Cocora valley
Encyclopedia
The Cocora valley is a valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 in the department
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...

 of Quindío in the country of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

. It is located in the Central Cordillera of the Andean mountains. "Cocora" was the name of a Quimbayan
Quimbaya civilization
The Quimbaya civilization is a South American civilization, noted for spectacular gold work characterized by technical accuracy and detailed designs. The majority of the gold work is made in tumbaga alloy, with 30% copper, which imparts beautiful color tonalities to the pieces...

 princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime, and means "star of water" . The valley is part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park, incorporated into the existing national park by the Colombian government in 1985. It is the principal location of the national tree and symbol of Colombia, the Quindío wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense , is a palm native to the Andean high altitude valley of Cocora in the department of Quindío, northwest Colombia.-Description:...

), as well as a wide variety of other flora and fauna (some endangered), all of which are protected under the Park's national status. The valley and the nearby town of Salento
Salento, Quindío
Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2. It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km...

 are among the most popular tourist destinations in Colombia.

Location

The Cocora valley is the valley of the upper reaches of the Quindío River
Quindío River
Quindío River is the principal river of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It combines with the Barragán River at the Valle de Maravelez to form La Vieja River, in turn a tributary of the Cauca River.Quindío River has a length of 69 km...

, the principal river of the department of Quindío, located at an altitude between 1800 and 2400 meters. The valley is approximately 24 km north-east of the departmental capital Armenia
Armenia, Colombia
Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. The city is located at coordinates 4.5170° north, 75.6830° west, 290 kilometers west of Bogotá. Armenia is a mid-size city located between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, the 3 largest Colombian cities. The city's area code for phone calls is...

, and accessed via a turn-off from the Armenia-Pereira highway, running via Boquia to the town of Salento
Salento, Quindío
Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2. It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km...

. Vehicles (either private cars or jeep taxis from Salento) can then travel 11 km further on up into the valley as far as "Cocora", a collection of campsites and restaurants - other parts of the valley can only be accessed either by hiking on the numerous trails or on horseback.

The Cocora valley is part of a larger national park, the Los Nevados National Natural Park . The Park covers an area of 58,000 hectares (580 km2) in total, including the north-eastern part of Quindío.

History of the valley's protection

To prevent exploitation of the wax palm and the threat against the endemic species dependent on the palm, mainly due to the celebrations of Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....

, the government of Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur Cuartas is a Colombian statesman, who as a member of the Colombian Conservative Party was President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986.- Biographic data :...

 proposed the creation of a wildlife sanctuary and the preservation of the wax palm as the national symbol of Colombia. Law 61 of 1985 was ratified on 16 September 1985 with the following terms:
  • "1. The species with the scientific name ceroxylon quindiuense and commonly known as the wax palm is declared to be the national tree and symbol of Colombia."
  • "2. In strict accordance with the plans and development programmes the National Government is authorized carry out the corresponding financial transactions, to obtain loans, and to sign the necessary contracts, for the purpose of acquiring land in the Central Cordillera which is not owned by the nation, to create one or more national parks or wildlife sanctuaries with the purpose of preserving this national symbol and maintaining its natural environment."
  • "3. The felling of the wax palm tree is forbidden and punishable with a fine, which may be converted into arrest in the municipality where the infraction was committed, in accordance with the Decree-Law 2811 of 1974."
  • "4. This Law takes effect from the date of its sanction."

Climate

The Cocora valley is characterized by its temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

 weather, due to its altitude. The prevailing westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 are stopped by the Andean mountains, creating a humid environment favorable to the growth of cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...

 at higher altitudes: rain falls almost daily. Temperatures vary dramatically, even within one day. The average annual temperature is 15 °C, with a maximum of 25 °C and a minimum of -2 °C.

Flora and fauna

The valley is the location of the majority of the remaining populations of the wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense , is a palm native to the Andean high altitude valley of Cocora in the department of Quindío, northwest Colombia.-Description:...

). Other flora and fauna that may be found in the valley include:

Flora

  • pino romeron (Dissocarpus rospigliosi)
  • sietecueros (Tibouchina lepidota)
  • encenillo (Weinmannia tormentosa)
  • arnica
    Arnica
    Arnica is a genus with about 30 perennial, herbaceous species, belonging to the sunflower family . The genus name Arnica may be derived from the Greek arna, "lamb", in reference to the soft, hairy leaves....

  • frailejones
    Espeletia
    Espeletia, commonly known as Frailejón or Fraylejón is a genus of perennial subshrubs, in the family Asteraceae. The genus, which is endemic mainly to Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, was first formally described by botanist Alexander Von Humboldt in 1801...

     (espeletia)
  • puya
    Puya (genus)
    Puya is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Pitcairnioideae. These terrestrial plants are native to the Andes Mountains of South America and southern Central America...


Fauna

  • mountain tapir
    Mountain Tapir
    The Mountain Tapir or Woolly Tapir is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild...

     (Tapirus pinchaque)
  • spectacled bear
    Spectacled Bear
    The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...

     (Tremarctos ornatus)
  • puma (Puma concolor)
  • sloth
    Sloth
    Sloths are the six species of medium-sized mammals belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae , part of the order Pilosa and therefore related to armadillos and anteaters, which sport a similar set of specialized claws.They are arboreal residents of the jungles of Central and South...

    s
  • yellow-eared parrot
    Yellow-eared Parrot
    The Yellow-eared Parrot , is an endangered parrot of tropical America. It is found in the western Andes in Colombia and Ecuador and is closely associated to the wax palm Ceroxylon sp. which is itself endangered.-Range and habitat:The Yellow-eared Parrot nests and lives among wax palms in a few...

     (Ognorhynchus icterotis)
  • black-billed mountain-toucan
    Black-billed Mountain-toucan
    The Black-billed Mountain Toucan is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in humid highland forests in the Andes of western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and far northern Peru. It is the only mountain-toucan with a white throat. Despite its name, only the nominate subspecies has...

     (Andigena nigrirostris)
  • Andean guan
    Andean Guan
    The Andean Guan, Penelope montagnii, is a gamefowl species of the family Cracidae, in which it belongs to the guan subfamily Penelopinae...

     (Penelope montagnii)
  • Andean condor
    Andean Condor
    The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur...

     (Vultur gryphus)
  • hummingbird
    Hummingbird
    Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...

    s (Trochilidae)


3 km north-east of "Cocora" up a dirt track is the finca "La Montaña" where there is a nursery for the wax palm.

5 km east of "Cocora" along a trail that may be accessed on foot or on horseback is the Acaime Natural Reserve. The reserve contains 6 to 8 species of hummingbirds as well as other birds and wildlife, as well as a visitor center and restaurant.

Tourism

The Cocora valley is a very popular tourist destination in Colombia. The majority of visitors make day visits from Salento, or come for the extensive camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...

 and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 opportunities in the valley and the National Park. Other common activities are bird watching, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

, horse riding, rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...

, scenic flights, and swimming in the rivers. The local restaurants specialize in cooking locally-farmed freshwater trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...

 in several ways, mainly baked and served in a variety of sauces with patacones
Tostones
Tostones or patacones are a popular side dish in many Latin American countries. The dish is made from sliced green plantains cut either length-wise or width-wise and are twice fried...

(plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...

fritters).

External links

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