Carbonera Hike Tour Salento: Wax Palms Forest

The wax palms here grow taller than anywhere else on earth.

The Carbonera and Tochecito hike from Salento is a guided tour through a forest of more than 600,000 wax palms, Colombia's national tree, with private transportation, entrance fee and a live guide included. The route passes through indigenous terraces and reveals the landscape's history across seven to eight hours. Children from age 14 can join. The guide speaks English or Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore wax palm paradise and nature

• Visit Carbonera / Tochecito wax palm forest
• Observe over 600,000 wax palms
• Explore exuberant forest and indigenous terraces
• Enjoy breathtaking landscapes and wildlife
• Experience silence and stillness of the place

The experience

The wax palms dominate the landscape here in a way that changes how you move through the forest. You start with private transportation from Salento to the trailhead, then hike into terrain where the palms tower overhead and the understory opens into exuberant growth. The guide walks with you through this density, pointing out the wildlife and the indigenous agricultural terraces built into the slopes: evidence of how people have shaped this place over generations. The silence of the forest is part of what the operator emphasizes: it is not a crowded site, and the stillness itself is something to notice.

The hike covers seven to eight hours total, which includes the transportation, the walk itself and time to absorb the scale of what you are standing in. Your entrance fee is included in the booking, as is the guide's commentary in English or Spanish. The insurance card comes with the tour. What you bring and what you need to know about the terrain (the elevation, the footing, the weather) matter here, and the guide will set expectations as you go. This is not a casual stroll: the forest is real terrain, and the operator notes that the hike is not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or cardiovascular concerns, though it is open to all fitness levels otherwise.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Salento to the trailhead and back.
• entrance fee to the forest.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• insurance card.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mystical Tours Colombia

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so choose the language you are comfortable following for seven to eight hours of walking and listening. If you speak one fluently and the other not at all, pick the one that lets you absorb the guide's commentary without strain.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years). Children under 14 can't be included in the booking.

How many wax palms will I actually see on the Carbonera hike?

The forest holds more than 600,000 wax palms, the largest concentration of Colombia's national tree. You will walk through this density for the duration of the hike, so the scale of the forest itself is the main sight.

What is included in the tour price from Salento?

Private transportation to and from the trailhead, your entrance fee to the forest, the guide, and an insurance card are all included. Lunch is not part of the booking.

What makes the Carbonera forest different from other hikes in the region?

Carbonera and Tochecito are home to the wax palm in its natural state: more than 600,000 of them in one place. The forest also contains indigenous terraces and reveals the history of the landscape through its structure and the guide's commentary.