After a few days of recovering from our Ciudad Perdida hike in Taganga, Jens and I took a trip up into the Colombian highlands and stayed at a coffee and chocolate ranch in the hills above the beautiful town of Minca. The magic of Minca is that it combines being on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, with being high up in the mountains creating an experience where you are among the coffee and chocolate plantains just a small distance away from the completely different climate and atmosphere of the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This blog post will highlight what I think are some of the best things to do in Minca.
Coffee, chocolate, stunning natural scenery – Minca has it all.6am at Finca San Rafael: the sound of thousands of birds will fill the air as they herald the start of another day – we were lucky enough to see an entire family of Toucans!
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Stay at a Coffee Ranch:
To get the full coffee Minca experience, staying at at an actual coffee farm is highly recommended! Jens and I stayed at the Finca San Rafael – a beautiful organic coffee and chocolate farm, about a 2KM from Minca’s town centre. Finca San Rafael offers guided and non-guided coffee and chocolate tours and delicious home-cooked meals. Our room rate included breakfast, and also unlimited ranch-grown organic coffee and hot chocolate free for guests! There are hiking trails to some stunning viewpoints directly from the property. At 6am, thousands of birds herald the start of the day all around the ranch – well -worth waking up for! We ended up seeing a small flock of Toucans and a variety of parrots among many other birds.
Finca San Rafael offers a beautiful mountain experience on an organic coffee and chocolate farm. The ranch also grows a variety of fruits – too bad the mangos weren’t ripe yet for our trip!
Stay in the Jungle:
If staying on a coffee ranch is not your thing, there are many more accessible accommodation options that allow you to be close to nature, but still be able to reach the town centre easily by foot or by conventional taxi. Set just 950 meters from the Minca’s town centre, Costeno River Minca, is a beautiful property in a jungle setting with room options ranging from cozy privates with private terraces to dorm beds for the budget conscious. Property has a beautiful pool and sunbathing area.
Located less than 1KM from the centre of Minca, Costeno River is an excellent option for those who want the Jungle experience, but still be an easy walk from the conveniences of towns. Beautiful privates and dorm options available.
Try Glamping in Geodestic domes in the Jungle:
For a unique glamping experience that gives you all the comforts of a hotel room in a jungle setting; Trekker Glamping offers a unique accommodations experience in their geodestic domes featuring private wrap-around balconies, and panoramic jungle views that allow you to feel like you’re in nature, while nestled in the heart of comfort.
Property also has an onsite bar, and a stunning outdoor infinity pool and jacuzzi.
Trekker Glamping in Minca offers an unparalleled luxury camping experience in their Geodesic jungle domes.
Coffee and Chocolate Tours:
Most coffee ranches in the Minca area will offer guided or non-guided coffee tours. Jens and I did the coffee and chocolate tour at Finca San Rafael – where we were also staying. We learned about the small scale production processes the ranch employs to grow its organic coffee and chocolate. This well-reviewed tour combines a comprehensive coffee and chocolate tour along with a tour of Minca and its surroundings.
A Coffee and Chocolate tour is a great way to learn about the coffee and chocolate production process.
Marinka Waterfalls:
Marinka Waterfalls are a beautiful set of waterfalls located about 4KM away from Minka’s town center. Relax overtop of the waterfalls in unique netted platforms that allow you to dangle over nature. A relaxing 8KM out-and-back walk along quiet roads to the falls from the town center.
Entry to the falls is 10,000 COP per person (approximately $2.50USD as of Spring 2022). The are two main waterfalls – each with an area that you can stand in under the falls, although the 2nd waterfall has a much larger pool to swim in. Well manicured pathways lead the way to the waterfalls. There’s an onsite restaurant that serves decent food at reasonable prices. Don’t forget to look out the windows in the toilets – they have surprisingly amazing views of the waterfalls!
Marinka waterfalls is just a 4KM walk from the center of Minca. The waterfalls are stunning. You can swim underneath them, and enjoy some food at the on-site restaurant.
Nevada Cerveceria is a local craft brewery that operates out of Finca La Victoria. Unique offerings include Happy Coca, a beer brewed with local Coca leaves. Finca La Victoria is about 6.5KM away from Minca’s town center, so about a 1.5 – 2 hour walk or a 15 minute drive or motorbike ride.
Beers from local craft brewery Nevada Cerverceria are available in town at the Lazy Cat Cafe
Epic sunset hikes:
A hike to one of the Miradors – or view points – in around the Minca area to watch the sunset is a must-do when visiting Minca. At the Finca San Rafael where Jens and I were staying there was a trail to a stunning viewpoint (where the cover photo for this blog post was taken) about a 45 minute walk from the ranch. The best part of the Mirador hike from Finca San Rafael was the resident ranch doggies seem to enjoy accompanying guests to the Mirador, then the sweethearts walk you back down and even wait for you if you have fallen behind! Make sure to bring a headlamp for any sunset hike you do, as there will be light going up but likely little light going back down. Another popular trail is the Mirador 360 hike which is about a 45 minute to 1 hour hike from the trailhead by Eco Mundo Nuevo (see map).
Stunning sunset views from the Mirador right behind the Finca San RafaelThe colours change from oranges, and pinks to purples and dark blue before night finally falls
Transportation:
Jens and I negotiated a taxi ride from our previous stop in Taganga to Minca, and the fare was only 50,000 COP (approximately $11USD) for the both of us. A collective bus would have been cheaper at approximately 9000 COP each (or approx $4.5USD for both of us), but the cab ride was ultimately only about $5USD more, and it was much more comfortable – so we went with the more comfortable option.
Regular taxis will not normally be able to get up the gravel roads into the various ranches surrounding Minca. A motorbike ride from the bus station in town up to the ranch areas costs approximately 50,000 COP (approximately $11USD). Or a private jeep will cost 160,000 COP (approximately $36). Helpful hint: you can have one person ride the motorbike up to the property with all your luggage, and the other can hike the 2KM gravel trail up and save some money – as I am not a fan of motorbikes, this solution worked very well for Jens and I.
Many accommodations based out of the Fincas (ranches) on the outskirts of Minca will have complete dining options for their guests. In town, the Lazy Cat is a well-reviewed and popular option and also serves beer from the local craft brewery Nevada Brewing. Duni Cafe is a popular and well-reviewed vegetarian restaurant.
Trip Costs for 3 days and 2 nights in Minca, Colombia (for 2 people):
Accommodations: $72USD
Transportation: $13.75USD
Food and Dining: $96USD
Tours and Excursions: $25 USD
Total: $206.75USD (for two people) / $103.38USD (per person)
Final thoughts on Minca, Colombia:
Located in the hills between the hustle and bustle of cities like Santa Marta, and Cartagena, Minca is a wonderful stop to slow down, and really take in the natural beauty of the highlands of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Staying on a coffee ranch, or a unique property in the jungle will allow you to feel and live all dimensions of this magical area of Colombia.
