Cookies on this site
We use our own cookies so the site and bookings work and, only if you accept, measurement and advertising cookies. You can change your choice at any time from “Cookie preferences” at the bottom of the page.
Minca, Colombia, is a rural township (corregimiento) of the District of Santa Marta, 20 km from the city, on the northern face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. You can visit it in a day or stay one or two nights, to walk to river pools, waterfalls and viewpoints and visit coffee farms.
Santa Marta
The main thing to do in Minca is walk to the water or to a viewpoint, on dirt trails through the forest. Walking times and entrance fees change with the season and the state of the trails: ask about them in the village before you set off, and carry cash.
Pozo Azul is a river pool for swimming. Go early if you want it less crowded, and wear sandals with good grip: wet rocks are slippery.
The Marinka waterfalls (cascadas de Marinka) combine a walk and a swim in the same outing: wear your swimsuit and carry a dry change of clothes in your daypack.
The Oído del Mundo waterfall is another walk to the water. If it rained hard the night before and the water is running high, don't swim.
Minca's viewpoints and Cerro Kennedy are for anyone who wants a view more than a swim. Access to Cerro Kennedy and the time it takes to get up there depend on the route and the vehicle: ask a local guide before you go, and start early.
Coffee farms such as Finca La Victoria are among the visits around Minca. If you'd like to see how coffee is grown, ask ahead whether the farm runs tours that day, what they cost and whether you need to book.
Minca gets about 2,132 mm of rain a year: the wettest months are September and October, and the driest, January to March, according to IDEAM's 1991–2020 climate normals. When it rains, the dirt trails get slippery: wear shoes with good grip and, if the river is running high, don't swim.
One day is enough for a walk to one waterfall and the trip back to Santa Marta. One or two nights let you see Pozo Azul, the Marinka waterfalls, a viewpoint and a coffee farm without rushing. One way to split two days:
For clothes, wear something comfortable, closed shoes for walking and your swimsuit under your clothes. In your daypack: insect repellent, sunscreen, ID and cash. If you're staying the night, add sandals and a dry change of clothes.
1 dayThe Minca tour leaves the Expotur Eco office in Santa Marta at 8:30 a.m. and returns around 5:30 p.m. It includes a hike of about 2 hours round trip to the Cascadas Perdidas waterfalls, a traditional lunch in a bamboo house and a coffee farm visit with a tasting. It costs COP 215,000 per person.
Next date: Sun Oct 11
Per person
4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor6,458 reviews of Expotur Eco, the operator. Checked on October 7, 2026.
Book with 7%7% deposit of the total. An advisor confirms within 12 hours at most.
All Sierra Nevada tours
Santa MartaCabo San Juan, Playa Cristal and Playa Gairaca, on day tours from Santa Marta.
Tayrona National Park: travel guide
Santa MartaThe 3-, 4- or 5-day trek through the Sierra Nevada to Teyuna.
Ciudad Perdida: travel guideMinca is 20 km from Santa Marta, according to the Santa Marta mayor's office: it is one of the four rural townships of the district, on the northern face of the Sierra Nevada. On the day tour, the drive from the Expotur Eco office in Santa Marta to Minca takes about 45 minutes.
In Minca you can visit river pools and waterfalls such as Pozo Azul, the Marinka waterfalls and the Oído del Mundo waterfall, viewpoints such as Cerro Kennedy and coffee farms such as Finca La Victoria. Trails and entrance fees change, so ask about them in Minca before you set off. The day tour includes a hike to the Cascadas Perdidas waterfalls and a coffee farm visit.
One day in Minca is enough for a walk to one waterfall and the trip back to Santa Marta, on your own or on the day tour. One or two nights let you add Pozo Azul, the Marinka waterfalls, a viewpoint and a coffee farm without rushing. If your trip continues to La Guajira, go back to Santa Marta and carry on along the coast toward Riohacha.
For Minca, wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes for walking, with your swimsuit under your clothes if you plan to get into the river pools. Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, ID and cash. If you're staying the night, add sandals and a dry change of clothes.
Next trip
Desert and sea in northern Colombia. Tours leave from Riohacha by 4×4.