I left to Minca on a Tuesday morning. By that time, I already knew where to hop on a bus from Santa Marta and began to appreciate the short walk from my hostel through the busy streets near Mercado Público.

I also got used to the looks and calls from the men chilling in front of the stores and restaurants.

When you’re a female traveler who, at least by her appearance, cannot be easily mistaken for a local woman, you soon learn the drill: walk confidently, smile back, say hello, and simply accept that men you will pass in the streets might call you beautiful, whistle in your direction, or ask if you need a ride. Make sure you know your way - and just keep on walking.

The buses that take you to Minca are small and more often than not get filled up with tourists and locals alike until the very last seat is taken.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be put in a newer bus that is slightly more comfortable and has more space for your legs. If you’re even luckier, you’ll get a seat by the window to catch a nice (and very welcomed!) breeze in your face as the bus is making through the morning traffic in Santa Marta before catching the curvy road to Minca.

In the middle of the rainy season, the Colombia’s Caribbean Coast gets extremely humid and hot: if you’ll be heading there around the same time as me (in October), get ready to be all sweaty and sticky (all the time)! Even if you would be able to take a shower, say every 30 min, believe me, it wouldn’t make much difference!

However, due to its altitude and lush, Minca does feel a bit cooler. Therefore, it’s a nice place to escape the dense heat and humidity that hits Santa Marta on the coastline, even if it’s only for a day trip.

It takes only 30 min and up to an hour to get to Minca, depending on the traffic. Many travellers decide to stay in Minca for a few days, as there are a lot of hiking routes that you can do in the area. I opted for one day only, since I was going to do The Lost City Trek the following day. But if you have more time, I would definitely recommend that you spend a night or two in Minca and make the most of it.

Minca is a little village surrounded by the gorgeous mountains of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, with countless rivers, streams and waterfalls. It is also a place known for its coffee and cacao production.

There are various coffee farms, many turned into ecolodges with pools, offering tours to coffee lovers who are interested to learn more about how their favorite beans are being grown. (Disclaimer: I haven’t visited one while I was in Minca, since I wanted to have a more relaxing and free-of-obligations day. But you can find them pretty much everywhere.)

Things to do in Minca (if you're there only for a day)

Taste the delicious, locally-grown coffee (or cacao)

If you’re interested in visiting one of the coffee farms, know that most of them are located in the mountains. This means that unless you have booked a tour (the most convenient option), you will need either hike up or take a moto-taxi. However, there are a plenty of great coffee shops in the village where you can get a taste of the locally grown coffee and various shops to buy some for your trip home.

Besides coffee, you might also want to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Skip your afternoon snack and get ready for an explosion of nice cacao aroma, mixed with lots of sugar! (Though, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed at how watery it was and have had much better hot chocolate elsewhere.)

Have a dip at Marinka Waterfalls

Marinka Waterfalls are located about an hour of slow walking from the Minca town. It is possible to get there by moto-taxi, but I would strongly recommend you to walk instead as the nature is just beautiful. The road can get quite muddy, and at some point, you might need to take off your shoes in order to cross the tiny rivers. But that only adds to the fun and adventure.

There is a fee of 10,000 COP, which you will have to pay at the entrance in order to get to the waterfalls. I found the price quite reasonable, since the place is pretty neat and clean, with changing rooms and toilets with the prettiest views of the main waterfall (there are three in total!).

Just don’t forget to bring your swimming suit. Nothing feels nicer that jumping into refreshing water to cool down your heated body. It will keep you chill for at least 30 min (before you get all sweaty and sticky again from hiking back to the town)!

Have another dip at Peño Azul

Another great spot to freshen up and wash away the sweat is Peño Azul. In my view, it is not as pretty as Marinka waterfalls, but the walk there is more interesting as you get more views of the mountains.

There is no entrance free, but it is semi-commercial, too, with a couple of food stands and a small restaurant (if you dare to cross the river!) where you can buy some snacks and bebidas.

It takes about 45 min to get there from Minca, each way. If you’re unsure which road to take, just ask around, everybody is extremely nice and helpful!

How to get to Minca from Santa Marta

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Minca is to jump on a public bus. The one-way ticket costs 9,000 COP (October 2022) and the bus leaves every 30 min or so.

If you already know that you will be taking a bus back, the easiest would be to buy a return ticket (but make sure to make a photo of your ticket in case it gets lost. The guys selling the ticket will probably remind you to do so, too.).

Just go to the intersection of Carrera 9 and Carerra 12 and look for the Cootransminca sign opposite the Mercado Público de Santa Marta. The drivers and staff working for the company are very kind.

Also, if you want to be dropped somewhere else on the way to Minca, just inform the driver and he will stop the bus for you.

Getting around Minca

Minca is very small, so the best way to explore the town and its surroundings is by foot.

There are plenty of moto-taxis (and random guys who would be willing to take you to one place to another for a small contribution), too, if you get tired of walking or would prefer to take it easy in the heat. In fact, you will most probably hear a lot of “Hola, amiga/amigo. Taxi?” from all the different directions as you’re walking around.

There are basically only two main roads: one is leading to Marinka and other other one to Peno Azul. In case you do happen to get lost or are unsure which turn to take, just ask around. Everybody is super kind and helpful!

The atmosphere in Minca

I loved the atmosphere in Minca. It is very relaxed and laid back, and it generally feels much more friendly and safer than Santa Marta.

You will mostly see backpackers here, but occasionally you might also run into families with small kids, as it is a perfect place for a family trip to the nature. If I ever have children of my own, I would definitely love to come back one day and do more activities in the area!