How To Go To Los Nevados / Cocora Valley From Salento

Wandering how to go to the Valley de Cocora once you are in Salento? This post was written by a guest who stayed here and shared how to get to Los Nevados Ruiz from Salento, where to stay, what to do

It was written a while back so prices may be outdated and some information may be missing.

If you have new info about Los Nevados and want to share it with everyone then please write them down in the comment section below and I will make sure to update this post with your comments

ENTERING FROM VALLE DE COCORA

We started this journey in Salento, we took a taxi jeep aka Willyz to Valle de Cocora.

Cost ?

They drop you off near a trail, this trail is where the trout farm is.

At the entrance, there is a map of all the places to visit along the trail. This map seems inaccurate

Follow the trail far past the trout farm

About ? Km, you will see a sign for:

• ACAIME on the right
• MONTANITA on the left, a finca that loops to do all of Valle de Cocora

We took a right to Acaime.

There you take bridges, cross the river and step into a lot of horse shit and mud. Be prepared and wear high shoes

AT ACAIME, YOU CAN

• Camp, in a barn
• Sleep in a dorm
• Eat prepared meals
• Watch hummingbirds
• No electricity

COSTS

• 5 000 pesos entry fee with a drink of your choice and cheese
• 10 000 pesos per person to camp
• 8 000 pesos for dinner
• 7 000 pesos for breakfast
• ? per person in the dorm

Going past Acaime, you will find ESTRELLA DEL AGUA.

ESTRELLA DEL AGUA

You can camp there, It’s colder and more exposed than Acaime

• There is a good water source.
• Cost 5 000 pesos to camp. The camping spots are flat and out in the open, a bit windy
• Don’t count on food
• No electricity

For the next place you’re heading towards the paramo

HEADING TOWARDS PARAMO

If you’re using the map, then the next stop is Finca Primavera.

It’s 4km straight uphill from Estrella del Agua to Paramo level.

We hiked with no rain and still it was very muddy

Not really any place to camp unless you want o be in a spot too small and inclined

Once you get to Paramo level, there are ample signs to Finca Primavera

The path is very muddy and there are many trails next to each other but they are all the same. Keep your eyes open for the signs Ojo the letreras

FINCA PRIMAVERA

• Basic accommodations
• Electricity but no heat in the rooms, they have wool blankets. Bring warm clothes, warm sleeping bag or sleeping buddy
• No toilet paper in bathrooms
• No hot water
• All rooms are shared, cost 12 000 pesos
• Camping available. Plastic roof over tent site Cost 5 000 pesos
• Dinner available
• You can rent equipment to Tolma Mountain (ice, snow, over 5000 meter high)
• Queso campesino de prensa. Cost 4 000 pesos per libra
• Beers available
• Might be able to hook up with a guide
• Bring extra socks, wouldn’t hurt to bring rain gear, sunscreen

BEYOND FINCA PRIMAVERA

There is another finca not far from Primavera, called Finca La Playa

FINCA LA PLAYA

• Queso de prensa
• Sheeps
• Habitacion

We went in to buy some cheese. The people were nice.

It was less hectic than Primavera aka less babies crying

Don’t know about other amenities

Apparently, there are other Fincas to stay at, such as Termales del cañon … the path to Termales is well signaled .We walked a few km on the trail, easy to follow

FROM PRIMAVERA TO VALLE DE COCORA

You can go back the way you came

OR

You can go down EL BOSQUE trail

EL BOSQUE TRAIL

This trail takes you to Valle de Cocora and ends about 1 km up the road from the main area (jeeps, caballos, shops, trail to Acaime)

This trail is longer but gives you a different view of the landscape.. It took us 7 hours – we had 25 lbs packs and we like to take our time 🙂

Again, the trail is fairly easy to follow because it is used often

FROM BOSQUE FINCA

When you get to Finca Bosque (metal rust and roses and cows but no apparent sign), you follow the trail down to the river, cross the river and ascend the mountain.

Don’t be fooled, it is not all downhill, there are 2 distinct uphills, both after you go down to a river

From Finca Bosque to Valle de Cocora

you can find places to camp, not official campsites so if you’re itching to campit up then start by going from Valle de Cocora toward Bosque Farm. This would mean your last destination is Acaime for the loop