Visiting Finca La Victoria: The Best Coffee Tour in Minca
Minca was Sara and I’s final stop on our two month tour around Colombia. It’s a small village nestled within the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains not too far from Cartagena. Despite being so small, there are tons of things to do in Minca, including taking a coffee tour at Finca La Victoria.
Colombia is well known for its coffee exports and there are a number of coffee hacienda’s throughout the country. Minca is no different and boasts a number of coffee farms in the area to visit.
After much research and many recommendations, we decided to head to Finca La Victoria to learn about the coffee making process. Let us tell you, we were not disappointed!
This blog article will cover how to get to Minca and Finca La Victoria, the prices you can expect to pay, the details of the tour and much more!
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Getting from Santa Marta to Minca
To get to Finca La Victoria, you first need to make your way to the village of Minca. But don’t worry, it’s super easy to get to from Santa Marta!
You have three options available to you; take the public bus, ride in a taxi or hire a car privately. Personally, we decided to go down the route of hailing a taxi. The car journey is only 45-minutes and costs us only 45,000 COP ($11.51) one-way.
We considered getting the bus to save money but we left at 7am and couldn’t be bothered faffing around trying to find it in town! We did, however, catch the bus back from Minca to Santa Marta for 9000 COP ($2.26).
If you want to know more details, we published an entire guide on how to get from Santa Marta to Minca!
Getting from Minca to Finca La Victoria
When we arrived in Minca, we quickly realised that the fastest way to get around was by moto taxi. A lot of the roads that branch off from the main road are not suitable for cars, so it’s either the bikes, a 4×4 or hiking.
We personally opted for the moto taxis to take us to Finca La Victoria. They’re big dirty bikes and the journey took just over 10-minutes and we paid 15,000 COP ($3.84) each.
One thing we noticed was that, because it was the rainy season, there had been some landslides and flooding along the entry road to Finca La Victoria. Because of the debris, even 4×4 cars were struggling to reach the coffee farm. So we really suggest taking the moto taxi!
Alternatively, you can hike! It’s a simple trek that heads along the main road west out of the village. It’s roughly about a two hour walk at a steady pace and is completely uphill. You’ll pass some other attractions along the way – which we’ll talk about later!
How much is the Finca La Victoria coffee tour?
We weren’t sure how much the tour at Finca La Victoria was until we arrived. Crossing our fingers and hoping it wasn’t going to break the budget, we sighed with relief as the lady called out the window that it was 25,000 COP ($6.40) each – not too bad!
There’s also a cafe on site as well. If you end up at Finca La Victoria a while before the next tour begins, like we did, you can settle in the cafe, grab a bite to eat and test the coffee before the tour! Finca La Victoria is open from 9am-5pm daily.
What to expect on the Finca La Victoria coffee tour
The tour at Finca La Victoria takes you through an in-depth look at every step of the coffee production process. Our guide was a very animated man and was incredibly enthusiastic as he took us around the plantation.
The tour begins just outside the production plant in the fields as the guide informs us of how the coffee plants are planted, cultivated and finally picked. Then, step by step, we learnt how the coffee beans were sorted, cleaned, processed, roasted, bagged and shipped.
The tour lasts about an hour, maybe longer if it’s not raining like it was when we visited. After learning about all the machinery, at the end of the tour you’ll be guided back to the cafe and shop where you’ll be offered a cup of coffee to try. Sara drank both of ours as I hate coffee – ironic right!
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Things to do nearby Finca La Victoria
There are a plethora of activities to do in Minca, but for the sake of this article we’re just going to cover those that are nearby to Finca La Victoria.
All of the following activities you can find either on the hike up to Finca La Victoria, or if you opted for the moto taxi, then on the way back down to Minca!
Nevada Cerveceria
This is a great option for before or after your tour at Finca La Victoria, as you don’t even need to leave the grounds. Nevada Cerveceria is a brewery located right next to the coffee plantation.
You can’t actually go inside for a drink, but you can buy their artisanal craft beers in the Finca La Victoria cafe. After arriving too early for our tour, we decided to have a bit of a beer tasting while we waited. We tried the Pilsner, IPA and a special coffee flavoured beer that’s an award winner in the US!
We can safely confirm that all of the beers were indeed delicious!
Pozo Azul
Pozo Azul is one of the most popular things to do in Minca, and for that reason we suggest showing up early! It’s a waterfall and swimming hole situated about halfway between Minca and Finca La Victoria.
With beautiful scenery and refreshing mountain water, we fully recommend visiting Pozo Azul for a dip in the water. Just bear in mind that the tour groups from Santa Marta start arriving at 9am. We visited Pozo Azul at 8am and had the place to ourselves!
Pozo Azul was free for us to visit when we arrived, but we think that there’ll be a small fee if you turn up later in the day!
Cascada Escondida
Cascada Escondida translates to ‘hidden waterfall’ and it really lives up to its name! The trailhead down to Cascada Escondida is pretty difficult to find.
Along the main road from Minca to Finca La Victoria, you’ll find it between Hostal Montes de Beraka and Jugos y panadería Del Bosque. On google maps, it’s pinned at Cascada Perdida for some reason…
When we reached the river, we couldn’t find the actual waterfall and unfortunately we were running out of time to be able to look for it. However, we watched a group of girls head left when they reached the river, so we assume that it’s that direction!
I still enjoyed a nice dip in the river though before we trekked back up to the main road!
Where to stay in Minca
Finally, if you’re heading to Minca, we have a few recommendations on where to stay based on our own experience:
Hostal Sierra Minca – we loved our stay here! At 1600m above sea level in the mountain range, this hostel offers both dorm and private rooms, three meals a day, a cheap bar and a pool and hammocks with a view all the way back to Santa Marta.
Hotel Minca Express Relax – the accommodation we chose in the centre of Minca, this was by far the best budget option! At just $17/night for a double room, we were very content and we couldn’t argue with the location!
Masaya Casas Viejas – for a more boutique stay in the mountains, Masaya Casas Viejas offers an infinity pool, massages and views of a lifetime. It’s 30-minutes outside of Minca though so only book this hotel if you’re looking for a jungle retreat with hiking, waterfalls and more!
Mini Cabaña TANOA – for a more unique stay, booking a night or two in these beautiful forest cabañas. Only a 15-minute walk outside of Minca and near Pozo Azul, it’s a great compromise between being close to town and in the middle of nature.
Check out our other Minca guides!
- 19 Epic Things to do in Minca: A Complete Guide!
- Cascada Escondida: a guide to Minca’s hidden waterfall
- Los Pinos Minca – A complete guide to the hike and more!
- Cascada Oído del Mundo in Minca: A hidden waterfall!
- The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Pozo Azul in Minca, Colombia
- How to get from Santa Marta to Minca
- Marinka Waterfalls in Minca: The Ultimate Guide
- 29 Must-Do Things to do in Santa Marta: An Ultimate Guide
- Is Colombia safe to visit in 2024?
We hope you found this guide to Finca La Victoria useful! We always strive to provide the most up-to-date information we can. If you believe we offered incorrect information, please feel free to reach out to us and let us know!
