The Cocora Valley near Salento is famous for its wax palms which are the tallest palms on the planet and the national tree of Colombia. However, the best wax palms in Colombia aren’t in the Cocora Valley. They exist one valley over above the town of Salento. Here you’ll find much larger, denser groups of palms than you’ll ever see in the famous Cocora Valley, guaranteed. We visited the area twice and here are our favorite photos of these amazing stands of wax palms. Don’t miss details about how to get to these palms and our drone footage at the end of the post for a birds-eye-view of these awesome palms.
The best wax palms in Colombia
Karen on the way up to see the wax palms near Finca La Carbonera above Salento.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
You are not going to see wax palms in dense stands like this in the Cocora Valley.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
This is Finca La Carbonera.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
The best wax palms in Colombia are not in the Cocora Valley but above Salento near a farm called La Carbonera where the palms grow taller and denser.
If you’re lucky your Jeep taxi driver may find and catch a wild armadillo along the way too.
Get a birds-eye-view of these amazing trees in our drone travel footage, below, taken over the wax palms near La Carbonera above Salento, Colombia.
Getting to the best wax palms in Colombia
Hire a Jeep taxi in the square in Salento for the three hour round trip drive up above Salento along a dirt road toward a farm called La Carbonera and back down again (150,000 COP or about US$50 round trip for the whole jeep which will seat five people in addition to the driver, allow four to five hours for the full excursion).
Here’s more about travel in Colombia
See all of our Photo Essays
Getting a personalized tour of that area must have been incredible … can’t wait to see the drone footage!