Salento – Coffee, Colour and the Cocora Valley

4 days in Salento

After the noise and bustle of Bogotá, arriving in Salento felt like stepping into another world.

Nestled in Colombia's coffee-growing region, surrounded by lush green mountains, colourful houses and breathtaking countryside, Salento was everything we had hoped for and more.

If you've watched Disney's Encanto, you'll have an idea of what this beautiful little town looks like.

We spent four wonderful days here, exploring coffee plantations, hiking through extraordinary landscapes, swimming beneath waterfalls and simply enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

It was heaven!

Getting from Bogotá to Salento

We caught an early bus from Bogotá's Terminal de Salitre to Armenia, as there was no direct service to Salento on our route.

The journey took us through the foothills of the Andes, passing banana plantations, orange trees and dramatic mountain scenery.

As we descended from Bogotá's 2,600 metres towards the coffee region, the landscape changed completely.

The bus journey cost approximately £30 for two and took around six hours, although mountain traffic can make journeys longer.

From Armenia, we caught a smaller local bus to Salento, taking another 45 minutes and costing approximately £4 per person.

Travel tip: Travel during daylight if possible. The scenery is spectacular, and the journey is part of the adventure.

Our Accommodation – Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel

We absolutely loved our accommodation in Salento.

The Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel is situated on the edge of town, around five minutes' walk from the centre, with wonderful views over the surrounding countryside.

The hostel had beautiful terraced gardens, hammocks, a fire pit and plenty of peaceful outdoor spaces.

Inside, everything was light, airy and welcoming, with comfortable communal areas and a shared kitchen.

We had a lovely double room with an en-suite bathroom, seating area and balcony.

But what really made this place special was the staff. They were friendly, helpful and genuinely seemed to enjoy making everyone's stay memorable.

One of the best hostels of our entire trip.

Accommodation: Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel

Exploring Colourful Salento

Salento is a wonderfully colourful and vibrant little town.

Its main street, Calle Real, is lined with brightly painted buildings, artisan shops, cafés and restaurants.

We loved simply wandering around, soaking up the atmosphere.

At the end of Calle Real, steps lead up to a viewing platform overlooking the town and surrounding mountains.

It's a bit of a climb, particularly at Salento's altitude of around 1,500 metres, but the views are breathtaking.

One of the most distinctive sights in Salento is the collection of colourful old Willys jeeps gathered around the main square.

These are the local transport for trips into the surrounding countryside, and riding in one is an experience in itself!

Visiting a Colombian Coffee Plantation

You can't visit Colombia's coffee region without learning how its famous coffee is produced.

We booked a three-hour tour at Finca El Ocaso, and it was excellent.

The adventure started with a bumpy jeep ride from Salento into the countryside, costing approximately £3 per person each way.

Once at the plantation, we learnt about the history of coffee, how the plants are grown and harvested, and the different stages involved in turning coffee cherries into the drink we all know and love.

We even had a go at picking ripe red and yellow coffee cherries ourselves.

The tour finished with a tasting, giving us a much better appreciation of the work involved in producing a good cup of coffee.

A really interesting and enjoyable experience.

Coffee plantation: Finca El Ocaso

Hiking the Spectacular Cocora Valley

The Cocora Valley was one of the absolute highlights of our time in Salento.

Famous for its extraordinary wax palm trees, some of the tallest palms in the world, the valley looks almost prehistoric.

We took one of the traditional jeeps from Salento's main square, a journey of around 30 minutes through beautiful countryside.

We decided to tackle the approximately 12km circular hike, which took us through open valleys, lush cloud forest, rivers and mountain scenery.

The Bosque de las Palmas, with its towering palms rising through the mist, was simply breathtaking.

There were plenty of opportunities to stop, admire the scenery and cool our feet in the river.

We also made a detour to the Acaime Nature Reserve, where we watched tiny hummingbirds darting around the feeders.

The entrance fee included a hot chocolate or coffee, which was very welcome after all that walking.

Our costs at the time of visiting were approximately 20,000 COP per person for access to the Cocora Valley and a further 20,000 COP per person for Acaime. Check current prices before travelling.

Travel tip: Allow most of the day for the full hike, take plenty of water and wear proper walking shoes. The trails can be muddy, and the weather changes quickly.

Santa Rita Waterfalls – A Hidden Gem

Another wonderful day was our visit to the Santa Rita Waterfalls.

We took a local bus from Salento's bus station towards Boquía, a small village about ten minutes away.

We asked the driver to drop us near the yellow bridge, where we began our walk.

The first section was an easy and very pleasant one-hour walk through beautiful countryside to the main waterfall.

The waterfall was gorgeous, and of course Andy couldn't resist getting into the cold water for a swim!

Most visitors stop here, but we decided to continue along a much steeper and more challenging trail for another hour to reach a second natural pool.

It was hard work, but we loved the sense of adventure and the opportunity to explore somewhere a little quieter.

If you enjoy walking, waterfalls and wild swimming, this is a fantastic excursion.

Where We Ate in Salento

Our favourite restaurant was Makao.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we went twice!

The food was delicious, the prices reasonable and the service absolutely fantastic.

Salento has plenty of cafés and restaurants, so you're never short of places to stop for a coffee, a drink or a leisurely meal after a day exploring.

We also tried a local mango drink with beer, lime, chilli and salt around the rim. Andy loved it!

Our Salento Travel Tips

Accommodation: Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel – one of our favourite hostels of the trip.

Best experience: The 12km Cocora Valley hike and its extraordinary wax palms.

Best tour: Finca El Ocaso coffee plantation.

Hidden gem: Santa Rita Waterfalls and the natural swimming pools.

Favourite restaurant: Makao – so good we visited twice.

Our verdict: Absolutely beautiful. Four days gave us time to explore, but we could easily have stayed longer.

Our Final Thoughts on Salento

Salento was a complete contrast to Bogotá, and that's what made our first week in Colombia so memorable.

From a bustling capital city to the peace and beauty of the coffee region, we'd experienced two very different sides of this fascinating country.

The landscapes around Salento were spectacular, the people welcoming and the activities some of the best we'd enjoyed on our travels.

If you're planning a trip to Colombia, we would definitely recommend including Salento in your itinerary.

After four fabulous days, it was time to move on to our next destination – Medellín and Guatapé.

Next stop: Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, with its fascinating history and dramatic transformation.