Colombia’s valley of the palms

In Colombias cocora valley palms are very thin and very high. They can reach 60 m of height. It is a beautiful place that attracts you just get there. On this site, there are only three buildings: one is a restaurant.

At 1,800 m in elevation, low clouds often fill the valley like a lid, the palms scratching their wispy underbellies. Then periods of sunlight inevitably continue, giving the valley to tropical radiance. Even in the afternoon sun though, a short walk can easily lead you into perennial mist forest and over the trickle of a mountain stream.

11 Km from there, there is a town called Salento.

When you reach a fork in the path, follow it to the right for a kilometre to Acaime book (57-2-893-3052), a nature reserve with a rustic wooden hikers' sanctuary serving cheese, chocolate and brown sugar, hot water heart-warming drink made from hardened sugar cane.