What if we told you that there is a hidden gem in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where rest and relaxation go hand in hand? That you can listen to the running waterfalls all day and your alarm clock is a fresh breeze humming outside your big screen windows which overlook the mountains? Welcome to the Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro in Minca, Colombia!

Minca is a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Located only 15km away from Santa Marta, it has become a great spot for visitors to get away from the heat in Santa Marta. Minca has cooler temperatures, refreshing waterfalls, incredible biodiversity and delicious coffee and cacao farms. I mean… why would anyone want to miss out on this kind of spot?! We decided to visit Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro as we wanted to disconnect from the city and enjoy a few days in the mountain paradise.

Welcome To Your New Home

As soon as we walked in, we were received with open arms and a delicious natural juice. Our experience had already started on the right foot! Greys gave us some time to settle down before we did the check-in process. Being on the road for almost 2 years, we’ve had the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to accommodations. We are happy to say that Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro blew us away! No where have we ever experienced such genuine hospitality like we did at this place!

One of the first things we noticed when we arrived to Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro was the professionalism of the staff. After a couple of seconds, we felt right at home. Everyone greets you, introduces themselves and welcomes you with open arms. We felt as if we had arrived at a family members home. Greys, the manager of Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro gave us an in-depth tour of the place and explained everything about it. She answered all of our questions and gave us great recommendations to ensure we had a great stay. Speaking with Greys made us feel like we knew her for years. She is the type of person that can brighten up the room when she walks in. She is energetic, intelligent, charismatic, understands customer service inside and out and the big plus is that she is a joy to be around. Being around such friendly people really helps set the tone for your entire stay. The staff at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro are the definition of a team. They are always willing to help out with anything that will make your stay pleasant. Sit back, relax and enjoy the warm personalities at Reserva Natural.

The Bungalow

After we completed the checkin process and met the team, we were led to our bungalow. When we stepped foot in the door we knew we had arrived to paradise. The simple but beautiful decor of Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro gives it a very homey vibe. The big screen window over looking the valley is simply breathtaking. We quickly dropped our stuff and opened the screen door to our own private balcony and our own private NET! Yes you read that right YOUR PRIVATE NET! Can you imagine yourself taking in the sunset from a place like this?

The best part is that the room is equipped with everything you will ever need! We quickly grabbed a few beers and headed straight to the big net with the best views of the Minca valley! It was just us, the beer, the net and a first row ticket to a gorgeous sunset... what more could we ask for! This became our spot everyday to catch the sunset and sunrise over the valley. The colors, noises, and feeling of being there with nature is really one of a kind.

The room was very cozy. The bed was very comfortable and spacious for a good night sleep. We had a mini fridge with beers, sodas and water. Snacks like chips, cookies and more where available for us to enjoy. To our surprise we also had a few movies to chose from which was a nice touch since we did end up watching a movie late at night. The bathroom even had a view of the Minca valley as you showered. One of my favorite surprises was the hot shower. Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro is set up with solar panels that powered up the entire room and allowed for us to have hot showers.

Home Cooked Meals & Home Grown Coffee

Let me just say this…home cooked meals everyday! Can this get any better?! The food was off the charts. At Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro they really take care of you and make sure you eat very well. We were able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the property so there was no need for us to leave. The staff is on top of making sure they know what you want to eat and prepare it fresh every time. Our day started with a breakfast which consisted of pancakes and fruits or arepas with egg and cheese. We also loved the freshly made juice we had with the breakfast to get the the day started.

Can you guess what our toughest decision during our entire stay was? Yup… what do we eat for lunch and dinner! Having the ability to look at the ladies making our food and being able to chit chat with them only reminded me of our home cooked meals. We felt like we were in our kitchen sitting down and looking at our mother cook us the best home meal ever. So what did we eat… some of the best food we have had in all of Colombia. One of our favorites was definitely the steak. It was cooked to perfection with wine. To this day, we still talk about how good this meal was. Lorena actually had this same plate twice in a day. Yup… it was that good. Another one of my favorites was the chicken and the fish dishes. If you are a vegetarian, no worries. They have that on the menu as well. If you have any special requests they go above and beyond to try and accommodate you.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are always served at a huge communal table and with other guests. (If you would like a more private time they are also happy to accommodate). Since I am a very social person, I was happy to have dinner at the same time as everyone else. It was a great way to meet the other guests staying at the property. Dinner was always perfect, weather amazing and afternoon chit chats went into the night time.

