Go across the Colombian Andes Central Mountain Rage. Enjoy the hot spring, the Andean forest, wetlands and the beautiful moorlands.
Los Nevados National Park is located on the central mountain range of the Colombian Andes and has an extension of 61,200 hectares, a maximum altitude of 5,321 meters (Nevado del Ruiz summit), and a minimum altitude of 2,600 meters at the Andean forests. The park is located between Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Tolima departments. Its wide geography features three volcanoes (Ruiz, Santa Isabel and Tolima), large paramo areas (alpine moorland), forests, lakes and rivers where many species of animals and plants live; some of theme endangered species.
This excursion is a magic four-day trek that starts at the Cocora Valley, crosses cloud forests, climbs up to the paramo (alpine moorland), skirts the Nevado del Tolima volcano, reaches De Cañon hot springs, and finishes crossing the mountain range until reaching the city of Ibague.
The trip starts in the beautiful and picturesque town of Silent, Quindío, in the coffee region. After breakfast, we will meet at the main square where a traditional Willys Jeep will take us to the beautiful Cocora Valley, 12 Km from Salento. Once at the valley, we will leave the luggage for the mules to carry it to our destination.
During the beautiful ascent we will go across creeks and cloud forests that will finally turn into paramo, a very special ecosystem that only exist in five countries. Once in the paramo we will find a place known as La Primavera, located 3.700 meters, there, we will have dinner and stay overnight at a typical peasant house with a stunning view of Nevado del Tolima.
Duration: 7 – 10 hours (18 Km)
Altitude gain: 1.700 meters
Altitude loss: 400 meters
Initial altitude: 2.400 meters
Maximum altitude: 4.000 meters
Final altitude: 3.700 meters
After breakfast and loading our bags on the mules, we will take on a beautiful walk through the paramo, in which we will be going around of Nevado del Tolima. The path will take us to El Encanto lake, El Placer valley and many creeks until reaching the inspiring Cañón hot springs. We will camp there and will have the chance to bath in the warm waters that come down from the volcano, while enjoying a magnificent view of Los Nevados National Park.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours (16 Km)
Altitude gain: 400 meters
Altitude loss: 300 meters
Initial altitude: 3.700 meters
Maximum altitude: 4.000 meters
Final altitude: 3.900 meters
After a pleasant night by the hot springs and a last bath in the morning, we will start our trekking to reach El Salto School (3.200 meters) where we will be able to enjoy the view over the mountains and share a local dinner with the two families that inhabit the place. We will spend the night there in shared rooms.
Duration: 4 – 5 hours (11 Km)
Altitude gain: 90 meters
Altitude loss: 800 meters
Initial Altitude: 3.950 meters
Maximum altitude: 4.030 meters
Final altitude: 3.200 meters
On our last day in the mountains, we will take the descending path towards Ibagué. Walking through colonial pathways, we will cross the beautiful cloud forest until the village of Juntas. Once there, we will take a bus to the city of Ibagué. At Ibagué we will have the option to take bus or plane to our city of departure.
Duration: 6 – 7 hours (13 Km)
Altitude gain: 400 meters
Altitude los: 1.500 meters
Initial altitude: 3.200 meters
Maximum altitude: 3.600 meters
Final altitude: 1.900 meters
+ Professional guide authorized by the National Park.
+ Medical insurance.
+ Camping equipment: portable stove, tend, plates, cups, cutlery, etc.
+ Mules to carry our luggage.
+ Full meals in the mountain: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
+ Snacks kit for every hike.
+ Land transport: Salento – Cocora Valley and Juntas – Ibagué.
+ Accommodation: two nights in peasant’s houses and one night camping.
+ Entrance permits to Los Nevados National Park.
+ All the activities described in the itinerary.
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+ Sleeping bag
+ Insulating mat
+ Meals in Salento and Ibagué.
+ Not specified expenses.
A journey through different and amazing landscapes. We departed from Cocora Valley to go across the paramo, skirt the Nevado, visit the hot springs and finally, arrive to Ibagué. The hot springs are a reward to the great effort they are really comforting. The group I went with was very nice and the guide was excellent.
Thanks SAWA for this trip.
Cristian Mena
It was a very beautiful trip. I enjoyed very much every little piece of vegetation in the paramos, I enjoyed every flower…the amazing mountains, the sunsets, the hot springs…the cold hit me very hard as well as the hikes…but all was worth, it is a wonderful place.
Thank you very much.
Olga Sierra
It is the fifth time I visit Los Nevados National Park and think keep going many times. This tour is very nice because of the variety of landscapes; also, the hot springs give the tour a special charm. Everything was very well planed and the guidance was perfect.
I hope to keep traveling with you. Thanks SAWA!
Juan Andrés Jiménez
