The Santa Rita waterfalls are located in the village of Boquia, which belongs to the municipality of Salento in the department of Quindío. In this region, in 1926, one of the most ambitious works of that time began: the railway that would connect Armenia with Ibagué. It was a project that promised progress for the whole region, but due to multiple reasons, construction was suspended in 1948.
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You can still see the tunnels and the bridge in Boquía where the railway was supposed to pass through.
WHAT WILL YOU FIND AT THE SANTA RITA WATERFALL? 🏞
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HOW TO GET TO THE SANTA RITA WATERFALL 🚌🚗🛵?
To get to the Santa Rita waterfalls, we took a bus to Salento and got off in the village of Boquía. The ticket cost is 7,000 pesos from the Pereira bus terminal. Buses start running at 6:30 am and depart every hour.
You can also take the bus from Armenia to Salento.
After taking the bus, it took us about 40 minutes to arrive in Boquía. Once there, we started our hike.
Remember to minimize plastic use when you go to the mountains, as it often ends up along the trails and rivers 😢. In our online store, you’ll find great options for reusable water bottles — check them out here.
THE TRAIL TO THE SANTA RITA WATERFALL 🚶🏼🐕
From the village of Boquía to the entrance of the trail is approximately 1 kilometer. The trail is in good condition, and it took us 40 minutes walking to reach the Santa Rita farm.
To continue on the trail to the waterfalls, we paid an entrance fee of $12,000 pesos. We were given a wristband to enter.
If you go by motorcycle or car, you can leave it at this point and pay a parking fee.
From the Santa Rita farm to the waterfalls is approximately another 1 kilometer. The trail is in very good condition. Along the way, we passed by the tunnels that were part of the railway that was going to connect Armenia with Ibagué.
After a pleasant walk through a small forest, we finally arrived at the Santa Rita waterfall.
HOW TO RETURN FROM THE SANTA RITA WATERFALL 🚌🏡?
After swimming in the cold water, we decided to head back before 4:00 pm to catch the bus that passes through Boquía, hoping to get a ride. On weekends, it’s almost impossible to get a bus after 4:00 pm due to the high number of travelers coming from Salento.
After waiting without luck, we had to go all the way to Salento to catch another bus back.
This is the end of the route to the Santa Rita Waterfall. Don’t forget to follow us on our social media to discover more places like this one 👉 Instagram and YouTube.