The Complete Guide to Minca, Colombia’s Sleepy Hidden Gem

The tiny town of Minca, Colombia isn’t on the typical Colombian backpacker trail. Perched on top of a mountain in the Colombian Sierra Nevadas overlooking Santa Marta and the Caribbean Sea, with a population of 800, Minca feels a bit isolated. But at only 45 minutes away from the much more popular coastal town of Santa Marta, and only 5 hours away from bustling Cartagena, Colombia, it is well worth the detour. If you are planning a trip to the northern coast of Colombia, you’ll want to include Minca in your itinerary!

The first time I (Lia) visited Minca was 5 years ago. It was the first time I’d ever been to Colombia, and I fell in love with it, hard. Since then, I’ve been back 3 times (and counting) and Jeremy’s been back twice. It’s one of the most special places we’ve ever been, and we think you’ll love it too!

We’re so excited to share Minca with you. Here’s what you find in this complete guide to Minca:

Psst: We’ve got a ton of other resources for Colombia that you’ll want to look at before your trip!

• What to Pack for Colombia
• The Best Hostels in Colombia
• Colombia Itinerary: Ultimate Guide to 1 Month of Backpacking Colombia
• 30 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Colombia
• A Complete Guide to Transportation in Colombia
• The Best Colombian Food: What to Eat in Colombia

Minca, Colombia: Off the Beaten Path

We came across a copy of Lonely Planet’s “South America on a Shoestring” in Santa Marta. It was two years old. Minca wasn’t in it. We weren’t surprised.

Lia actually visited Minca on her very first trip to Colombia, 5 years ago. She loved it so much that she planned our trip to retrace her steps, including staying in the exact same hostel, Casa Loma Minca. 5 years and 3 trips later, the town of Minca hadn’t changed much, but there are a LOT more backpackers!

Since Lia’s first trip to Colombia, Minca has boomed (relatively). It’s finally made the Lonely Planet! It even has its own page in WikiVoyage – which is sort of like the big leagues, if you’re the kind of person that uses WikiVoyage religiously (me). Tourists are flocking to Minca because it is the major gateway to La Cuidad Perdida, The Lost City. Soon, Minca will be the only gateway, according to a volunteer working at a non profit shop in town.

But there is more to Minca than trekking, the most famous hammock in South America, fresh organic coffee, artisanal bread, waterfalls, mototaxis through the jungle, cool mountain breezes,  and incredible sunsets. Against all odds, tiny Minca, Colombia was one of our favorite destinations in Colombia!

How to Get to Minca, Colombia

The easiest way to get to Minca is from Santa Marta. Santa Marta is easily accessible from Cartagena or most places near the coast as it’s a major tourist destination (especially if you’re looking for a party. Spoilers: it’s not really our scene).

To get to Santa Marta, you’ll want to hop on a bus from Cartagena to Santa Marta, about 5 hours away. For more details, we’ve got a massive guide on how to get from Cartagena to Santa Marta!

From Santa Marta, you have a few options depending on your budget. Minca is about 45 minutes away from Santa Marta. You can hire a taxi or even a moto-taxi, but hiring your own driver makes these the more expensive options. Also, if you’re carrying a heavy backpack or a suitcase, or it’s raining, a moto-taxi isn’t a great option. If you do opt for a moto-taxi, like Lia did on her first visit to Minca, be sure to wear a helmet!

The budget-friendly option is to take a collectivo, a shared shuttle. You can find the Minca colectivo in Santa Marta at the corner of Carrera 9 and Calle 12, in the Mercado Publico in Centro. We basically repeated this address to random people over and over until enough helpful Colombians had pointed us in the right direction and we finally found it! The collectivo cost 8.000COP/$3 per person (as of February 2018, our most recent visit to Minca).

When we finally found the “shuttle,” which was actually just a regular car, we hopped in with two other Americans. Whenever Americans meet each other in off-the-beaten-path destinations, it’s super exciting because it’s pretty rare. So of course, we all got to talking. They told us they were just staying in Minca for the day. But 3 days later, we saw our new friends again – waving to us from the back of a pickup truck, laughing as they headed off to have some amazing adventure in the jungle. They had never left!

What to Do in Minca, Colombia

Minca has loads of activities for travelers and backpackers. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Minca.

1. Cliff jumping off a waterfall!

Pozo Azul is a collection of three swimming areas on the river that runs by Minca. It’s a great swimming hole with a big waterfall and a perfect spot for cliff jumping! To get there, you’ll need to either take a moto-taxi  from town for about 6.000 COP/$2, or take a scenic hike on the road past jungle and rolling hills and farms. The hike takes about an hour.

