Valle de Cocora, or Cocora Valley, lies in the mountains of the Andes. In the town of Salento, 15.5 miles north of Armenia, you can visit the Cocora Valley, where the wax palm, Colombia’s national tree, grows up to 197 feet tall. You might spot the occasional ornamental one in California or Australia, but for the real thing you’ll have to visit Colombia. This tree provides the habitat for a very colorful bird, the yellow-eared parrot. In the Cocora Valley, travelers can walk, mountain bike riding, horseback riding or hike an ecological trail.