Cocora

There are two good hiking trails in the upper Cocora Valley, the River Trail and the Mirador Trail. For day trips, both start at 2400m and run up to 2700m, although the trails continue all the way up to the high altitude paramo for overnight campers.

The Mirador Trail starts with a steep initial climb to the first lookout point (mirador), and then continues more gently along a wide rocky road to the second mirador. Because of the stunning views, the Mirador trail receives a lot of foot traffic, up until the second mirador. It is a great place to search for condors, toucans, guans, tanagers, and hummingbirds.

The River Trail runs along the headwaters of the Quindio river, on its way up to its source, Nevado Quindio. Although the initial section has some horse rider traffic, this disappears once the trail tightens and begins to climb more steeply. In general, this trail is less traveled than the Mirador Trail. The upper section of this trail is narrow with steep drop offs, offering incredible views of the wilderness and the river below. This trail is a great place to search for trogons, guans, and hummingbirds.

Expect to get your exercise on these trails, and for the River Trail, expect to get your shoes wet. For the most ambitious birders, we can carry our food in and picnic along the trails. For those who want to turn around mid-morning, there is an excellent restaurant down below the trailheads. The local area is well known for its trout.

The eBird hotspot lists 390 species in the area: Valle del Cocora Illustrated Checklist.