Before I begin, let’s touch on my writing about travel in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, writing has been a form of escape. Writing about past travels to beautiful destinations in our currently suffering world – even more so. I’m hanging onto the fact that these places will be there waiting for us on the other side of COVID-19. There are, however, countless destinations that rely heavily, if not completely, on tourism. They’re sure to need all the help they can get in the coming years. As such, I’m working on content that hopefully inspires you now and helps you plan trips to these destinations when we’re once again free to roam. Thank you for reading. I hope you’re staying safe and healthy wherever you are.
To think that I nearly wrote off Salento altogether! When planning our Colombia itinerary, we had two weeks to work with between landing in Bogotá and leaving Cartagena. This was the kind of trip that we didn’t wish to rush. We didn’t want to zip up our suitcases right after unpacking them the day before just to see more cities. We wanted plenty of time in Bogotá and Medellin to dive into Colombia’s history, and longed to explore Cartagena lazily.
Despite seeing Salento on many travel guides, I veto’ed squeezing it into what was already looking like a jam-packed trip. After all, Salento’s key offering was a scenic 6 hour hike, the furthest thing from my cup of vacation tea. A couple of days before we flew to Colombia, Leah convinced me to give Salento a chance. Located in Colombia’s coffee zone, it’d be a nice treat for this coffee lover. Besides, when else would we visit a small town in the middle of nowhere? So we reshuffled the itinerary, booked a flight from Bogotá, and hoped we wouldn’t regret doing so.
You guys. Salento was perhaps one of my favorite places I’ve ever traveled to. I can still hardly believe it’s a real place. I’m here today to tell you why you should find your way there too once we’re all safely able to travel. Consider this dispatch my own little love letter to this sleepy paradise.
1. You Can Hike The Otherworldly Cocora Valley
So, yes, it turns out that hiking the Cocora Valley is a must do. I tried to convince Leah that we could settle for the 30 minute version instead. Or better yet, we could skip hiking altogether in favor of lazing about at a coffee shop. She rolled her eyes at me and told me to put on my sneakers.
Once again, she made the right call.
The journey to Cocora begins early in the morning in the town square of Salento, where you hop into or hang off the back of a vintage Jeep (known as a Willy). The Willy zips through a windy road, honking at and narrowly avoiding other Willys, buses, and pedestrians. When you arrive in the Cocora Valley parking lot, you’re already fairly hyped up on adrenaline and the promise of seeing the famous wax palms.
The landscape throughout the hike truly is a splendorous sight to behold. It’s a six-hour test of endurance if you elect to do the full loop, but you’ll be drinking in beautiful views the whole time. Horses and bovine creatures grazing on rolling, verdant hills; skinny palms poking out of the fog; ramshackle wooden bridges over a chatty river. You’ll likely meet other travelers along the way. They’ll be the ones to commiserate with you when you’re told the uphill portion goes on for another 45 minutes and encourage you to keep going.
Don’t even think about missing Cocora Valley! Do the 30 minute hike if you need to, but you absolutely must see the famous wax palms and the wondrous scenery they come with. Here is a comprehensive guide from Goats on the Road.
2. And Ride Horses Through A Rainforest
How do I even begin to describe this indescribable day?
Horses are everywhere in Salento. Turn a corner, and a few horses will come trotting by, led by a guide. Most commonly, travelers choose to ride through Cocora Valley or to coffee farms. Our guesthouse hosts e-mailed over a list of excursions to see if any piqued our interest. One spoke to us immediately: visit a coffee farm, and then journey through the Quindío River by horse. Spoiler alert: the adventure totally blew us away.
After the coffee farm, we hopped back on our horses (Pitufo for me and El Blanco for Leah) and ambled leisurely through well-worn dirt paths for awhile. It was rugged and beautiful. Our guide then said: “up ahead, there’s a bridge. You’ll need to keep your heads very low.”
Perched precariously atop Pitufo, I crouched as low as I could, willing my center of balance not to stray. And then from there, it was… another world. A more peaceful, vibrant, forgiving world. For two hours, we crossed rushing rivers, the water as high as our ankles at times and refreshingly cold. The horses, rejuvenated, would playfully try to outpace each other, cantering through paths that they obviously knew well.
