Practical information about Minca

Travel Guide Minca

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Here you will find practical information about Minca: useful information about the climate and the best time to travel to Minca, how many days do we recommend to stay,  does Minca have ATM’s to withdraw cash, what about supermarkets and how is the wifi in Minca. You can find an answer to this and much more in this article. 

Climate

Climate
Due to its higher elevation, at about 650 meters, it is cooler in Minca than Santa Marta and its surroundings. Therefore, Minca is the perfect place to breath in some fresh air while making a round trip along the Caribbean coast of Colombia. May-September is the hottest period, the coolest months being January and February. December through April is the dry season, September through mid-November is the rainy period, with October being the wettest month.

Best travel time

Minca can be visited all year round. When it’s rainy season (Sept-mid-Nov), it generally doesn’t rain so much that you have to limit yourself in your planning. You can just go out and bring your rain jacket.  We were in Minca in August/ September twice, and the occasional shower didn’t bother us at lot as it didn’t last long. When it rains, it’s mostly in the afternoons, sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms and power outages, as happened last time we were in Minca in September.  If it has rained a lot, the roads can get muddy, so you will probably need to take a jeep instead of a mototaxi when looking for transport options. Also hiking paths can get muddy, so if hiking is your main purpose of the trip, you might want to travel outside of the rainy season. Minca is busiest on weekends, vacations and Puentes (long weekends).

How many days do you need?

1 day

If you don’t have much time but still want to see a lot, you can do a day tour by mototaxi to see most of the sights. Other ideas for fun things to do in one day: a hike to Cascada de Marinka or a combined trip with coffee finca Victoria with Pozo Azul. Check here for more tips on what to do in Minca.

2 days or longer

Minca is a relaxing place to stay for a few days, chill in your hotel and spread the excursions over several days. What we did ourselves and what worked out very well was to spend 1 night in a hotel in the village and then 2 nights in a nature reserve in the country side. Being in the village, made it easy to arrange transport to waterfalls and coffee and cacao fincas in the area. In the nature reserve it was awesome to relax in the giant hammocks, spot birds and hike. Click on the link for more info on hotels and hostels in Minca.

Practical info A-Z

What to bring
  • Cash! Not all accommodations and restaurants accept credit and debit cards, and there is no ATM in Minca. There is a Multipagos office where you can withdraw money with your debit card, but the transaction fees are pricey. (on the picture, you can see the transaction fees of september 2023). If you want to pay by credit card in restaurants and hotels, there is often a 5% surcharge
  • Anti-mosquito/insect spray and after-bite. We were stung severely by some kind of sand flies. The bites itched a lot and the after-bite provided relief.
  • Rain jacket when traveling in rainy season
  • Hiking shoes
  • Flip-flops or sandals when you intend to visit the waterfalls 
Vaccinations

No yellow fever or other vaccinations are required for Minca. Look here for more information about the medical care in Colombia.

Wifi

Wifi is not available everywhere in Minca, especially at the accommodations located outside the village. Also in the village, internet is not always stable. We have been to Minca twice during the rainy season, in August/September. The last time the power went out a few times in the afternoon after some thunderstorms and we were temporarily without internet. 

Supermarkets

There are no supermarkets in Minca, but there are small “tiendas,” where you can buy basic groceries such as water, snacks and bread. La Miga is a small bakery, where you can buy bread and delicious chocolate rolls.

Drinking water

The water from the tap is not drinkable unless the hotel or hostel offers filtered water.

#ColombiaMyWay Tips

Going to Minca? Then check out our tips for what to do in Minca here, the best restaurants in Minca, transportation and where to stay in Minca.

What to do in Minca, Colombia

Travel Guide Minca

What to do in Minca, Colombia

Home 9 Author archive for J ( Page 22 )

What to do in Minca? There are many fun things to do around the mountain village of Minca. If you love nature, this is definitely the place for you. Check here our tips for what to do in Minca, walking, with an organized tour or on the back of a mototaxi!

6 Must do’s

1. Relax in the iconic giant hammocks at hostal Sierra Minca (Casa Elemento)

You don’t have to stay at the hostal to relax in the giant hammocks of hostal Sierra Minca (formerly Casa Elemento).  With a day pass, you can stay as long as you want in the hostal high in the mountains above Minca. You can get there with a 30 minute ride by mototaxi. If you would decide to walk, it’s a tough 3-hour hike uphill.

