Frailejon Trek

2 days / 1 night

Distance: 29km (17.4miles)
Level of difficulty: Athletic / Intermediate
Minimum altitude: 2,400m
Maximum altitude: 4,400m

Valle de Cocora to Finca La Argentina

Length: 9km
Alt. start: 2,400m
Alt. end: 3,500m
Departure: 8am
ETA: 4pm
Lunch: El Bosque

We meet at Salento Trekking office at 8:00 am to be ready to leave by 8:30 am and hop on a Willys Jeep for the 12km drive to Valle de Cocora where our Trek starts. Valle de Cocora is a natural cloud forest and home of the Colombian national tree Palma de Cera. This giant wax palm tree, the tallest in the world growing up to 65 meters, was near extinction but regained life after the Colombian government designated it a protected area in 1985.

In Cocora, after about a kilometer of easy hiking taking in the beautiful view of the valley, we cross the Rio Quindío for the first time, enter the Bosque de Palmas forest and start hiking in the jungle. This is also the entrance into the Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados created on April 30, 1974.

We will cross the Rio Quindío twice before our destination. The forest is home to 250 species of birds including hummingbird, yellow-eared parrot, Blue-crowned motmot and Andean condor to name a few. The trail heads up quickly and we climb for the next 2.8km (about 3 hours), crossing the Bosque de Niebla and passing by an indigenous cemetery.

After about an hour (2.5km) of hiking, we will take a lunch break (altitude 2,900m). After lunch, we head out for the 3.5km (2.5/3 hours) hike that takes us to our final destination Finca La Argentina. The trail will ease up a bit and cross a prairie where sometimes raccoons can be seen walking around. The last 600 meters to Finca La Argentina will get a bit steeper again and take about 30 to 45 minutes. Dinner at Finca La Argentina.

In case of weather change, the guide determines the safest path

Finca La Argentina to chispas top to Cocora

Length: 18km
Alt. start: 3,500m
Alt. end: 2,600m
Highest point: 4,400m
Breakfast: 6:30am
Departure: 8:00am
Lunch: Finca La Argentina
ETA: 4pm

We head out toward Finca Bueno Aires, on a kilometer steep uphill section. After another kilometer, we reach a point where we can see the Paramillo del Quindío, one of the highest mountains in the Nevados National Park. Sitting at 4,700m, it does not have snow anymore but is as majestic as always.

We continue toward Finca Bueno Aires and hike up to La Cuchilla (4,200m). From there, it is a 2km reach to the point view. the Valle of Romerales with its distinctive tree called frailejon (from the sunflower family), that grows only at high altitude in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador you can see Nevado del Tolima, one of the three highest snow-capped volcanoes of the National Park at 5,276m.

In case of weather change, the guide determines the safest path.