I looked around, willing myself to etch as much as I could into memory. Odd-looking flowers straight out of Dr. Seuss lining the paths. Butterflies of all colors flitting about overhead. The powerful sound of a waterfall nearby. The fact that we were totally alone in this paradise. The trust I put fully into the magnificent Pitufo as he navigated carefully through the rocks. Our guide crying, Yee-haw! gleefully behind us. I was moved to tears.
I wish I could pass along our guide’s information because he was excellent, completely focused on our safety and the horses’ well-being. Alas it was arranged on the fly by our guesthouse. Check with your accommodations to see if they can help connect you with a reputable company or guide!
3. You Can Sip Espresso Made From Coffee Beans Grown Right In Front of You
I cannot function without a daily cup (or three) of coffee, as I’m sure many of you can relate to.
Thus, I was eager to visit a coffee farm to better understand the coffee-making process. And honestly, to pay my respects to the crop that sustains me. A pilgrimage of sorts, if you will, to taste some of the best coffee in the world right at its source.
We arrived at Las Acacias Coffee Farm by horseback, and were then promptly whisked onto the English-speaking tour. Our guide pointed out all of their farm animals, and then took us down to the coffee plants. She was knowledgeable about the process and funny in explaining it all to us, and sent us off to gather ripe coffee beans… a harder task than I expected.
After the tour, they brewed each of us a cup of espresso that we enjoyed while kicking back and enjoying the phenomenal view. As Salento is located in Colombia’s coffee zone, you should 100% visit a farm! Las Acacias was wonderful, and El Ocaso also came highly recommended.
4. You’ll Think You’re Walking In a Rainbow
The weather in Salento is notoriously temperamental. You may be greeted with sunshine as you walk out the door to start the day, only to get soaked by a downpour not two blocks over. Rinse and repeat, day after day.
Despite its often-gray skies, the town could not be more cheerful. That’s largely in part because of its brightly painted buildings. You’ll find every hue as you stroll through town, and it won’t fail to make you smile. Nowhere else is this more true than on the main street, Calle Real, where candy-colored shops and restaurants extend as far as the eye can see.
5. The Main Mode of Transportation is Hanging Off the Back of Willy Jeeps
…I mean, enough said, right?
The town of Salento is tiny and very walkable, but if you’re headed out for an adventure (ahem, like to Cocora Valley) then you’ll more than likely be hitching a ride on a Willy. They’ll squeeze in as many passengers as they can, and then 2-3 people can hang off the back. I sat inside a Willy on our way to Cocora, and stood on the back on our way back. I must say, the latter is much more preferable.
It’s exhilarating with the wind blowing in your hair, and low-hanging tree branches whipping a bit too close to comfort. And the views are unbeatable! Just hang on extra tight to the handrail when the driver takes some sharp turns.
6. You’ll Be Treated To Stupendous, Jumanji-Style Views at Two Outlooks
Leah and I first arrived in Salento in a flurry of activity. We boarded a bus at the Armenia airport as an apologetic, sweaty, flustered band of gringos, navigated the chaos of the Armenia bus terminal, squeezed into a buseta with everyone else heading to Salento, and then hopped off at the tiny shack of a fire station down the street from our guesthouse.
Needless to say, we were frazzled and tired at check-in. Angeles, who mans the front desk at Hotel La Caracola, smiled and sat us down with a paper map. She scribbled down arrows to and notes about her favorite spots, and then pointed us to the direction of the town’s two viewpoints or ‘miradores.’ At one, you’ll see the valley; at the other, you’ll see the town, she tells us.
Dusk was closing in. We headed into the general direction of the main street and eventually found ourselves at the mirador overlooking the valley. After all the chaos of the travel day, the vastness and quiet before us was a grounding, soothing balm. And also, it looks just like Jumanji!
A couple of evenings later, we climbed the 238 colorful steps at the end of Calle Real to find more lovely views. But when the thunder rumbled threateningly from afar, we hastily descended the steps and parked ourselves at a bar until dinner.