Information (2025)

  • Price mototaxi: around COP35.000/$8
  • Basic Day Pass: Around 15,000 COP /$4. This pass gives you access to the hostel’s facilities, including the hammocks, swimming pools, and panoramic mountain views
  • Day Pass with Lunch: Around 40,000 COP /$10 USD. This option includes the basic access plus a meal at the hostel’s restaurant.
  • Best times to visit hostal Sierra Minca:
    -Around 9 a.m., when it is still nice and quiet
    -For the best views go around sunset
  • Tip: Book a moto taxi for a half or full day and also stop at the other highlights in the area, such as Mirador los Pinos, waterfalls and coffee fincas.
  • Check out our travel story for an example of such a day tour.

 

2. Hike to the Marinka waterfall

 From Minka, hike to the Cascada de Marinka in about an hour. There are two waterfalls you can go to, a restaurant, restrooms and a viewpoint (mirador). There are also several large hammocks in which you can relax.

In late 2023, several works of art were installed, made of colorful caps. Therefore, the entrance cannot be missed!

Info

  • Ticket price: COP16,000/$4 (2025)
  • Prefer to take the mototaxi? The price is around COP15.000/$3.75
  • Best time to visit: early; around 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. and off weekends

Insider’s Tip:
Stay overnight at the gorgeous Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. From this lodge in the midst of nature, you can walk to Cascada Marinka in only 10 minutes.

    3. Spot birds

    Minca and its surroundings belong to the best places in Colombia for bird watching, including hummingbirds, parrots and toucans. True enthusiasts can spot birds accompanied by an experienced guide on a tour. In nature reserves such as Sol de Minca and Tierra Adentro (see photo) you can also spot birds, during a walk on the grounds, or even from the comfort of your lazy hammock. The best place in the village to see hummingbirds is Hotel Minca La Casona, where hummingbirds feed from trays of sugar water (especially a “show” during breakfast). Hotspot among avid bird watchers is the exclusive ProAves bird sanctuary & ecolodge El Dorado, a 2-hour drive from Minca. This reserve has the highest number of bird species in all of Colombia.

    4. Chill in the pools of Pozo Azul

    The pools and small waterfall of Pozo Azul, are popular with locals and tourists alike and are easier to reach than the waterfalls at Cascada Marinka. You can reach Pozo Azul in 30-45 min. walk from Minca.

    Info

    • Free access
    • Prefer to take the mototaxi? The price is around COP12000/$3 (15-20 minutes)
    • Best time to go: early or after 4 p.m. and outside weekends and vacation periods. Pozo Azul is on the route of tour buses coming from Santa Marta, so it can get quite crowded here.

    5. Enjoy an ice-cold locally brewed beer

    Most cafes in Minca, sell the beer from local brewery Cervecería Nevada, with names like the Happy Tucan and Happy Coca. Local ingredients are added to the beer, such as coffee and coca leaves. A unique feature of the beer: it is brewed with mineral water from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The brewery is located next to coffee finca la Victoria, so you can also sample a beer at the finca’s restaurant, el Bistro de la Victoria.

    6. Check out the tastiest restaurants

    Time for snacks and drinks? Then check out our favorites here:

    #1 Hotel Minca la Casona
    Good Colombian food with a great view of the mountains and the many hummingbirds. (especially during breakfast)

    #2 Lazy Cat
    Favorite among travelers for its laid-back atmosphere and cozy happy hours with special prices on Mojitos and burgers.

    Read more tips for the best restaurants and cafes in Minca.

    Organized tours

    Tours

    There are several tour operators in Minca who can take you to do bird watching, hike to waterfalls or do a motorcycle or jeep tour. With this Best of Minca Motorbike tour you can ride a motorcycle yourself, or get on the back of an experienced driver if you have no experience.

    You can also visit coffee and cocoa farms, with this full-day tour, where you will also go swimming in the river. With this coffee and cocoa tour, also includes a jungle trek.

