Forming part of Colombia’s Coffee Triangle, Salento is a charming mountain town west of Bogota. It is clustered with colourfully painted buildings and surrounded by fincas where high-quality arabica coffee is grown. In recent years, Salento has established itself as an outdoor lover’s heaven, with everything from horseback riding to paragliding on offer.
Things to do in Salento
No visit to Salento is complete without touring a coffee plantation and learning what goes into making your morning brew. See how the beans are harvested and dried before sampling the finished product. You can visit the family-run finca of Don Elias, where everything is still done by hand, or discover the sustainable practices powering the larger plantation of El Ocaso.
A short drive east of Salento is the Valle De Cocora, which is renowned for its towering wax palms and cloud forests. Spend a day hiking through its rolling hills and visit the nearby Acaime hummingbird reserve. Eight different species of hummingbirds frequent its hanging feeders and white-nosed coatis are occasionally spotted in the area.
North-east of Salento is Los Nevados National Natural Park, which encompasses the forests, lakes and snow-capped peaks of the Colombian Andes. It was created to preserve three of the country’s remaining glaciers, Nevado del Ruiz, Nevado de Santa Isabel and Nevado del Tolima, as well as the area’s high-altitude wetlands and paramo plateaus. Embark on a guided trek to experience Los Nevados National Natural Parks while keeping your eyes peeled for spectacled bears and mountain tapirs.
Getting around Salento
Salento is around two hours’ drive from Manizales and one hour from Matecaña International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Colombia and the United States. Regular buses connect to Salento and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.