The Land of the Giant Wax Palms

Valle de Cocora is a valley in the central Andes mountains of Colombia that is home to the tallest palm trees in the world, the Quindío wax palms. As I landed in the valley, my sensors detected the moist air and drizzle that accompanied the dense forest canopy and the aroma of coffee plantations. The valley is surrounded by jagged ridges of the Andes. I learned that the Quindío wax palm can grow up to 60 meters tall and have a unique shape that mimics a candelabrum. My scanners also found that the valley was once home to the Quimbaya civilization, some of whose artifacts have been preserved in a museum near the valley.