Pozo Azul is a set of 3 pools about 15 minutes by motor-taxi from the town of Minca. Or so we thought …
As we approached the third pool at Pozo Azul the lifeguard told us that this was it. Technically the river continues upstream, but the lifeguard does not let visitors continue because private property begins here.
As we turned around and began walking back to the second pool, the lifeguard called for us and told us to wait up.
(In Spanish) “There’s a beautiful waterfall about 10 minutes upstream from here. Completely private. If you provide a tip, you can go. The tip is to buy trash bags to clean up the trash in this area. Just walk 10 minutes upstream and you’ll see a beautiful, clean, private waterfall.”
Thank god for this guy. We walked upstream and indeed were treated to one of the most amazing waterfalls that we have ever experienced.
Here is your guide to Pozo Azul and the Secret Waterfall at the end!
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Pozo Azul Minca – Complete Guide
We didn’t really know what to expect when we went to Pozo Azul. We had heard there was a set of pools to swim in. That’s about it. We wish we had known more. In this guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about Pozo Azul. We will also include an itinerary of what to do afterwards.
Pozo Azul is 20 minutes up the hill from Minca by motor-bike, and you’ll want to package the pools with other things to make your trip worth it!
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How to Get to Pozo Azul
There are two ways to get to Pozo Azul – moto-taxi, or with your own two feet.
By Moto-Taxi
Walk to the ‘Transporte Oficina’ right before the yellow bridge. (the side closer to the town of Minca) Ask to go to Pozo Azul. The price is 15,000 COP per person in 2024. The driver will take you UP the hill. You will go over a lot of rocks and bumps and will probably be going a little bit too fast for your comfort. This is part of the experience. You will pass a lot of people walking along the road who don’t want to pay for the motor-taxi. The driver will stop at the ticket office for Pozo Azul, where you will have to pay 6,000 COP per person to get in. Then, you will get back on the moto and your driver will drive you a few more minutes to where the first pool begins. You will only have to walk about 10 steps from the moto to the start of the pools. Amazing.
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The Old-Fashioned Way (Your Own Two Feet)
There are two ways to walk to Pozo Azul.
The first way is the same way that the motor-bike will take, which is called ‘Cienaga Minca‘ and runs South of the river.
The second, more scenic way is to walk up Carrera 4. You will pass the hostel ‘Rio Elemento’ on your right, that is how you will know you are on the right road. You will hit ‘Cascada Escondida‘ on your right, which is a beautiful waterfall that you can check out if you have time for 8,000 COP per person. Some walkers are probably only walking up the hill for this, but you are in it for the long haul to make it all the way to Pozo Azul. You will continue climbing the mountain, and pass ‘Hostal Vista Verde’. (All this time you are North of the river) You will continue climbing, then go down the mountain. (You should be seeing signs for Pozo Azul) Eventually you will have to cross to the South side of the river to get into Pozo Azul.
If you are going to walk, I recommend the second more scenic way up Carrera 4 past ‘Rio Elemento‘ hostal. There will be plenty of places to stop along the way. If you walk on the main road, there are tons of vans and motor-bikes passing by which makes it a very unenjoyable walk. Also, there’s just nothing to see on this road. Dirt and rocks. That’s it.
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What Do We Recommend?
We recommend you take a moto-taxi up to Pozo Azul, then walk down the ‘interesting way’. (Not the main road) This will allow you to see all of the sights there are to see between Minca and Pozo Azul, while not being dead tired by the time you get to the pools. Also, we have a whole itinerary of what to do on the way down. Stay tuned…
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Once You Get to Pozo Azul
The main attraction for most is the first pool. This is the best pool and waterfall of the three. Once you have swam in the first pool, you can cross the river, climb up the hill, and swim in the second pool. This one is nice to swim in as well. From here, you can climb up the hill again, where you will come across a third pool. Here you will see the river extend upstream. There should also be a lifeguard here telling you that this is the end of Pozo Azul. This is where the fun starts.
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The Secret Waterfall – How to Get There
When we got to this point, we were originally told this is the stopping point. No more. However when we turned back around, the lifeguard told us that for a “tip” we could continue upstream and discover a SECRET waterfall that is private, clean, and fresh. You gotta love Colombia!
We jumped at the opportunity and continued walking upstream. The walk is tough as you have to cross the river multiple times. The river is very rocky and the crossing is not easy, but we were rewarded with a phenomenal waterfall at the end … all to ourselves.
The waterfall was very unique in that you can basically swim up to it in a “tunnel” more or less. If you can find a way to get to this waterfall, we highly recommend it. Super fresh, very clean, and really impressive.
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What to Do After Pozo Azul
You could hop on a moto-taxi and head right back to the town of Minca. But that’s no fun. Here is what we recommend.
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Visit Luis Miguel’s Restaurant and Private Waterfall
After Pozo Azul we were hungry and wanted to get some food and were told there is a man by the name of Luis Miguel on the right side of the road once you exit Pozo Azul. We found this man, and ordered an arepa + chorizo combo for 12,000 COP, this turned out to be a great decision.
Luis Miguel invited us in to eat at the tables on his property outside. The gate was closed, but once we ordered he invited us to eat inside the gate at the tables. From here, Luis Miguel invited us to see the private waterfall on his property for 5,000 COP. This waterfall is really cool, so of course I had to jump in!
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Hike from Luis Miguel’s House Back to Minca
If you ask Luis Miguel how to get back to Minca, he will point you to the path in his backyard that leads to the river. You will have to cross the river and do a bit of hiking before you will come to the Cascada Escondida...
Stop at Cascada Escondida
This is a great waterfall. A lot of people hike from Hostal Rio Elemento just to see this. It’s 8,000 COP per person. A good break after hiking up and down the mountain from Luis Miguel’s house.
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Stop at Rio Elemento Hostel
The last stop is Rio Elemento Hostel. If you arrive here before 3 PM we recommend stopping for lunch and getting their bowl for 22,000 COP. You also get unlimited free water and coffee.
After lunch, you can swim in their pool and explore their property! This is the best part. Rio Elemento has a beautiful pool and property that extends to the river. This was truly an amazing spot to chill for a few hours after a long day exploring in the mountains.
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Things to Know for Pozo Azul
1 – This place is very popular for tours coming from Santa Marta. They usually arrive in the morning around 8:30-9 AM. I recommend avoiding Pozo Azul from 8:30 AM – 10 AM, as there could literally be hundred’s of Colombians trying to swim in the pools coming with tour groups. After 10 AM, the groups usually leave and head somewhere else, and the pools calm down again.
2 – The entrance fee is 6,000 COP as of February 2024.
3 – If you are taking a motorbike, the driver will stop at the office so you can pay the entrance fee, then he will take you all the way to the start of the pools. This confused us when we went as we thought we had to walk from the ticket office.
4 – The pools are rocky. It might be a good idea to bring some sandals that you can walk into the pools with.
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Summary – Pozo Azul Minca
If you liked this guide to Pozo Azul, check out our Top 7 Things to Do in Minca. Minca is one of our favorite places that we visited in Colombia, and a place that we will never forget! In Minca you are truly immersed in nature. You can spend all day swimming in cool, refreshing, Sierra-Nevada water to escape the Colombia’s Carribbean HEAT.
💡 Checkout out our detailed 2 Week and 3 Week Colombia Itineraries!
Let us know how your trip to Pozo Azul goes! This was easily our favorite day in Minca!
