Three days in Salento, Colombia itinerary

Salento is a small town in a coffee region set within the Andes mountains. The area is beautiful and green, with plenty of great hikes and tours. And the town itself is quaint, with colourfully-painted houses lining almost every street.

We spent three days in Salento in mid-March, and it was one of the highlights of our two weeks in Colombia. We flew into Pereira, the closest airport to Salento, from Bogotá which took less than 30 minutes. You can get coaches, but for us this was the best way to fit it more locations within a limited timeframe.

Where to stay in Salento

We stayed at the Viajero Hostel in Salento, which is about 5 minutes’ walk from the town square, for three nights. We got a private room which cost under £150 for the full stay. Each morning you can order breakfast (but it’s 10% cheaper if you order the day before) and throughout the day there’s food and drinks for sale in the bar. 

At night, this hostel has a great vibe with different activities, dance classes, and music in the covered bar area. But my favourite thing about Viajero Salento is the view from the gardens (and your room, if you’re lucky to get one at the back of the property). Sitting with a beer and looking out across the green valleys was the most relaxing way to spend an afternoon following a 10km hike.

What’s the weather like in Salento?

We were in Salento in mid-March and the weather changed a lot throughout the day. You can wake up to glorious sunshine but get caught in thunderstorms at lunchtime, or vice versa. It wasn’t cold during our trip, but we definitely needed layers. So when you’re packing for a trip to Colombia, bring options: trousers and shorts, vests and long sleeves, sandals and boots, and definitely don’t forget to bring a raincoat if you’re heading to Salento.

The best things to do in Salento 

Despite being a small and fairly remote area, there’s so much to do in Salento. These were our highlights. 

Explore the colourful streets

Wandering the town of Salento is an activity in itself. The colonial-style buildings are all painted in bright colours, giving the town a cheerful feel even when it’s grey and drizzling – as it often is. You can also hike up the steps to the viewpoint, where you can look over the town from one side and over the Cocora Valley from the other. Don’t let the stairs put you off – if you’re relatively fit and healthy you’ll be at the top in 15 minutes or less.

Visit a coffee farm

If you don’t like coffee, this one probably isn't for you. We set off at 8am to visit Finca El Ocasio coffee farm, which was about 20-30 minutes by Jeep from Salento town centre. The main way to get around in Salento is on these Jeeps called Willys, which are lined up around the plaza and available to book for various day trips. But be aware, they load them up with as many people as possible, which means 3-4 people will be standing on the back shelf.

We spent three hours at Finca El Ocasio, learning about the process of making coffee, seeing where and how it’s grown, searching for our own coffee beans, and at the end making our own coffees using different methods. We learned what to look out for as a sign of good coffee, and the exact ratios for making the perfect coffee using an aeropress, French press, and other processes. Our guide, Dani, was great – so knowledgeable and friendly and she made what was a fairly long morning fly by. 

We booked our tour at one of the booths in the plaza, where you catch your Jeep. On the way back, you just have to sit and wait for a Jeep with enough space to come and pick you up from the farm. You get used to this kind of laid-back attitude in Latin America… but make sure you have snacks and water because you could be waiting an hour or so if timings aren’t on your side. We only waited about 20 minutes for a return lift, but it was very hot and we’d had a lot of coffee, so I was glad we’d come prepared with crisps!

Hike the Cócora Valley

A real highlight of our two weeks in Colombia was the 10 km hike through the Cocora Valley. The weather in Salento can change very quickly, and more often than not the mornings are bright, but the clouds and rain can move in during the afternoons. So we were up early for our hike, and caught a Jeep from the plaza at 8am. 

After a 30-ish minute drive we arrived at the start of the hike. Due to the unpredictable weather, we started our route clockwise, going through El Bosque de Palmas first to get a good view of the palm trees (the highest in the world!) while the sun was out.

The hike took us about 4 hours including stops, and was fairly easy although there were a few steep up and down areas. You cross the river via small bridges quite a few times, but it’s safe and the route is very easy to follow. In some areas it was quite muddy, and as it drew nearer to midday it was very hot. But overall, if you’re fairly fit and healthy, it’s not too challenging. 

You’ll see plenty of wildlife and interesting plants. And it’s worth picking up a packed lunch either from your hostel or somewhere in town like Brunch Salento, as there aren’t many places along the way to find food. We stopped at the small bar towards the end of the hike for a beer, then only waited about 15 minutes for a Jeep to take us back into the town at about 2pm. 

Go horse riding

Full disclosure: I didn’t do this! I planned to. In fact, I organised it for our group. But when we arrived at Oscar’s farm – Cabalgatas Salento Tour – there was an electrical storm above us. I hate lightnight, and riding a horse up a mountain and through a river during a storm didn’t seem fun to me, so I bailed. But three of our group soldiered on and had a great time. 

The unique experience, the amazing views across the valley, and the authentic feel of the tour – Oscar has a true cowboy vibe to him – are many people’s favourite experience in Colombia. So even though I didn’t do it, you should! The tours go twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon, and last about three hours.

Eat trout with patacones

The food in Salento is great. It’s on the river and surrounded by lush green fields, so it’s not too surprising. We loved eating at Brunch de Salento (the portions are huge so don’t over-order) but the highlight in the town was locally caught trout with patacones – fried plantain patties.

Drink coffee at Café Jesús Martín

You’re in a coffee region, so you’ll have no trouble finding great coffee in Salento. Our favourite was Cafe Jesus Martin, where you can choose from classic coffees, iced drinks, and alcoholic versions. It has a cosy cafe feel and was full of locals as well as tourists during our visit.

Get brunch at Brunch de Salento

Okay, Brunch de Salento deserves its own shout-out. The menu isn’t traditionally Colombian, but they know what you need when you’re in Salento. The days here are packed with activities, and by the time it comes to lunch or dinner, you’re hungry. So the huge portions of great food at Brunch were exactly what we were looking for. Special mention to the nachos – trust them when they tell you that the sharing portion is big enough for two!

Have dinner at Bernabé 

Salento has a fairly casual feel to it. It’s the kind of town where you could go for dinner in your waterproof and hiking boots, straight from the Jeep. But if you’re looking for somewhere a little nicer, try Bernabé. We ordered almost everything on the menu and each dish was a hit in its own right. This is an especially good spot to try the local trout – they have three versions, but the classic was my favourite. And for meat eaters there’s a whole selection of beef and pork dishes to choose from. The service was fairly slow when we arrived, so don’t show up feeling too hungry. But the food was worth the wait.

From Salento, we flew into Medellin for four nights – find our Medellin itinerary here.