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Voykit pocket guide · Colombia
Coconuco
Half a day is enough: ride or walk to Aguas Hirviendes, soak, eat, then take the last bus out around 5 PM.
Coconuco is a small village in Cauca, about an hour of curvy road from Popayán, and its one draw is Aguas Hirviendes: gated hot springs with cold pools nearby. From the main street you either wait for a mototaxi or walk uphill 1–1.5 h. Half a day covers it; a night at a guesthouse by the springs is the only reason to stay longer.
- Country
- Colombia
- Best months
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Jan (drier stretches; check)
- Avoid
- Oct–Nov (wettest; check)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- COP
- Money
- Currency is the Colombian peso (COP, $). Cards work in hotels, malls and many restaurants; cash is needed for small shops, markets and rural areas.
- Daily spend
- Budget COP 60,000–100,000 excl. bed · Mid COP 100,000–160,000 excl. bed · High COP 160,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro (best coverage), Movistar and Tigo SIMs in malls and at airports; passport required and IMEI registration may apply for longer stays — check.
- Emergency
- Police, fire and ambulance 123
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110–120 V · 60 Hz · US-style plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% propina voluntaria offered on the bill.; Guides: COP 20,000–50,000 per person per day.; Taxis: Round up.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Bogotá and Medellín; drink bottled on the coast and in rural areas.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin in most places; bring tissues for bus stations.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Aguas Hirviendes entry | COP 5,000–12,000 |
| Meal of the day | COP 8,000–15,000 |
| Mototaxi village to springs | COP 5,000–7,000 each way |
| Bus Popayán to Coconuco | COP 10,000–15,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PYO · Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (Popayán)
- About 45 km (28 mi) from Coconuco; checkAbout 28 mi (45 km) from Coconuco; check
Typical fares
- Mototaxi, village to springs
- about COP 5,000–7,000 each way (check)
- Bus Popayán to Coconuco
- about COP 10,000–15,000, roughly 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk the village; for the springs take a mototaxi from the main street or hike 1–1.5 h uphill. At the fork there are two signs pointing to the hot springs. Last bus out of Coconuco leaves around 5 PM.
See and do
Known for
- Aguas Hirviendes hot springs
- Cold natural pools
- Rural Cauca village life
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Popayán | Bus or shared taxi from the main street, about 1 h over a curvy road | About 1 h 30 min |
| Silvia | Via Popayán by bus, then onward to Silvia | 3 h+ |
| San Agustín | Bus via Popayán and Pitalito | 8 h+ |
Sleep
- Guesthouses by Aguas Hirviendes
- A few simple places outside the gates, some with meals; the practical choice if you want the springs at opening.
- Coconuco village centre
- Very basic rooms on the main street; handy for the last bus but nothing to do after dark.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedis-KOOL-peh |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Where are the hot springs? | ¿Dónde están las aguas termales?DON-deh ehs-TAHN las A-gwahs ter-MAH-les |
| One ticket, please | Una entrada, por favorOO-nah en-TRAH-dah por fah-VOR |
| What time is the last bus? | ¿A qué hora sale el último bus?ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh el OOL-tee-moh boos |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, cheek kiss between women and mixed pairs; avoid: Launching into requests without a greeting
- Politeness: 'Con gusto', 'a la orden'; avoid: Blunt commands
- Topics: Coffee, football, food; avoid: Escobar jokes, drug talk
- Showing valuables: Keep phones away; avoid: 'Dar papaya'
Scams and watch-outs
- The springs are gated and charge a few thousand pesos: carry cash, no card readers.
- Last bus leaves Coconuco around 5 PM: if you miss it you are paying for a room or a taxi.
- The uphill walk to the springs is steep and unshaded; start early and carry water.
Coconuco is a small, quiet village and the usual cautions apply: go with a known mototaxi, keep valuables out of sight on the hike, and do not start the walk up to the springs late in the afternoon.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Coconuco yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Aguas Hirviendes hot springs
- Cold natural pools
- Rural Cauca village life
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Colombia Travel — official tourism site: colombia.travel/en
- Wikivoyage: Coconuco, revision 4941661 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4941661
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Coconuco
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire and ambulance123
No embassy in Coconuco; the US embassy is in Bogotá and most countries keep embassies there. Emergency number nationwide: 123.
Carry cash: the springs gate and mototaxis rarely take cards.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/coconuco). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.