We prefer to moto-tax to the waterfall, because it’s uphill, and hike back downhill admiring the view. To take a moto-taxi, just head to the main corner in town (it’s easy to find – look for a bunch of moto-taxis and guys standing around) and hop on. The ride through the jungle is thrilling!

If you opt to hike from town, you’ll follow the road up the hill for about 45 minutes. Enjoy the scenery, drink plenty of water, and look for fallen mangos on the side of the road as you walk. You’ll pass a few small restaurants and businesses and eventually see a big sign for Pozo Azul. Take the marked trail downhill for 10-20 minutes to reach the water.

There are three pools, so if the first one is too crowded (or too shallow) for your tastes, just cross the water and head for the trail on the left side of the pool. Climb the short path and you’ll soon reach 2 more pools, one of which has EXCELLENT waterfall cliff-jumping!

If you don’t feel like hiking back, there are always moto-taxis waiting at the entrance of the pools, and in our opinion it’s worth the $2 to experience riding through the jungle on the back of a motorcycle.

2. Tour a coffee farm!

Although it’s not in the famous Coffee Region of Colombia, Minca boasts some amazing local coffee. One of the most popular ones is Finca La Victoria Plantation, up the hill from Pozo Azul. It’s a completely self-sustaining coffee farm, running solely on water power from nearby mountain streams. From the main intersection in town, it takes about 90 minutes of hiking through absolutely stunning scenery. Tours cost 10,000 COP/ $3.25 USD and include a cup of coffee.

3. Tour a CHOCOLATE and coffee farm!

The only thing better than fresh, delicious coffee is fresh, delicious chocolate, and you can have both at Finca La Candelaria. From the main intersection, head out of town towards Santa Marta (away from Pozo Azul). Immediately, you’ll pass a bridge, then a police station. Turn right to find a trail. Follow that trail for about 75 minutes and you’ll hit La Candelaria Farm.

4. Have an outdoor adventure!

Jungle Joe is a local bird collector and tour guide. He’s sort of a one stop shop for guided tours. He offers tubing, canyoning, bird watching (of the 300 species of birds in Colombia, the Sierra Nevadas have 162 of them), coffee tours, and more. You can chose a tour a la carte, or book a full day of activities.

5. Trek to La Cuidad Perdida!

La Cuidad Perdida, aka The Lost City, is the most famous trek in northern Colombia. You’ll be hiking for 4 days through the jungle of the Sierra Madre, past homes still occupied by local indigenous Kogi & Wiwa Indians, to the famed Lost City: Teyuna.

Teyuna was abandoned by the Tayrona Indians when they realized the danger that Conquistadors posed to thriving indigenous civilizations. Rather than submit to the conquistadors, with their roving diseases and guns, they quietly withdrew. It was a smart tactic: they’re still peacefully living and farming as they please to this day.

You’ll need an official, state sanctioned tour guide to do this trek, much like Machu Picchu. Look for a tour guide of Wiwa or Kogi heritage – it is still their home, after all these years, and welcoming you into it should be on their terms. We didn’t do the hike ourselves, but after reading the Ciudad Perdida guide by Wandering Bajan, we wish we would have!

6. Eat fresh baked artisanal bread!

Speaking of local Tayrona Indians, Duni is an artisanal bread shop in Minca that serves delicious fresh baked treats made from locally sourced wheat and chocolate, much of which is grown & farmed by Tayrona Indians. You may just meet a traditionally dressed Tayrona Indian dropping off a few supplies. Seeing traditionally dressed Indians is actually just a regular thing in Minca – they live next door!

Read up on Duni in our spotlight post. You’ve got to go there! If the smell of fresh baked bread wafting across the town doesn’t tempt you, the strong WiFi should.

7. Shop for locally made gifts!

Due to the increase in tourism, some new shops and pop-up businesses have taken hold in little Minca featuring local artisans and crafts people. Shop there to support the local community. Some of the shops even donate their proceeds to local communities: one across from the church, for example, gives all of its profits to Mision Gaia, a non-profit organization that provides the many stray animals in Minca with spaying and neutering.

In the shops you can find local handmade bags (made by the talented Tayrona Indians), clothing, delicious hot sauce (seriously, it’s amazing), postcards, jewelry, organic bug repellant, and more. Take care of your souvenir needs and benefit the local economy all at once! We love sustainable and conscientious tourism.

 8. Relax in a giant hammock!

 Casa Elemento is one of the most popular hostels in Minca, and certainly one of its claims to fame: at Casa Elemento you’ll find the world’s largest hammock.

