Salento: best described as a sleepy little town in the heart of the coffee triangle, deep in the Colombian Andes, filled with beautiful streams, hummingbirds, and a never-ending supply of coffee. So, in one word: paradise.
We realized heading to Salento that we have been in the "travel grind" for quite some time: battling stomach bugs, up at the crack of dawn for tours, etc. We knew when we arrived that we were ready to treat our time in Salento like the week-long vacation we'd earned [jokes guys, jokes]. But for real, we spent most of our time lounging at the incredible Refugio Puente de la Explanacion for the week, reading books, drinking coffee, and wandering into town for lazy meals.
Other than being lazy slugs (helloooooo 10.5 hours of sleep each night), we had a blast taking in the best of Salento, starting with a coffee tour. Since we are in the heart of coffee country, it seemed only fitting to learn more about one of our favorite pastimes [I'm sorry? Did you say coffee is a beverage and not a pastime? Okay, good, we didn't think so].
We made the 1.5 hour walk to Don Elias Coffee Farm, a 5th generation boutique organic coffee farm that included a tour of the grounds, overview of the process, and -of course- a tasting. We would put ourselves in the "experienced" tour-attending category, and, in our humble opinions, this one was excellent. Informative and to-the-point. 100% recommend.
The next day, we were ready to be lazy slugs again, so we decided to take the meandering hour long walk to the local waterfalls, stopping for local arepas and cold beer on both the way there and back. UM, HUGE WIN. The waterfalls are actually on private property, but with a small fee, we were free to go on our merry way (bonus, entry includes free coffee #shocking). This really was a hidden gem- we only saw a handful of people all day- and such an easy walk from the Refugio.
The Valle de Cocora hike is probably the most famous attraction in Salento- it's featured on a ton of "Off the Beaten Path" travel lists, and attracts many people each day... but for a very good reason. It's a pretty easy 6 hour (ish? 5 for us) hike with spectacular views, and questionable bridge situations.
Since it's only a 45 minute jeep ride from the city square, we were pumped about a hike we didn't need to wake up at 3 AM for. We even stopped in town to pick up a boxed lunch and have some more coffee. After we arrived at the start of the trail, we did the hike counterclockwise (important for anyone looking to do this), and didn't see any other people until we stopped for a small lunch at the hummingbird farm about halfway through.
For one of Colombia's greatest attractions, the Valle de Cocora is incredibly peaceful and low key. 100% do not miss.
The people around Salento call it a touristy area, and while it is to a certain degree (you can find both nick-nacks and pancakes), it's much less so than many other places we've been [lookin' at you Peru]. We loved our time here, and would absolutely recommend it. A week was perfect for us, but if you're in a pinch, 3 or 4 days would work.
Heading into the last week of our 7 month adventure, it's crazy to think it's almost over! We couldn't have picked a better place to wrap up our travels than Colombia, but more on that later. We'll see you all soon!
If you're heading to Salento, here are some recommendations:
We realized heading to Salento that we have been in the "travel grind" for quite some time: battling stomach bugs, up at the crack of dawn for tours, etc. We knew when we arrived that we were ready to treat our time in Salento like the week-long vacation we'd earned [jokes guys, jokes]. But for real, we spent most of our time lounging at the incredible Refugio Puente de la Explanacion for the week, reading books, drinking coffee, and wandering into town for lazy meals.
Other than being lazy slugs (helloooooo 10.5 hours of sleep each night), we had a blast taking in the best of Salento, starting with a coffee tour. Since we are in the heart of coffee country, it seemed only fitting to learn more about one of our favorite pastimes [I'm sorry? Did you say coffee is a beverage and not a pastime? Okay, good, we didn't think so].
We made the 1.5 hour walk to Don Elias Coffee Farm, a 5th generation boutique organic coffee farm that included a tour of the grounds, overview of the process, and -of course- a tasting. We would put ourselves in the "experienced" tour-attending category, and, in our humble opinions, this one was excellent. Informative and to-the-point. 100% recommend.
The next day, we were ready to be lazy slugs again, so we decided to take the meandering hour long walk to the local waterfalls, stopping for local arepas and cold beer on both the way there and back. UM, HUGE WIN. The waterfalls are actually on private property, but with a small fee, we were free to go on our merry way (bonus, entry includes free coffee #shocking). This really was a hidden gem- we only saw a handful of people all day- and such an easy walk from the Refugio.
The Valle de Cocora hike is probably the most famous attraction in Salento- it's featured on a ton of "Off the Beaten Path" travel lists, and attracts many people each day... but for a very good reason. It's a pretty easy 6 hour (ish? 5 for us) hike with spectacular views, and questionable bridge situations.
Since it's only a 45 minute jeep ride from the city square, we were pumped about a hike we didn't need to wake up at 3 AM for. We even stopped in town to pick up a boxed lunch and have some more coffee. After we arrived at the start of the trail, we did the hike counterclockwise (important for anyone looking to do this), and didn't see any other people until we stopped for a small lunch at the hummingbird farm about halfway through.
For one of Colombia's greatest attractions, the Valle de Cocora is incredibly peaceful and low key. 100% do not miss.
The people around Salento call it a touristy area, and while it is to a certain degree (you can find both nick-nacks and pancakes), it's much less so than many other places we've been [lookin' at you Peru]. We loved our time here, and would absolutely recommend it. A week was perfect for us, but if you're in a pinch, 3 or 4 days would work.
Heading into the last week of our 7 month adventure, it's crazy to think it's almost over! We couldn't have picked a better place to wrap up our travels than Colombia, but more on that later. We'll see you all soon!
If you're heading to Salento, here are some recommendations:
- DEFINITELY stay at Refugio de la Puente Explanacion if you're looking for something quiet, beautiful, and off the beaten path. It's in Boquia, which is a small pueblito about 10 minutes by bus from Salento. The buses run every 15 minutes and cost $0.30 each per ride.
- Do not miss list (in this order): Valle de Cocora, coffee farm tour, waterfalls
- Food: definitely try the hot chocolate at the hummingbird farm with cheese, as well as an arepa from one of the street vendors
- Restaraunts
- Brunch: Delicious western fare, but caution on portion sizes. Their salad was meh, but burgers were incredible. They also sell boxed lunches for your hikes or long bus rides.
- Luciernaga: FANTASTIC Moscow Mules, and beautiful sunset views, but overpriced and bland food.
- Name Unknown: It's a little green and yellow building in Boquia, where a nice lady with a little boy sells AHHHHMAZING fresh juices, paninis, and pizzas. Do not miss.
Looks absolutely lovely! Sounds like you definitely needed a break if you are enjoying lots of coffee and still sleeping 10.5 hours per night!
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