The wax palm of Quindío is the tallest palm tree in the world, and in the Cocora Valley it stands like a forest of green-topped poles, some of them sixty metres high, rising out of steep pasture in a thin mist. It is Colombia's national tree, and seeing hundreds of them on the slopes above a cloud forest is as strange as it sounds. Cattle graze below, small streams cut through the grass, and above the palms the dark forest climbs into the high country of Los Nevados National Park. The air is cool and damp, even when the lowlands are warm.
The valley is reached from Salento, a pretty village of bright colonial houses with balconies in primary colours, at the heart of Colombia's Coffee Triangle. The ride from there is short but lively. The road drops and winds through farmland, with sharp bends, steep sections and a surface that varies from decent tarmac to rough patches, particularly after rain. Willys jeeps, the old workhorses of the coffee region, carry passengers back and forth, loaded with people standing on the rear bumper, and are a central part of the local culture. Give them space.
The palms have a troubled history. For years they were cut for Palm Sunday fronds and for building material, and their numbers declined sharply, until protection measures were introduced in the late twentieth century. They are slow to grow, taking decades to reach full height, and their survival depends on keeping cattle from trampling seedlings. The valley is also home to dozens of hummingbird species, which you can watch at feeders at small farms along the walking trails.
For practical needs, Salento has a few services but limited fuel, so for petrol you are better off in Circasia, about sixteen kilometres away, or Armenia, the regional capital. In the village you can find trout, often fried and served with patacones, and coffee grown on nearby farms and roasted locally, which is some of the best you will drink.
Come early in the morning, when the mist drifts across the palms and the light is soft. By afternoon, cloud and rain often roll in, turning the slopes slippery. Check the weather before you ride and carry waterproofs.