpected Journey Diary. Yes, I have almost no idea how I ended up in Colombia and even more so in Cocora Valley. This place is Instagram paradise and locals know it. For this and other reasons there is an entry fee to this park. Today I will share with you how to enjoy this place without paying the ridiculous "bribe".
The starting point for this trip is village called Salento. It is even more touristy destination than Filandia where I was staying at. Of course Salento is next to this natural phenomenon called Cocora Valley and for that reason more busy and expensive.
So I have started early and got on first "Willys" possible. It is old jeeps that are being used as local public transportation. It reminded me Guatemalan Chicken buses once again. One is definitely cramped inside this vehicle in the same way. Plus if you're lucky you're actually just holding on to the car from the platform in the back. What an adventure and fun way to get around.
Arriving to Cocora village definitely felt like Gringoland. Tourist activities and gringo traps everywhere. Paying for photos, popcorn and expensive cafe everywhere you look at... I have jumped from the Willy's and headed straight onto the trail trying to avoid all the potential trappings. There was one I couldn't miss though - an entrance to the actual valley. It's biggest selling point is a hill with very high palms. I am not sure if it is natural or man made phenomenon but it is surely very cool. I wasn't ready though to pay four dollar entry fee. Not that I couldn't afford it but I didn't have enough cash with me to do so.
My philosophy doesn't allow me to pay for traditional tourist activities as well, so I was forced to try to go around the gate and take the lesser known path that actually goes all around this palm garden and beyond to some small waterfalls.
I was immediately approached by the local ticket vendor and warned that the way I am going is prohibited and I need to get back after about ten minutes walk. He asked me where I am going and got me a little confused - he was clearly trying to make as many people as possible to enter through his gate. However I stuck to my principle and continued on...
After a while I was out in the jungle finally. Much less people and no tourist attractions - exactly how I like it. My plan was to make it to a waterfall that the weirdo selling ticket mentioned as the only place to go to. As I have started my descend I have met bunch of mountain guides with some very adventurous tourists getting back from a camping high up in the mountains and they advised me not to go down to this place as it was not worth the walk and effort. Instead I should have kept hiking up to come to the Palm garden.
So I did how they suggested. I had about two hours of uphill walk in front of me. At some point I came to a view point where I have met an Argentinian traveler doing the same thing as me. Trying not to pay the entry..
We have joined forces and I had a little Spanish lesson with him as his English was maybe as bad as my Spanish. Walking and talking we arrived to the Palm garden from the other side and found out it costs the same from the other side too.
Our only logical step from here was to continue on circling the whole damn place. And why not, all the time we had the view of the palms to enjoy and our path led us next to a little river all the way to the waterfalls which I had planned on visiting in the first place.
The waterfalls themselves are nothing overly special, but it does feel nice when you actually reach some milestone. As the place with palms was unreachable to me and my careful wallet - the waterfall and the whole trail around the river was great alternative. It would be actually totally for free if not for one guy. A so called property owner was barricading the path out of the valley back to the village. He was asking for 6000 pesos. I gave him five thousand and he agreed and let me through...
Than it was time to cash another Willy and start the trip back before it gets too late. In fact without a prepaid ticket it might be hard to get back to your destination as all the jeeps are totally full. So do yourself a favor and get your return tickets - it will save you trouble later.
In Salento I had around an hour of time before my shuttle departure. I have finally got to eat my snack - bananas and peanuts as my first meal in the day at around three in the afternoon. Resting over the statue of Simon Bolivar I have observed some traditional dance accompanied with a machete fight and sipping over cafe I patiently waited for my ride back...
All the best,
Global Local