It’s a two hour hike (or 20 minute taxi… or mototaxi!) from town, but the views are amazing. From the main intersection, head towards the church, but keep going…and going. It’s more like a trapeze net. You don’t have to stay there to enjoy it either! Pay 10.000 COP for a day pass.

9. Go on a hike!

Minca is an outdoor lovers paradise, and hiking in Minca is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful part of Colombia – plus, you just might meet some monkeys or toucans! Although most of Minca’s best hikes will take you through lush, humid jungle, the mountains provide a bit of reprieve from the heat – and a waterfall doesn’t help, either.  Here are some of the best places to go hiking in Minca:

• Easy: Las Piedras: Just 15 minutes out of town you’ll find Las Piedras, which marks a beautiful spot on the River Minca. It’s only 15 minutes from the village, so it makes a great way to spend a relaxing morning.
• Medium: Las Cascadas de Marinka. If you speak a little Spanish, you already know what’s waiting for you on this hike: waterfalls! The hike takes about an hour and you’ll be rewarded with cool water and a stunning photo op. To get there, walk past the church on the main town road) (keeping the church on your left) and head up the hill. Keep going until you see a sign that reads “Finca la Esperanza, La Cascadas Minka.” Bring some cash: it costs 3,000 COP/$1 to enter the falls.
• Hard: Los Pinos. This 5-7 hour long trek will take you past Pozo Azul and Las Cascadas in a nice, long loop. The hardest part of the hike is about 2 hour uphill climb. It’s best if you start your journey early in the morning, especially because on a clear day at the highest point of the trek, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of snowy mountains in the distance! Pack plenty of water and snacks.
• Even Harder: Cierro Kennedy. Trekking to Cierro Kennedy will take you 2 days and 1 overnight, but you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a stunning view of the snowy peaks of Los Nevados! If you’re like, SUPER rugged, you can attempt this trek own your own, but we recommend hiring a guide in town instead.

For more details and directions for each of these hikes, ask for help in town: Casa Loma Minca , our favorite place to stay in Minca, is a great resource for all of these hikes.

10. Just sit quietly and watch the sunset.

Watching the sunset is the equivalent of Minca’s movie night. If you can make it up to a decent vantage point, you’ll have a perfect view over the green Sierra Nevada mountains all the way to the blinking lights of Santa Marta and the Caribbean Sea.

At our favorite hostel in Minca, Casa Loma Minca, sunset is a nightly event. Everyone gathers in the lounge to kick back and watch the sunset on the world’s largest screen. Then they hang out playing games and listening to music and reading and relaxing until dinner is served at the shared community tables, at 8pm. It’s peaceful, social, and relaxing as hell. Grab a hammock, bring a book (and maybe a camera), or just be in the moment.

Travel Tips for Visiting Minca, Colombia

We highly recommend spending a few days enjoying Minca! Before you go, here are a few tips to help you prepare. Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you use our links to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no cost to you which will go towards helping us pay for the costs of running this site and fuelling our debilitating coffee habits.

• Minca’s weather is VERY different from the heat of Santa Marta. The nights can get chilly. Bring layers. We swear by our Permethrin sprayed sweatpants – they’re not only warm, but they repel bugs, too!
• Speaking of bugs, bring plenty of bug spray. We swear by Maxi-DEET for our skin and Permethrin spray for our clothing. We were far less itchy than everyone else we met.
• During the summer it rains every day around 2, as we found out when we arrived at 2 (whoops). The rain starts like clockwork, pours for about an hour or two, and then vanishes. To make sure it doesn’t cramp your style, pack some travel-friendly Ultra-Light Rain Jackets (His & Hers) and Waterproof Socks for hiking!
• Bring a lot of cash. There are no ATMs, and almost no one takes cards. Stop in Santa Marta to stock up.
• Pack or buy water, or bring filtration. The water is not safe to drink in Minca. I speak from dismal experience myself. We watched folks at our hostel drink ONE glass of tap water and become sick almost instantly.  We purified our water using a rechargeable Steri-Pen Water Purifier. (Note: you can also use a Sawyer mini filter or water purification tablets, both of which we brought just in case, but we found that we preferred the Steri-Pen for ease of use and taste.)

