Quebrada Valencia
A stepped stream in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Buritaca, walked up through jungle to a series of pools.
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The stream comes off the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and drops through a series of falls and pools in the last few kilometres before the coast, and a path follows it up from the main road - about a kilometre and a half of jungle walking with several stream crossings, gaining height gradually. Three main pools are usually visited, with the upper one below a fall of some fifteen metres, and swimming is what people come for after the humid walk. The forest is lowland tropical with howler monkeys sometimes heard. It sits between Tayrona and Palomino on the coastal road and is often done as a stop between them. Flash rises after rain upstream are a genuine hazard and the site closes for them.
What you actually see
- A stepped stream - falls and pools down from the sierra.
- A jungle walk of about 1.5 km - with stream crossings.
- Three main pools - the upper one below a fifteen-metre fall.
- Lowland tropical forest - with howler monkeys sometimes audible.
When to go
December to April. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Flash rises after upstream rain are dangerous and have caught people out. The path is muddy and slippery. It is hot and humid. Entry is charged and the site can be crowded at weekends.
Nearby
Tayrona is west; Palomino is east.
What to pack for Quebrada Valencia
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
