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Explore the Cocora valley

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See Colombia's national tree, the majestic wax palm, swathing the scenic slopes of the Zona Cafetera.

The slender trunks of the wax palm shoot up from the slopes of Colombia’s coffee-growing region, reaching a height of up to 60m. The sight of these spindly giants covering the rolling hills and fertile plains of the Cocora valley is one of the highlights of the area and an iconic image of Colombia.

From the tranquil Andean village of Salento, hike into the surrounding landscape to walk amongst these towering palms.

Holidays Explore the Cocora valley

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Horse-drawn carts in Cartagena, Colombia

Private Journeys

Colombia

Signature Colombia: Culture and coffee

15 days from £3,625pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

White car parked on a road in Colombia

Private Journeys

Colombia

Self-drive Colombia: Exploring the coffee region and beyond

12 days from £2,700pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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