ONCE UPON A TIME IN … MINCA (COLOMBIA)

The town of Minca is nested in the jungle at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Colombia.  If you’re like me, you’d look up the Sierra Nevada to see where this place is.  However, as I’m a nice person, I will spare you the hassle and answer that for you as to not lose your attention.

Minca is located close to Santa Marta, off the Northern Caribbean coast in Colombia.

In the last couple of years, this small village of about 800 souls has encountered an astonishing boom in tourism and not without reason.

If you like to swim, hike, relax surrounded by nature and some wild dogs, you’ll like Minca.

HOW TO GET THERE

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Minca is from Santa Marta by a collective bus (shared shuttle). The Cootrasminca collective bus leaves roughly every 30 minutes or when it’s full.  It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get from Santa Marta to Minca.  Therefore, this can easily be done on your own as a day trip.

In order to catch this bus, you’ll have to go near the Mercado Publico (Public Market) located in the center of town, close to the historic town.  The office of Cootrasminca is located at the corner of Calle 11 and Carrera 9.  A one-way ticket will cost you 8000COP.

If you’re planning on staying in Santa Marta and going to Minca, you should checkout Républica Hostel. This place is gorgeous and is only a 15 minutes walk from the Mercado Publico.  We bought our return ticket right away so as to not have to wait in line on the return to buy one.  

Just so you know, there no ATM machines in Minca. In some places, you’ll be able to pay by credit card but most often than not it will have to be cash. 

Grab a moto-taxi right next to the bus stop to lead you to your final destination or to show you around.

WHAT TO WEAR AND BRING

Guide books and other blogs say it’s a backpacker destination but there is no other way of staying in Minca Colombia than with a backpack.

Luggage

Since we were staying 2 nights in Minca, we brought our Cotopaxi as our main pack and my Fjallraven as our day pack.

The main way of getting around Minca is on the back of a moto-taxi.  Therefore, a suitcase won’t be practical at all.  Even if you’re walking to your lodging (good luck), the roads aren’t paved at all, are rough and bumpy and usually wet.  Hence, bringing a suitcase to Minca is a little cray-crazy!

If your backpack doesn’t come with protection, bring a plastic bag so that you can cover it with, in case you get caught in rain.

Clothing

As it rains often in Minca, compared to some other places in Colombia, the temperatures are cooler there.  Therefore, don’t forget to bring the following, especially if you’re planning on staying overnight and doing some hiking:

•  a bathing suit for the waterfalls;
• a light rain jacket;
• a pair of travel sweatpants to relax in on a chilly night;
• a hiking shirt that keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold;
• waterproof socks (when it rains in Minca, it pours but not for long);
• a boho kimono to look the part.

Equipment

As some of the hikes can be long, don’t forget to bring your portable charger in case your phone just dies.  However, there isn’t much cell reception when you are up there in the jungle.

• an ultra-light travel towel will come in handy to dry yourself after splashing around in the waterfall.
• a solar flashlight will help you find your way to the bathroom in case you forgot to charge your phone.
• a hands-free telephone case so as not to drop your phone while taking pictures on the moto-taxi.
• a water bottle; although you have to buy water bottles in Colombia, you might not want to have to carry them around.  Use your own refillable water bottle on short hikes.  Buy your water bottles at the Exito supermarkets in Santa Marta, as they cost 3 times less than in hotels. Some hostels will let you refill your bottle for free and some for a fee.

WHERE WE STAYED IN MINCA COLOMBIA

Believe it or not, we stayed in a treehouse at Casa Elemento. I discovered this place through Instagram and that is actually how we came about in spending some time in Minca. The best way to book is with Booking.com.  I had tried to reserve on their website but never received a confirmation.  Emailing them and contacting them through Instagram lead to nowhere.

What is particular to this place are the 2 giant hammocks overlooking the jungle.  On a clear day, you can see Santa Marta and the Caribbean Sea in the distance.  Casa Elemento is about 30 minutes away from Minca by moto-taxi.  The one-way ride will cost you 20000COP per person.  I wouldn’t attempt walking up to it unless you have time on your hands.

On our way back down, I asked my driver whom I had done a tour with the day before, to stop so that we could take a picture with the gigantic bamboos.  Since we never attempted to walk the path, we never got to take any pictures of the incredible bamboos that pimp up the jungle.