Although I found the mirador overlooking the valley more impressive, both are worth a visit!
7. You Can Feast with Abandon On a Budget
I stand firmly in the “live to eat” camp, which means that I obviously also subscribe to the “travel to eat” philosophy.
Imagine my pleasure then when I came to Salento and found that it’s home to some of the tastiest bites in Colombia. Better yet, it’s all dirt cheap. What I really loved about eating in Salento was that it was akin to stopping for a bite at your aunt’s house. The food was incredibly simple, but there’s a lot of it served at each meal and there’s no fuss whatsoever.
Observe…
Salento’s famous river trout with mushrooms and shrimp, smothered in a garlicky alfredo sauce at Restaurante Andrea. This came with juice, rice, salad, and patacon, an enormous piece of mashed plantain fried to a crisp. All of this for… $7?
El Rincon de Luci. You must eat here. There is no menu. You simply choose between grilled trout, pork or chicken, and mix-match some sides. It’s served with soup (try a swirl of the spicy sauce in it!) and juice, and comes out to about $4 per person. We were so stuffed with this deliciousness, we went straight home to lay on our stomachs for a couple of hours.
Cafe Jesus Martin. I mentioned that Salento is in Colombia’s coffee belt, but here’s the thing… it’s actually difficult to drink good coffee domestically. Because most of the premium coffee gets exported, the brews you’ll find in Colombian cafés can be a letdown.
Cafe Jesus Martin was an exception. You’ll taste excellent coffee here, brewed and poured whichever way you desire. Or so we’ve heard… We chose to indulge in frothy, sugary confections instead because we were fresh off a 6 hour hike. They were still delicious. Don’t judge me!
Our first bandeja paisa, Colombia’s take on the full English breakfast, at Donde Laurita. Gosh, it looked like a lot of food and yet, somehow, we polished off every morsel.
Brunch de Salento: owned by Americans, it’s famous in town for serving American-sized portions. Put in an order for their packed lunch the evening before a long bus ride or your Cocora Valley hike. It’ll bring you right back to middle school!
8. You’ll Stay in Charming Guesthouses like Hotel La Caracola
Oh, Hotel La Caracola. What a charming home away from home. The rooms were spacious and clean, the location was great, and the couple who ran the guesthouse were the nicest.
“We’ve been waiting for you since your booking came through,” Andrea told us one morning. “You’re the first Americans here in months.”
They recommended their own favorite restaurants to us, helped us arrange excursions, and best of all – whipped up a mean breakfast every morning for all of the guests. Leah still talks about the fresh passionfruit jam drizzled into her yogurt to this day.
9. You’re Encouraged to Play with Gunpowder
Disclaimer: I did not get to play Tejo, which involves tossing metal discs at packets of gunpowder.
We wanted to, we really, really did. But after long excursions each day, we just couldn’t muster up the energy to stay in town past dinner.
But you should! Because where else are you going to play such a lawless, explosive game? Los Amigos is the local tejo hangout popular with travelers.
10. The People in Salento Are So Nice It’s Like Staying with One Big Family
Colombia has perhaps been the nation I’ve visited with the absolute friendliest people. I was overcome by how warmly we were treated everywhere in Colombia, but in Salento most of all.
On our horse-back riding tour, our guide whistled cheerfully at every person, animal, and car that passed. Conoces a todos las personas en Salento, Leah teased him. You know everyone in Salento! He grinned back at us. Oh yes. Salento es… una familia grande.
That’s exactly what it felt like throughout our stay.
If I hadn’t spent three days befriending horses, hiking to the world’s tallest wax palms, and devouring amazing homestyle meals on the cheap myself, I wouldn’t have believed this town was a real place. But now I do, and I’m in love, and I want you to experience it for yourself too.
Let me know if you have any questions if you’re planning a trip, and I’m happy to help!
[…] its food, the warmth of its people, and the diversity of its landscape. Memories from this trip, from Salento in particular, truly sustained me during low points throughout the year. I can’t wait to go back […]