Travelling to Minca – Colombia’s New Tourism Hot Spot?

You wouldn’t know that the town of Minca existed were you a rag tag traveller intent on soaking up the homogeneity of beach resorts such as Taganga close to Santa Marta. The contrast couldn’t be starker, Colombian backpacker tourism is changing (something to be explored at a later date) and now this country so bereft for so long of international travellers has started appealing to a new generation of wanderers intent of soaking up a Thai-style full moon party vibe. This is no criticism as times change and businesses evolve, but should you wish to escape for a while I can suggest no better place than Minca in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just outside of Santa Marta.

Accessible by rickety collectivo taxis found in the market in Santa Marta or by motorcycle taxis the 17km journey takes close to 1 hour. The distance and the time ratio tells you all you need to know, it’s a twisty turny potholed mountain road. But, you know you are going places when you leave the dusty chaotic turnoff out of Santa Marta and start to climb.

At first you pass places dotted along the road designed for and aimed at Santa Marta tourism, huge speakers with the music and its ubiquitous distortion set to “Colombian” and restaurants offering sancocho de gallina criolla, bandeja paisa and pescado frito. Then the space between allotments grows as the fincas and second homes become more stately and imposing.

At the end of this road after the umpteenth curve is Minca, the entry to which is marked by a cute boho style coffee shop run by a Caleña (native of Cali) who arrived here some years ago via Bogota. Her lattes, frappes and brownies are the lore of traveller’s tales.

My suggestion is to come here midweek out of season and you’ll find the town to yourself and some birdwatchers. Don’t plan on doing anything apart from hiking up the hill to the newly opened Casa Loma Hostel for perhaps the best views from any hostel in Colombia, enjoying a home-cooked lunch and kicking back in one of their hammocks.

But if you feel you need to swing your limbs into action, hike the six hour round trip to Paso de Mango passing waterfalls where you can bathe, remnants of the pre-Columbian pathways and all the while entertained by the grand variety of endemic bird species found here. Or, wander into to town to the river at Las Piedras to swim in the icy snowmelt waters of the Sierra Nevada.

Minca in short offers a cooling break from the often stifling heat of Santa Marta. Most try and fit this in as a daytrip and then stay two or three days more. Paradise.