Salento is one of the most beautiful places I saw in all of Colombia. Maybe you’re thinking like I was and saying meh, tall palm trees, what’s the big deal? But it’s amazing. If they were tall palm trees in the middle of a city, they’d be impressive but not so special. The rolling hills and mountainous landscape surrounding the palms is incredibly lush, green, and seemingly magical.
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There are 2 options to get to Salento from Bogota. You can take a flight from Bogota to Armenia or Pereira and then catch a bus to Salento. Or, take a Bus from Salitre Terminal in Bogota to Armenia, and then transfer to a smaller shuttle van to Salento.
Flights are much quicker, and not that much more expensive. But, they are much worse for the environment than taking a bus. As well, I think every Colombia traveler needs a stuck-on-a-bus-in-Colombia story. And, the Colombian landscape is beautiful, it’d be a shame to skip it all by flying. So, my recommendation – take the bus.
Stay safe while on the road. Here are my 21 travel safety basics.
Bus From Bogota to Salento
There are frequent buses that leave from the Salitre Terminal in Bogota. It’s a massive bus terminal separated into different sections depending on where you are heading. Salento is West of Bogota so find your way to the ‘Occidente’ section of the terminal – Módulo 2.
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There aren’t any buses that go direct to Salento unless something has changed recently. You’ll need to first go to Armenia where you’ll change buses to get to Salento.
In the terminal you’ll find a number of companies running a route to Armenia. Some buses are more luxurious than others so shop around a bit and find the one you like.
I’d recommend arriving at the terminal before 9am. The ride to Armenia is likely going to be 8 hours minimum. It could take much longer depending on road conditions and traffic. It took me about 10 hours to get to Armenia. I’ve met many travelers who spent much longer on that route.
When you arrive in Armenia, make your way inside the terminal and head all the way down the hall to the right. Go outside to the parking lot, just past the toilets, and keep heading along the right-hand side. You’ll find a shuttle van that has a Salento placard in the front window. It leaves every hour or so, no need to book ahead of time.
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From there it’ll take you the 60-90 minutes to Salento. Salento isn’t a very big town so if you get off in the center at the last stop you won’t be far from your accommodation. Hopefully it doesn’t take too long but be sure to enjoy the views of the beautiful Colombian landscape along the way.
Fly From Bogota to Salento
There is no Salento airport that you can fly into. You’ll have to first go to Armenia or Pereira. Domestic flights are pretty cheap in Colombia. If you’re pressed for time and don’t have the patience for an adventurous Colombian bus ride, flying is your best bet.
Once you land at your destination you’ll have to transfer to the bus terminal. Unfortunately, there are no buses that go directly from the airport to bus terminal in either city. You’ll have to take a taxi. Taxis in Colombia aren’t overly expensive at least.
In Armenia, it goes the same as I mentioned above. Head all the way down the hall, outside to the van with a Salento sign on it. Hang around there until it’s ready to leave.
In Pereira, you will find agents behind their windows yelling out destinations. Listen for Salento, or just ask someone and they’ll point you in the right direction.
It’s roughly an hour-long bus ride from either location.
I hope this guide gives you the information to get to Salento. If you want to know what to do there, here is my list of the Top 7 Things to Do in Salento.
Enjoy!
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