If you’d like, you could just spend the day in Casa Elemento, but it will cost you 10000COP. However, you get a free drink with that.

Staying in the treehouse was fun as we had an incredible morning view.  Just know though that it’s located where everything is happening including the bar which closes at midnight. Our first night there we didn’t’ get to sleep until 4 a.m. as a huge crowd decided to party after hours and even played their own music!  If you are not a night owl, don’t sleep in the treehouse.  They have other accommodations located a bit further away from the bar, deeper in the jungle.

Food and drinks

You cannot cook your own food in Casa Elemento, nor bring your own alcohol (although we did, not knowing we couldn’t).  They do serve meals there at set times. You have to sign up for them in advance.  The meals cost around 20000COP per person and are actually quite good.  If you want to enjoy the hammocks, go there early morning or late in the day.

ACTIVITIES TO DO IN MINCA COLOMBIA

We only had 1 full day in Minca Colombia and wanted to see it all.

Through Casa Elemento, we booked our own moto-taxis for the whole day at the cost of 90000COP each. I’m so glad we did!  Despite my broken high-school Spanish, I talked a lot with my chauffeur.  Just like me, he was a recent newlywed!

Riding a moto-taxi might seem scary at first but it really isn’t. It’s just very bumpy at times. Our drivers never drove like crazy along the paths.  However, they sure do love to honk a lot. I really mean A LOT.

Los Pinos

On foot from Minca, it will take you anywhere from 5 to 7 hours to get to Los Pinos.  Luckily, we were on a moto-taxi! On a clear day, you can see the whole Sierra Nevada mountains.  It wasn’t a clear day for us, but we did feel like we were on top of the world.

Finca La Victoria

Who doesn’t like coffee? Raise your hand!

Big Boss and I are waving our hands. Personally, I hate coffee. I dislike the smell and taste. I know, it’s weird for a French girl to not like coffee.

However, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit a coffee plantation in the middle of the jungle.  This place has been around since 1892!  The original machines are still there and being used.  They were made in England and brought by boat to Santa Marta. They then made their way to Minca’s jungle on the back of mules. This coffee plantation runs only on water power from a nearby stream.

The tour lasts around 40 minutes, but I think for us it lasted longer than that. You can tour the plantation with a guide (Spanish and English) and the cost is 15000COP and includes a free coffee.  If you’re lucky, Claudia, the owner, will give you the tour.  However, when we were there in late July, there wasn’t much going as it wasn’t harvesting time.  If you want to see the whole process in action, it’s best to go between October and March.

If coffee isn’t your cup of tea, taste some local beer at the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat.

Pozo Azul

One of the waterfalls, which is the closest to Minca, is at Pozo Azul. There are two natural pools there and it is not accessible with strollers.  If you go towards the back following the path that goes up on the left-hand side, it will be less crowded. Make sure to wear non-slippery shoes.  Through this path, you’ll be able to enjoy some cliff jumping. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of locals there as it’s not only free but family-friendly.

Marinka Falls

Our last stop on our moto-taxi tour was at Marinka Falls under pouring rain.  The falls are accessible from the main road but there is yet another dirt path that you have to climb to get to the actual entrance.  It’s a little hike but not that bad. Moto-taxi aren’t allowed upon that path. The entrance fee is 5000COP. There is a small restaurant with hammocks on the side overlooking the falls.  I had a wonderful chicken burrito with homemade fries that cost me 20000COP! Although I did enjoy my meal, I could have packed lunch at a fraction of the cost.

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We weren’t blown away by the falls (there are 2) but it was still pretty cool. 

Luckily for us, we had our moto-taxi waiting for us after our visit as it was pouring.  Some people were less fortunate and had to try to wait it out until the rain stopped.  My driver provided me with a plastic bag to protect my bag and camera.  Yeah, I’m a lucky girl!

So there you have it.  I wouldn’t mind going back to Minca to test out of the many ecolodges that can be found there.  The moto-taxi ride was far out.

By the way, we’ve got other resources if you’re planning on going to Colombia.  Check out our Travel guide to Colombia. 

Looking for another day trip from Santa Marta?  Discover Tayrona Park.