Minca, Colombia was once a sleepy town in the mountains, a short bus ride from Santa Marta. However, this town has grown in popularity over the years and while it’s still much sleepier than nearby Santa Marta, tourism is big. Every day, tourists come to take advantage of the surrounding waterfalls and local wildlife. I was no different and spent two days exploring the area around Minca. I put that experience together to create this Minca itinerary.
Two Day Minca Itinerary
Minca is light on sights. It’s a tiny town with not a lot to see. The highlights all exist outside of the main town, but it’s easy to visit most of them on your own.
Also as a note, this moves a lot slower than I normally travel. Colombia is not made for fast paced travel and it’s good to just slow down. In addition, it’s hot here and sometimes it’s great to just sit and relax and do nothing.
Day 1 – Waterfalls and Chocolate
The first day of this Minca itinerary has you visiting my favorite waterfalls near Minca. Plus, you’ll get a chance to visit a chocolate farm (though you could easily change this to be a coffee farm if you’re so inclined).
I recommend getting a little bit more of an early start. That’s not to say you have to leave town by 7:00 am, but rather, I’d try to leave Minca between 8:00 and 8:30 if you’re walking. If you’re going to take a moto taxi, you can start a bit later. Why start so early? Because the Marinka Waterfalls are popular, both with people who are staying in Minca and with Minca day trippers. The earlier you go, the less crowded it will be and that’s always a plus.
From town, it’s just under an hour walk to the Marinka Waterfalls. I think this walk is totally doable, but it is a steady uphill walk and there are three stream crossings. Two of the three crossings were nothing and I didn’t even get my shoes wet. The third, I stepped a bit in water. Note that I was visiting in dry season, so if you’re here in rainy season, these might be a bit more. One final note, the walk is along a road so you’ll be sharing the road mototaxis and cars.
At the Marinka Waterfalls, you’ll pay the fee to enter (22,000 COP at the time of writing) and then you’re free to explore the three waterfalls in the area. The most impressive is waterfall #2. It’s the highest falls, but also the largest. If you’re so inclined, you can swim here, just don’t expect warm water. Waterfall #1 is also nice, but I found waterfall #3 to be underwhelming.
All in all, my visit here lasted about an hour. You can spend more or less time at the falls. I think it really depends if you want to swim or not. Note that the Marinka Waterfalls has the best infrastructure of any of the waterfalls near Minca. There are restaurants and bathrooms if you need them.
After the Marinka Waterfalls, start making your way back to town. The good news is that since it’s a steady uphill to the Marinka Waterfalls, it’s a steady downhill back to town. About halfway between the Marinka Waterfalls and Minca, you’ll find Cascada Oida del Mundo. This is another waterfall that you can visit. It’s a nice falls and when I visited, I was here early in the day and so I had it all to myself. I don’t think it’s better than Marinka, but it’s another waterfall option in the Minca area. Entrance to Cascada Oida del Mundo is 10,000 COP which in my mind feels a bit steep for what you get.
Note that if you pay for the entrance to the waterfall, along the path, you’ll pass a sign pointing you in the direction of a coffee farm. I skipped this as I could care less about coffee and visiting a coffee farm, but if this is something that interests you, it’s a good thing to note.
Back in town, take a break for lunch. There’s numerous good restaurants in town so take your pick and take a break. Enjoy your meal.
After lunch, visit a chocolate farm (or a coffee farm) and learn about the process of growing, harvesting, and producing chocolate (or coffee or both!).
I visited Casa Jocolate which is just a short walk from town. If you choose to visit here, I’d recommend messaging the company on WhatsApp and finding out of if there is a tour you can join. They run tours throughout the day, but usually there are groups arriving and they’ll happily add you to any other group that’s coming through. I just showed up, so I had to wait a bit so I recommend trying to arrange on WhatsApp to save the walk to and from the area. Also note that Casa Jocolate is not the only farm in the area, so you don’t have to tour with them (but they are easy to reach on foot).
The evening is yours. Relax, get some dinner, and get an early night’s rest since tomorrow we’ll be up early.
Day 2 – Birds and More Waterfalls
One of the most unique things you can do in Minca is go birdwatching. So if you have two days, dedicate part of your Minca itinerary to birdwatching.
