“The Earth has its music for those who listen close enough.”
If you were to ask me to describe to you a paradise whose beauty is so strong it makes your heart hurt, to describe a place where serenity meets mystic fog, where coffee is born and brewed, and where the river runs so swiftly you forget what city noise sounds like…Valle de Cocora would be it. Located in La Zona Cafetera just 15 minutes outside of Salento, Valle de Cocora is home to the skinniest and tallest palm trees in the world.
You can choose to hike or ride a horse through the valley and there are several trails that can last anywhere up to 7 hours long. We chose to hike on a misty cloudy day in May through muddy trails and derelict bridge crossings.
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We stayed at Mocambo Hostel, located just ten minutes from Salento down a windy road into the valley. We had a rental car, but it was still a very bumpy, muddy, rocky dirt road leading up to the secluded property, which was far away from any other civilization. The majority of people who stay here are backpackers and hike in from Salento using a steep trail that starts right in the backyard of the property, which sits on several hectares of land with free-roaming cows, chickens, horses, dogs, cats and butterflies. We were the only people staying in the entire hostel on the first night, so it was extra quiet. We were later joined by other travelers from Germany and Bellingham, WA (what a small world since we lived in Seattle!) Here are some photos of the property:

Our hostel in Salento, Colombia

Our room, #7.

Nightly bonfires are held in the tee-pee every night; just ask a staff to light the fire for you!

The shared area at reception.
I booked Mocambo Hostel based on reading plenty of outstanding reviews on Hostel World, Airbnb and Trip Advisor. I saw another reviewer write “it will break your heart to leave this place” and she was absolutely correct. Sasha and I spent three weeks in Colombia and two weeks in Ecuador in some pretty rad places, and this was by far, our favorite accommodation.
Mocambo Hostel Highlights
– Breakfast is included! Most mornings we had leftovers from dinner the night before, so we just gave the cook our leftovers and she made us an omelette or scramble using fresh eggs
– Hammocks – there are three; one near the main reception area and two by the pool
– Natural pool (expect it to be brown and murky because it comes from mountain spring water and is therefore cold but refreshing on a warm day)
– The pool is by a lovely cabana further away from the main areas and feels more secluded. This was our favorite place to read a book and take a mid-day nap after eating a giant Mexican burrito or Holy Guacamole Burger at Brunch Diner in Salento
– There are dogs, cats, butterflies, cows and horses roaming freely on or around the property
– The sounds of nature are so calming
And for the biggest highlight….EDDIE THE HOSTEL DOG!!! Eddie is an adorable black and white pup who will absolutely lick you to death and love you immediately (he doesn’t pick and choose favorites, he just loves everyone.)
Eddie would cuddle up next to me with his head on my lap every evening while the crickets chirped and rain pitter-pattered on the tin roof. Eddie would greet us every time we came home as if he hadn’t seen us in a week, tail wagging, smile on his face, and paws up on our thighs…he was a super good hugger.
One day we hiked up the trail to go to Ocaso Finca for a coffee tour. Eddie led us the entire way up the hiking trail to the main dirt road. I thought he would turn around and come back at the end of the hike, but he led us the entire 3 kilometers to the front doorstep of the coffee farm past aggressive dogs guarding their territory trying to chase him away.
Eddie patiently waited the 1.5 hours curled up by the entrance while we did our tour. When it was clear that we were finished with our tour and headed back to the hostel, Eddie excitedly jumped up and walked back with us the entire way, running ahead and then waiting for us to catch up. I secretly tried to figure out how I could smuggle him home with us (joking)…but not really joking.
Dogs are viewed differently in South America because strays are so prevalent. Dogs hump each other all the time and make inadvertent baby dogs, and kids find the puppies in the street, take them home and beg their parents to keep them. The parents agree until the dog gets older (and not as cute), then they get fed up with having to feed the dog because they can barely afford to feed their human families first. So the dogs end up out on the street, skinny and starving. It breaks my heart but I have to remember that it’s the way of life there.
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9 Comments
HaiHui Story
May 20, 2017 at 8:24 amGreat adventures, guys! Good luck with your European adventure! ๐ Cheers!
LAURA PINA
May 24, 2017 at 5:18 pmLisa, what a wonderful blog! Great pictures, great descriptions; makes me feel like I’ve been there with you. Good luck on your continued adventure.
contoursofatravelersmap
May 24, 2017 at 11:21 pmHi Laura! How wonderful to hear from you! Thanks for saying hello and for reading! I hope you’re doing well and enjoying the Seattle summer sunshine! ๐
LAURA PINA
May 26, 2017 at 12:20 amThe weather has been beautiful as of late, so yes, getting some much needed vitamin D. I look forward to your next chapter in this wonderful adventure you’re having. I’m really, honestly enjoying all your posting ๐
contoursofatravelersmap
May 26, 2017 at 9:34 amThat’s wonderful! Thanks Laura, London will be posted next. ๐
Andrew Schmidt
June 6, 2017 at 1:20 pmWe are currently eating breakfast at Brunch in Salento and saw your note on the wall. We also quit our corporate Seattle jobs to travel! We also lived near Denver for a bunch of years. We’re only going for 14 months though and we have 3 months left. Hope your travels go well! Your blog looks great ๐
contoursofatravelersmap
June 6, 2017 at 7:07 pmHi Andrew! This is almost an eery coincidence, especially since we have the same last name! ๐ Glad you found the Brunch Diner gem, we must have eaten there four times! lol and they had just re-painted the wall so we got to be the first ones to write on it! It’s probably well filled already. Enjoy Salento and the rest of Colombia! 14 months is a very long time, good on you guys! Cheers and Aloha.
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