How could these meals get any better…how about some home grown coffee from Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro? They have their own coffee plantations around the land and let us tell you the coffee is darn good! We loved how the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled our room every morning since we had our own coffee machine in the room and had chance to brew some whenever we wanted. Needless to say, Lorena was in heaven! She is the biggest coffee lover I know and we were brewing some of the best coffee we’ve ever had. I must admit, I jumped on the coffee bandwagon after tasting this incredible home grown coffee. Best part of this… you can buy a couple of bags of the coffee to take back home. You can thank us later.

Many Places To Relax

One of the main reasons why we visited Minca was to relax. There is no shortage of that at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. We absolutely loved all the common areas they had around the property to enjoy. There is a place towards the back of the property where you can sit down and enjoy breakfast. You will find tables, chairs, hammocks and even swings. It was a very chill spot since you could simply chose a place to enjoy nature while listening to the river flowing behind you. Our favorite area was definitely the large hammock next to all the sit down hammocks. It was refreshing to lay down, feel the breeze and have the opportunity to look to the side and admire the mountains and beautiful gardens at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. We both had the chance to lay down together in the hammock and take a nap after a hard day of pure relaxation. (Yes, you can even get tired of simply relaxing!)

Make Some New Friends

If you are an animal lover, you will love the initiatives at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. This was one of the things that caught my attention and makes Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro so unique. This place is very animal friendly. Here you can find toucans, peacocks, ducks, fishes and even some turtles. Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro rescues wild animals and gives them professional medical attention until they are ready to go back into their natural habitat. It was very interesting to find out that some of these animals make Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro their home and they simply don’t want to leave. (I don’t blame them as I didn’t want to leave either.) This just goes to show the level of love and treatment these animals receive here. The animals have a big area towards the back of the property along with a nice garden. If you’d like to pay them a visit you can, but be well assured that they are not in the way of the guests relaxation. In my experience, it really enhanced it. When you stay at the property, make sure to wander around and pay these little ones a visit!

Activities To Do

Our top recommendation at the Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro is to just relax! The property is set up for you to enjoy nature and disconnect for a couple of days. We felt this was our alone time and we loved it! No pressure to do anything… just make sure you take this time to admire the beauty of Minca. The property is located in a good location for you to do some activities if you’d like. Here are a few we would recommend:

Visit the Marinka Waterfalls: These waterfalls are located about 10 minutes from the property and very easy to reach. Just follow the road downhill and you will quickly see the entrance. This is the same road you take when arriving at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. Marinka Waterfalls are private property and have an entrance fee of $ 5,000 COP ($1.59 USD). The water is chilly, but ohhh so amazing when you jump in. There are two waterfalls and a big net for you to enjoy the views. There is also a restaurant on site if you’d like to grab some food or drinks.

Hike up to Los Pinos viewpoint: If you are in for a nice hike, we suggest walking up to Los Pinos. The viewpoint is about an hour walk from the property. Once you arrive, you will be able to see as far as Rodadero Beach, Santa Marta and the Sierra Nevada’s mountains peaks. The best time to visit is very early in the morning or for sunset. If you decide to visit for sunset, make sure to have some sort of light to help you as you are coming back down to the property.

Getting To Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro

Once you arrive to Minca, you will notice the few options to get around the town. In regards to arriving to the property, you have the option of a Jeep, Motor Bike or our favorite…walking. The ride may be bumpy as all of Minca does not have developed roads. The ride should be around 15-20 minutes. If you decide to walk from the center of town, it will be about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you are carrying any big luggage, we recommend getting some type of transportation. If you come with a small backpack for a couple of days and want to get a little workout, just walk it.

Minca was a gem in Colombia, but Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro was a diamond! Our stay was centered around peace, relaxation and the natural beauty of Minca. The couple of days we stayed at the property gave us the opportunity to enjoy alone time and really disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city. Make sure to add Minca to your travel plans when you consider Colombia. Once you are in Minca, come stay with our new family at Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro!

For Reservations:

Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro

Sector Arimaka, Cascadas de Marinka Santa Marta, MAG, 470008, Colombia

info@tierraadentrominca.com

Tel: +1 305.528.9899
Tel: +57 316.665.2295

PIN ME FOR LATER!

*No, there was no money involved. This post was part of a collaboration with Reserva Natural Tierra Adentro. All the opinions and reviews are completely our own.