Minca
Minca is a small town near Santa Marta that has recently started gaining popularity with tourists. Most hostels in and around Minca are new and offer great accommodations!
The mountains surrounding Minca are filled with coffee plantations, some of the largest in Colombia. It’s a fantastic place for coffee tours, hiking, and swimming in natural pools and waterfalls.
From Santa Marta, you can reach Minca by a bus (collectivo) or a moto taxi, which takes less than 45 minutes. You can find the collectivo at the corner of Carrera 9 and Calle 12, right next to the Mercado Público in the city center.
While Santa Marta can be quite hot, Minca enjoys cooler temperatures at night due to its elevation and nearby forests. Be sure to bring warm clothes and mosquito spray!
Where to stay
One of the most popular hostels in Minca is Casa Vieja. This hostel is located between the walls of a private coffee farm, Finca La Victoria. The farm was founded in 1892, 500-hectares and 30 minutes above Minca. If you want to go here, be sure to book this place in advance, it does sell out.
The gates of the farm are open from 6 am until 7 pm, so make sure to arrive there in time.
The hostel has a lot to offer. There is a hike to a sunrise and a sunset spot, a lot of different outdoor seating / chilling options and of course the infinity pool with a view on the mountains.
For breakfast, lunch and dinner, you just sign up and they will serve your food at the table. There are also a lot of activities at night, like quizzes, salsa classes and boardgames.
This place is perfect to relax and escape the busy and hot Cartagena or Santa Marta for a couple of days.
By the way: the showers and toilets have the best view in the world!