• Bring some Imodium, just in case. Just trust me on this one. I’ll spare you details, but the first time I visited Minca, a kind stranger gave me a few blessed Imodium pills and they were incredibly helpful. My 2nd time in Minca, I did the same for someone else in need. Best to have them on hand.
• Be ready for a hike. Some of our favorite things to do in Minca can only be accessed via hiking. We would have been screwed without my Camelbak Hydration Pack that fits 100oz of water and our anti-bacterial Merino Wool hiking shirts (his & hers). I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but merino wool is seriously the best hiking fabric ever. It keeps you cool when it’s hot, warm when it’s cold, resists smells, lasts forever, and we’re totally obsessed with it.
• If you plan to sleep in a hammock, bring a Silk Liner Travel Sheet sprayed with Permethrin! It will cut down on bug bites and keep you toasty warm (and clean!) without needing to schlep around an actual sleeping bag.  I was never as thankful for these tiny, lightweight lifesavers as I was in Minca!
• Bring a flashlight in case you want to go for a night-time stroll (or bathroom visit).  Minca, as you can imagine, is not blessed in the streetlamp department and it’s very dark at night. We’re obsessed with our Solar Powered Flashlights. We haven’t had to think about batteries once, but we always have light when we need it.

• Say hi to the locals in Minca. The people we’ve met in Minca were all incredibly friendly!
• Respect Minca’s relative isolation. Blossoming tourism is an exciting but unpredictable phenomenon. This community is warm and inviting, but it’s still theirs. Be respectful. In the 5 years that we’ve been visiting Minca, not terribly much has changed, and that’s something we love about it.
• Plan to stay a few days. Remember the Americans with whom we shared our taxi to Minca? We saw them three days later in Minca hopping into the back of a truck with some locals, with no idea what adventure awaited them (literally, they said they didn’t know where they were going, but were excited to find out). I guess they realized one day wasn’t enough – we agree!

Where to Stay in Minca, Colombia

For such a tiny town, there are a surprising number of options for places to stay in Minca! But for us, there’s 1 place that we keep coming back to again and again… and again: Casa Loma Minca. 

Casa Loma is a hostel, and in our opinion, one of the best hostels in Colombia and frankly, all of South America. (For more Colombia hostel recommendations, check out our guide to the best hostels in Colombia. ) We love staying in budget-friendly hostels when we travel because not only do they free up funds that can be used for amazing tours, food, and other vacation splurges, but they’re a great way to meet other travelers! And Casa Loma Minca is a truly special kind of hostel.

The whole place feels like a giant treehouse, perched on top of a lush hill with the most incredible view in the world overlooking the Sierra Nevada Mountains all the way to the bright blue Caribbean sea. We’ve stayed at Casa Loma Minca in a shared double room, a hammock (the cheapest option) and in one of their stunning private huts overlooking the most incredible sunset in the world (we aren’t even exaggerating). Family style meals and a WiFi free zone cultivate an awesome social vibe that we fell in love with. But look, one sentence doesn’t capture our love for this place – we’ve got a complete review right here.  Let’s just say that Casa Loma was a big part of why we loved our stay so much, and why we’ve been back to Minca 3 times – and stayed in the exact same hostel 3 times!  Check prices.

Not thrilled by the idea of a hostel? In Minca, you’ll find everything from eco-friendly hotels to fincas/farms, to hospedajes/home stays! No matter what you choose, most of the places to stay in Minca are surrounded by and integrated into their lush natural surroundings, while still being super comfortable.

• Minca Ecohabs is as eco-friendly as it gets! Gorgeous thatched roof bamboo huts in the jungle will make you feel like you’re one with nature. There’s a toucan that eats papaya every morning which is the cutest thing ever. Munch on exotic fruits as you watch the sun rise over the mountains, you beautiful jungle princess, you. Compare pricing.
• Finca San Rafael is an eco-friendly cacao farm. Yes, y’all: there’s chocolate! And it’s environmentally friendly, too! Finca San Rafael has awesome coffee too, which is important to coffee snobs like us. This finca is a 30 minute walk from town, or a quick jaunt on a moto-taxi which is my favorite form of transportation ever ever. Take a horseback ride, hike, or just relax (WiFi free) at this authentic finca. Compare pricing.

• Casa Colibri is a lovely hospedaje that we stayed in on one of our trips. We had a nice private room walking distance from the center of town. Most importantly, there was great coffee every morning, and the host family was lovely! Compare pricing.
• Sweet Harmony is an eco-friendly hotel located a 12 minute walk away from central Minca, nestled into the hillside and overlooking the gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountains. The hotel is a haven for birds: keep an eye out for toucans and hummingbirds! Compare pricing.

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Hey, we’ve got a ton of other resources for Colombia that you’ll want to look at before your trip!

• What to Pack for Colombia
• The Best Hostels in Colombia
• Colombia Itinerary: Ultimate Guide to 1 Month of Backpacking Colombia
• 30 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Colombia
• A Complete Guide to Transportation in Colombia
• The Best Colombian Food: What to Eat in Colombia

We hope we convinced you to make a stop in Minca next time you’re traveling through Colombia!  What questions do you have about travel in Colombia? Leave us a comment below.

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