    DAY TOUR BY MOTORCYCLE TAXI

    The moto taxi is a convenient and fun way to see the best sights around Minca in a day or half a day, such as Cascada de Marinka, Pozo Azul, coffee finca la Victoria, cacao finca la Candelaria and  at the Sierra Minca hostal. Curious? Then read the travel story about our own experience.

    COFFEE TOUR FINCA LA VICTORIA

    La Victoria is one of the oldest coffee fincas in Colombia. The 45 minute tour includes a guided walk through the historic coffee farm with equipment from the early 1900’s. You get insights into their traditional production methods, and you can enjoy a cup of their locally brewed coffee. The tour can sometimes be done in English, but when we were there, we were the only non- Spanish-speaking travelers and the tour was  done in Spanish. After the tour, you can have something to eat and drink at El Bistro de la Victoria. Tip: the coffee tour is perfect to combine with a visit to Pozo Azul, because you pass by it on your way to the finca.

    Information (2025)

    • Price coffee tour around COP15,000/€3.75
    • Price mototaxi: around COP15000/€3.75 (30-40 mins)
    • If you want to walk, it is 1.5 hours uphill. Back is about 50 minutes
    • Best time to visit: The finca can be visited year-round, but between November-February there is the most action on the finca, due to the harvest time of the coffee beans.

    Cacao tour finca La Candelaria

    During the tour (40 min.) you will get to see the process of roasting the cacao beans, chocolate milk -from scratch- will be made for you and you will get a choco face mask. After the tour, you can have a cup of coffee or chocolate tea on the terrace and try the homemade chocolate cake.

    Information (2025)

    • The tour is done several times a day. Not always possible in English
    • Price cocoa tour: around COP25,000/$6, minimum 2 people 
    • The entrance to the coffee and cacao finca is an hour’s walk from Minca.(15 min. by mototaxi) From the entrance, you have to walk for another fifteen minutes up coffee and cacao plantations.
    • Price mototaxi: around COP20.000/$5 

      Now that you’ve read about what to do in Minca, you may also find the following tips interesting, about transportation in Minca, the best restaurants in Minca, where to stay in Minca and practical information about Minca.

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      Where to stay in Minca, Colombia

      Travel Guide Minca

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      Where to stay in Minca, Colombia?

      There has been a huge increase in the number of hotels and hostels in Minca in the past years. Therefore, the offer can be a bit overwhelming. Here, we give you tips that might make it a little easier to choose your accommodation in Minca.

      #ColombiaMyWay tips

      Tip #1
      Check the distance of the hotel/hostel to the center of Minca
      Many of the hotels are beautifully located in the middle of nature, but are very isolated. Maybe that is what you are looking for, but you will be dependent on the hotel for food and drink. If you want to go to the village, you would then need to take a mototaxi or jeep. To make it easier to choose, we have listed the distance of the various accommodations to the village in the hotel tips below.

      Tip #2
      Spend the night in a nature reserve in Minca
      We have been to Minca twice. The first time we stayed overnight at Sol de Minca, an ecolodge in a nature reserve. For us, the location was ideal: in nature, but within walking distance of Minca, 15 minute walk. Here you can read       our tips and information about Sol de Minca.

       

      In September 2023, we went to Minca for the second time and stayed in two accommodations: First one night in the center of Minca at Hotel Minca-La Casona and then we went off the beaten track to Reserva Natural Sierra Adentro.

      This nature reserve is a half-hour 4-wheel drive from Minca and a 10-minute walk from waterfall Cascada Marinka. Read here about our own experience at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro.

      Tip #3
      Check the hotel tips below for accommodations for every budget and taste.

       

      $ price range up to $30

      $$ price range $30 – $50

      $$$ price range above $50

      Minca

      $

      $$

      $$$

      More hotels in Minca
      #ColombiaMyWay Tips

      Decided to go to Minca? Then check out our tips for what to do in Minca, the best restaurants in Minca, transportation and practical information about Minca.

      Practical transportation guide in Minca, Colombia

      Travel Guide Minca

      Practical transportation guide in Minca, Colombia

      Home 9 Author archive for J ( Page 22 )

      How to get to Minca? Here you will find information about all the ways to get to Minca and about transportation in Minca itself.

