From Santa Marta, Arman and I took a taxi, more or less straight up into the Santa Marta Mountains, to the tiny village of Minca. The ride is about an hour and the taxi driver was hilarious. He would alternate between singing along with religious hymns on the radio to honking and screaming at drivers.
Minca itself is not much of a draw, but it is the focal point for many lodges scattered around the area. This area is a birding mecca and Minca is the gateway to "Reserva Natural El Dorado" (El Dorado Nature Reserve) which is one of the premier birding spots in Colombia.
We stayed at Finca San Rafael. The road from Minca to the finca was impossible to drive for a taxi. We ignored the kids on the edge of town when they told us we should hire a horse and guide to get to the lodge and we walked. The walk was indescribable in that it was an uphill battle with luggage. It took us at least an hour and a half to get there and we were absolutely worn out by the time we made it. We stopped many times along the way. The views and even the birding was great. Check the next post to see how we got our luggage back down to Minca when it was time to leave.
The lodge is great. It is a working coffee plantation. Several trails and a stream cross through the property and the birding is excellent. A good breakfast is included and dinner is also available with a variety of options at a reasonable price. The lodge staff regularly lead tours through the coffee plantation.
Photos:
View from the window in my room
Arman busting a move up one of the trails on the property
A couple of sunset shots from the same window
Refreshing with a local Colombia beer after a hard day of birding.
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