Horseback riding Cocora Valley: 30-min ride among wax palms

The wax palms tower over the trail, some reach tremendous heights, and you ride between them on horseback through cloud forest.

A private tour from Salento combines a 30-minute horseback ride through Cocora Valley's wax palm forest with a guided walk through the colonial coffee town, lunch, and round-trip transport. The valley sits inside Los Nevados National Natural Park, where the palms grow nowhere else on earth and the climate stays cool and misty year-round. Your guide speaks English or Spanish and travels with you the whole day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour Salento and Cocora Valley

• Pick up at accommodation
• Travel to Salento
• Walk through Salento streets and viewpoint
• Horseback ride in Cocora Valley
• Return to pick-up point

The experience

The day starts with a 40-minute drive from your accommodation to Salento, a small town built on steep terrain with colorful colonial houses and a main street locals call the royal street. You walk through it with your guide, then climb to the Salento viewpoint where the coffee region spreads below you: rows of green hills that slope toward the valley. Lunch happens in town before you head deeper into the mountains.

The Cocora Valley ride itself runs 30 minutes on horseback through native cloud forest, moving between the giant wax palms that define the landscape. The palms are the tallest trees in the world and grow only here. Their trunks stay bare and pale, their fronds cluster at the top. The air stays damp and cool, and the forest floor is soft. After the ride, you have time for guided walks through the valley if you want to explore on foot, though the horseback section is the core of the day.

The return journey takes up to 90 minutes by vehicle back to where you started. The whole day runs about five hours from pickup to drop-off. Your guide handles the route and the timing, and the operator arranges everything (transport, the horse, the meal), so you show up at your hotel ready to go.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your accommodation and back.
• a guide fluent in English and Spanish.
• lunch in Salento.
• a 30-minute horseback ride through the wax palm forest.
• guided access to Salento's colonial streets and viewpoint.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 37 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by serviexpress

Is this one for you?You ride the horse yourself for the 30 minutes in the valley, so you need at least a moderate level of fitness and some comfort in the saddle. This is not a lesson or a walk-alongside experience. The private format means your guide adjusts the pace and timing to your group, and the full day structure lets you see both the town and the forest without rushing between them.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the actual horseback riding in Cocora Valley?

The ride lasts 30 minutes and moves through the wax palm forest on marked trails. It is the centerpiece of the day but not the only activity. Guided walks through the valley happen before or after depending on the schedule your guide sets.

What is Salento like, and how much time do I spend there?

Salento is a colonial coffee town with steep streets, colorful buildings, and craft shops. You walk through the main street and climb to the viewpoint that overlooks the coffee region. The town visit happens before the valley ride and takes the first part of the morning.

What are the wax palms, and why do they only grow in Cocora Valley?

Wax palms are the world's tallest trees and grow naturally only in this valley and a few nearby cloud forests in Colombia's Andes. They can reach over 200 feet and stand with bare trunks and fronds clustered at the crown. The cool, misty climate of the valley at high altitude is what sustains them.

Is this tour private, or will I ride with other travelers?

This is a private tour, so your group travels alone with your guide. Transport, the guide, and the horseback ride are all arranged for your party only.

What does the price include, and what should I bring?

The price covers private transport from and to your accommodation, the bilingual guide for the full day, lunch in Salento, and the 30-minute horseback ride. Bring layers because the valley stays cool and damp. Wear closed-toe shoes suitable for riding and walking on uneven terrain.