To Minca and the Sierra Madre Highlands

Today we have an early morning departure from Santa Marta in our Toyota 4x4 vehicle. We will travel to the town of Minca.

Perched 600m high up in the Sierra Nevada above Santa Marta, Minca is a small mountain village famous for its organic coffee, incredibly varied birdlife and – perhaps more importantly – much cooler temperatures than on the scorching coast below. The town, which can only be reached via a dirt road, is delightfully, surrounded by thick cloud forest and soaring mountain peaks. Despite being recognized by Unesco as a biosphere reserve since 1980 it is relativly still mainly unspoilt by encroaching modern Columbia.

Early morning in this area is quite breathtaking. Perched on top of a mountain overlooking Santa Marta and the Caribbean Sea, Minca feels a bit isolated.

From Minca there are many eco trails and places an intrepid traveller can visit. From lost cities to coffee and Cocao plantations. As Minca is located in a tribal state , the growing of Cocao is allowed and there are many small plantations growing the plant.

In the center of Minca, you find the great signpost. Where else can you find directions to a Cacoa plantation, as well as our coffee farm destination.

I drank a final cup of coffee at the local café. Backpackers just coming into town stopped in for a bite and locals sat down for a chat. The walls are covered in art and flyers for current workshops, classes and tours. After we finished our fruit and refreshments, the young waitress came over to take away our cups. A semi-dazed look on her face, she asked if we’d like anything else. We said no and she wandered off to daydream behind the counter. No rush for us to leave, no rush for her to wait the other tables. It was Minca in a nutshell. A last look at the rainforest from the verandha, with its hummingbirds, fliting back and forth and it was time to move on from this piece of paradise.

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Its not hard to find the Cocao bushes in this area.They could be found in the grounds of the restaurant i had lunch in, along with some amazing Humming birds.

I am on my way to Finca La Victoria Plantation, up the hill from Minca and Pozo Azul. It’s a completely self-sustaining coffee farm, running solely on water power from nearby mountain streams. If your after a authentic Colombian experience you must visit Minca and the Finca La Victoria Plantation.