If I had to pick my favourite spot in all of Colombia, Salento would make the short list. It’s a charming mountain village with a high concentration of boutique shops, cafés, and restaurants. Not too far from Bogotá or Cali, it makes for a great weekend trip. Although, the buses in Colombia may take way longer than the time you are quoted.
My favourite hike in Colombia was the Valle del Cocora just outside Salento. It’s a picturesque spot claiming the tallest palm trees in the world. They look great in photos but being there in person is a truly jaw-dropping experience.
The clouds rolling in over the mountain ridges surrounding the town put you in a dream-like state. The colourfully painted homes lining the streets are not unique to Salento, but they add to the serene landscape and feeling that the town creates.
Salento offers a few experiences that make for an unforgettable stopover. Here are 7 things to do in Salento, Colombia.
Stay safe while on the road. Here are my 21 travel safety basics.
1. Hike the Valle del Cocora
This is the shining star of Salento, and the reason most people come to the region. The wax palms grow taller than any you’ve seen before and the fields of cows and horses are like a paradise lost.
You can do the short hike or long one, either 2 hours or more like 5-6. Do the long one though, it’s not extremely difficult and you want to spend as much time in this area as you can. This is where some of your best pictures from Colombia are going to come from.
If you want to see a lot of hummingbirds up close, a few hours into your hike you’ll find a path that diverts out to the colibris. I did this extension and it was nice, although to be honest I wouldn’t be too upset if I missed it. It was nice, relaxing, but I didn’t find it to be extraordinary.
How To Get To the Wax Palm Hike
If you have your own transportation (car, 4×4, or motorbike) you can find your way to the Valle del Cocora with little problems.
To arrive in style, you gotta take the jeeps out to the valley. It’s really easy to do and petty cheap as well. Head to the town centre early in the morning, maybe between 7-8pm, and you won’t be able to miss the jeeps. There’s a little booth where you can buy a ticket to go there and back.
The jeeps will wait until they fill up before they leave. There’s no specific time that they head to the valley at so you may have to wait 30 minutes or so.
The ride out to the valley will take maybe 30 minutes, and the hike somewhere between 4-6 hours depending on your pace and if you do the hummingbird extension.
2. Explore the Coffee Process on a Coffee Farm Tour
Head west out of the centre of town down Carrera 5 to find yourself a nice coffee farm. Explore the process from seed to cup and of course to try some delicious, aromatic coffee.
You can walk to the first group of coffee farms in about an hour I’d say. Sorry but my memory isn’t serving me extremely well in this moment. I walked there and it was a nice stroll through the Colombian countryside and into the coffee region.
You can catch a jeep there and/or back if you don’t want to walk.
There are quite a few different coffee farms in the region. I’d recommend doing a tour at one of them to see the whole process of cultivating coffee beans and then stopping in at a few of the other farms to just taste a cup of their brew.
I did my tour with Finca Las Acacias. It was fantastic. It’s a very small, family-run farm and their whole process of farming is organic. We got to see the whole process of coffee bean growth and even picked some of the ripe fruit from the coffee trees. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about coffee in the region.
3. Be Sure to Try Trout
Salento, with its abundance of freshwater rivers is a famous region in Colombia for trout. There are many trout farms in the area and almost every restaurant you visit will feature trout.
Do yourself a favour and try some while you’re in Salento. It’s easy to find and very affordable. It’ll come served with a huge, delicious flattened and fried plantain chip called a patacón. Add a bit of salsa with this and your trout is going to be one of the best you’ve had.
They prepare trout here in almost every way imaginable.
4. Climb the Mirador for a Lookout Over Salento
While not the most amazing lookout spot in Colombia, a relatively easy climb up the large staircase will take you to a highpoint overlooking the town. It’s a popular spot to watch the sunset and see the town from above.
There’s a couple different carnival games set up at the top to entertain the visitors that make the ascent.
5. Play Tejo
You might think Colombia’s national sport is soccer but that isn’t the case. Tejo is kind of like a game of horseshoes or cornhole but with more gunpowder and beer.
It sounds like a backyard game, but they take it seriously here.
Throw a lead disk and try to get it into the bullseye of the clay-filled pit across from you to score points. Hit one of the triangular pouches filled with gunpowder and you’ll score extra points. It’s very loud when you finally hit one of these. There’s no mistaking whether you got it or not.
Grab a beer and make some noise in Salento with Tejo.
6. Take in the Colours of the Streets and Artisanal Shops
Just strolling through the streets is one of the best activities in Salento. There are so many artisanal shops selling handcrafted goods to keep you busy all weekend. Combine this with the cafés selling artisanal coffee and you’ll be looking for an excuse to stay longer.
The houses lining the streets are beautifully painted in bright colours that make for fantastic pictures. The locals here are very friendly as well. I love the smaller towns in Colombia for this reason and Salento was one of my favourites.
7. Santa Rita Waterfall
Just a short way from the town you can find more natural respite at La Cascada Santa Rita. It’s walkable, maybe an hour and a bit from the centre of town, but you can also find a jeep taxi to take you out that way as well.
You’ll have to pay a small entrance fee to the park, but this gives you access to the waterfall, hiking trails, swimming holes, and caves. It’s well worth it and a great way to pass the day away.
The waterfall could be the excuse you’re looking for to spend an extra night in the charming town of Salento.
Where to after Salento? Check out the top things to do in Bogotá and find out if Bogotá is safe to visit!
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