Practical information about Minca
Here you will find practical information about Minca: useful information about the climate and the best time to travel, how many days do we recommend to stay in Minca, can you use pin, are there supermarkets and what about wifi in Minca.
Climate
Climate
Due to its higher elevation, at about 650 meters, it is cooler in Minca than Santa Marta and its surroundings. 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 time to go
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. If it has rained a lot, though, the roads can get muddy, so you may ‘n have to take a jeep instead of a mototaxi. Minca is busiest on weekends, vacations and Puentes (long weekends).
How long to stay?
1 day
If you don’t have much time but still want to see a lot, you can do a day tour by mototaxi in 1 day to see most of the sights. Or you can do a hike to e.g. Cascada de Marinka or do a combined trip of coffee inca Victoria with Pozos Azules. 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 at 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 interior. Look here for more info on hotels and hostels in Minca.
Practical info A-Z
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. (See photo, 2023) If you want to pay by credit card, 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 if traveling in rainy season
- Hiking shoes
- Flip-flops or sandals for by the falls
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 a given 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 without internet. A number of hotels have their own generator, so then you don’t suffer.
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 has a filtration system.
#ToColombia 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.