Colombia is home to so many of the world’s species of birds and some of them you can only find here. If you’re a birder, Minca, Colombia should definitely be on your list. If you’re not a birder, Minca is a great place to try your hand at birdwatching.
If you’re a beginner, I highly recommend going with a guide. I used Jungle Joe (though there are several other operators in Minca), which offers a tour every morning at 6:00 am. I messaged and confirmed on WhatsApp, but you should be able to just show up in the morning and join the tour. It costs 75,000 COP per person, but what you get in a pair of binoculars (which are essential) and a guide who is so skilled at finding the birds. Seriously, without our guide, I don’t think I would have seen a fraction of the birds that we saw, so I think having a guide who knows what they are doing is essential.
The best time to see the birds is early in the morning, which is why most tours leave around 6:00 am. On our tour, we met at the office in town and then worked our way up to an overlook that’s made for birdwatching (where we could also buy coffee and hot chocolate). Along the way, our guide pointed out the different birds along the way, paying special attention to try to find toucans. He actually did manage to spot three toucans and while I was only able to see one of them, I still saw a wild toucan which was kinda cool.
Tours last about two and a half to three hours. It really depends on what birds you find and how long the group takes, but by 9:00 you should be back in town. Grab some breakfast and relax before heading off for more exploration. I’ve already mentioned that Minca is meant for relaxation, not for busy sightseeing, so there’s not really a rush.
My big recommendation for this afternoon is to visit another waterfall and swimming spot. Bring a book and some snacks and just enjoy the area. The most popular place to do this is Pozo Azul. It’s about an hour walk from town and comes with a 6,000 COP entrance fee. In my opinion, it’s not worth it. Maybe it used to be better and that’s why it’s so heavily recommended, but in my opinion, it’s busy and just not that nice compared to other nearby options.
A much better option (and a closer option) is to visit Cascada Escondida. It’s located near the La Vedura restaurant and hotel and is a much calmer experience. You’ll pay 5,000 COP to access the river and then a further 10,000 COP to access the waterfall (though you can get a peak at the waterfall through the trees).
I paid for the river and it was so much more relaxing than Pozo Azul. There was one other couple there and as soon as they left one family of three showed up. That’s it. Compared to Pozo Azul, this is nothing, so it’s much more relaxing. You can swim in the river or find a rock to just sit and relax. If you’re so inclined, cross the river and follow the trail to the waterfall (where you’ll pay that additional 10,000 COP fee).
When you’re ready, head back to town and enjoy the rest of your evening. Have a drink, get a nice meal, and just relax. That’s what Minca is all about.
Is Two Days in Minca Enough?
This Minca itinerary is for two days, which I think is the perfect amount of time. You could absolutely visit Minca in one day if you planned more efficiently and if I was traveling more quickly to accommodate limited vacation time, I’d probably only spend one day in Minca.
But I definitely don’t think you need anymore than two days here.
How to Get Around Minca
Minca is a super small town and if you’re going anywhere in town, you’ll be walking. If you want to reach anywhere outside of town, whether that be a more remote hotel or one of the waterfalls, mototaxis are waiting in the main part of town ready to take tourists wherever they want to go.
I explored Minca on foot and never once had to use a mototaxi, so it’s up to you how you want to explore. For some of the waterfalls, consider taking a mototaxi to the waterfall (which will be uphill) and walking back to town (which will be downhill). Mototaxis also wait at the entrances to the popular waterfalls, waiting to bring tourists back to Minca.
How to Get to Minca
From Santa Marta, it’s very easy to reach Minca. Simply head to Mercado Publico on the corner of Calle 11 and Carrera 9. Here, you can catch a colectivo for Minca. Locals will point you to the correct bus. Then simply step into the office, sign in by writing your name on the paper, and pay the 10,000 COP fee. They’ll have you wait in the office until there are enough people to fill the van (typically 10-12 people) and then you’re off. Any large pieces of luggage will get thrown on the room and tied down, so I’d recommend keeping a smaller, second bag with your valuables on you.
Final Thoughts
Minca is a small town, but there’s still a few interesting things to do. Two days in Minca gives you enough time to see the highlights without feeling rushed or feeling bored.
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