      When planning your trip to Minca, keep in mind that you must travel via Santa Marta. Buses and cabs leave from the market in Santa Marta. Read here how to get to Santa Marta 

      Santa Marta-Minca by taxi
      A taxi from the city center to Minca takes about 35 minutes and costs around COP80,000/$20 (2025). You can also arrange private transportation in advance online from Santa Marta to Minca via this link.

      Santa Marta-Minca by colectivo bus
      Price around COP10000/$2.50 (45 minutes). Once in Minca, you can take a moto taxi to your final destination, unless you are staying in a hotel in or near Minca.

      Transportation in Minca

      If you walk around Minca, you will notice that the mototaxi is the most common means of transportation. The motorbike can go anywhere and the drivers are used to avoiding potholes in the roads. The moto taxis are easy to book in Minca. Motomink is the official mototaxi cooperation in Minca and offers fixed prices for different destinations in the region. We had a good experience booking 2 mototaxis to Finca la Victoria for the coffee tour, where the drivers waited for us, until the tour was over. If you want to book a ride from your hotel, your hotel can also call a mototaxi for you. Hotels usually work with regular, trusted drivers and are more expensive. Transportation by 4×4 is also possible.

      Prices Motomink (one way/ updated July 2025)

      • Cascada Marinka COP15,000/$3.75/20 mins
      • Pozo azul COP12,000/$3/15-20 mins
      • Coffee and cocoa finca La Candelaria COP20,000/$5/30 mins
      • Coffee finca La Victoria COP15,000/$3.75
      • Hostel Sierra Minca COP35,000/$9/30 mins
      • Mirador Los Pinos COP30,000/$7.50/45 mins
      • Mundo Nuevo Cop20,000/$5/15 mins
      • Tierra Adentro COP25,000/$6.25/30 mins

      Want to see several places in one day? Then you can also hire a driver for a half or full day and make it a sightseeing tour. Look here for more info about the tour by mototaxi that we made.

      #ColombiaMyWay tip

      Add Minca to roundtrip along the Caribbean coast
      Minca is a nice stop between a hike in Tayrona National Park, a trek to Ciudad Perdida or an off-road trip to La Guajira. Between all this action in tropical temperatures, it’s great to spend a few days relaxing in Minca and breathe in the fresh mountain air. Minca has some nice hostels and hotels where you can completely unwind. Check the link for different itineraries including Minca.

      The Coffee Triangle: Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas

      Travel guide Coffee Triangle

      The Coffee Triangle: Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas

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      The famous coffee region of Colombia, also called the Coffee Triangle, Zona Cafetera or Eje Cafetero, consists of the departments: Quindío, Caldas, Risaralda, Tolima and northern Valle de Cauca. The 3 best known departments and cities in terms of tourism are Quindío (Armenia), Caldas (Manizales) and Risaralda (Pereira). These regions make up the Coffee Triangle.

      Going to the coffee region for the first time and not sure where to start? Then check out the tips below from our travels to this beautiful region.

      Where do you start?

      ColombiaMyWay Tips

      Tip#1
      Is the main purpose of your trip to the coffee triangle hiking in Valle de Cocora and visiting coffee plantations? Then stay overnight in the towns of Salento or Filandia in the Quindío region.

      Tip#2
      Do you prefer (still) unknown coffee villages? Then villages like Pijao and Buenavista in Quindío are recommended, or Salamina in Caldas.

      Tip #3
      Are you traveling with children? Then there are many fun things to do in the town of Montenegro, such as the Parque del Café. Montenegro is not far from El Eden Airport in the Quindío region.

      Tip #4
      Want to chill in thermal pools, go bird watching or visit the Los Nevados National Park? Then plan your trip to Pereira in the Risaraldas region or Manizales in the Caldas region.

      Tip #5
      If you are traveling to the coffee triangle from Jardín and/or Medellín, Manizales is the first major city in the coffee triangle. If you are traveling from Bogotá, Armenia is the first major city in the coffee triangle.

      To get an idea of what you can do where, we have listed the departments with their airports and highlights.

      Quindío

      Capital Armenia
      El Edén Airport

       

      Risaralda

      Capital Pereira
      Matacaña airport

       

      Caldas

      Capital city Manizales
      La Nubia airport

       

      Check out our tips for what to do in the coffee region, the best hotels and hostels and more in our complete travel guide about the Colombian coffee region.