Salento Travel Guide

  inquisitive Motmot
by richiecdisc
 
  • inquisitive Motmot
      inquisitive Motmot
    by richiecdisc
  • from the park
      from the park
    by richiecdisc
  •   Salento
    by mircaskirca
  • Valle de Cocora
      Valle de Cocora
    by mircaskirca
  • lovely little house
      lovely little house
    by mircaskirca
 

Explore Salento

Things to Do  

Valle de Cocora

Valle de Cocora, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  While Salento is quite stunning in its own right, most who venture to the small town are here to visit the justifiably famous Valle de Cocora. This nature reserve is home to Colombia's national tree, the wax palm, which just happens to be the tallest palm in the world at... 

a resident Motmot

a resident Motmot, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  While staying at The Plantation House we got our second view of the Motmot on our first morning there. It is indeed a colorful bird, with a near electric blue crown and equally stunning long tail. The large bird can reach 50 centimeters and is found in highland forests from... 

Calle Real

Calle Real, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  Calle Real (Carerra 6) is the main drag of town and runs from Plaza Bolivar up to a hilltop lookout. Though primarily lined with artisan shops selling local wares, it retains an authentic enough flair with the town's hallmark colorful paisa architecture. Though Salento is a... 

coffee tours

coffee tours, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  One of the highlights of visiting Salento is certainly doing a coffee plantation tour. There are many to choose from and most are obviously in Spanish. We had done an impromptu one with the owner of Reserva Natural Sacha Mama. Though it was not at his plantation, we got the... 

Alto de la Cruz

Alto de la Cruz, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  At the far end of Calle Real is a set of stairs leading to Alto de la Cruz, a hill with the ubiquitous cross well worth climbing. From the top, you get grand views of the town itself and surrounding verdant hills. It is said that on a clear day snow capped volcanoes can be... 

Hotels  

Hostel Tralala

 73 Opinions

Restaurants  

La Mojiteria: Amazing Little Restaurant in Salento

La Mojiteria: Amazing Little Restaurant in Salento, Salento

 JuneJensen Says:  This little restaurant located off of the main street (about 50 feet) at calle 4, Numero 5 - 54, was recommended by our hostel. We tried it once and ended up eating dinner there 3 times during our 4 night stay. After 2 weeks of plato-typico we were craving something a little... 

La Mojiteria: Restaurant in Salento

La Mojiteria: Restaurant in Salento, Salento

 JuneJensen Says:  This little restaurant located off of the main street (about 50 feet) at calle 4, Numero 5 - 54, was recommended by our hostel. We tried it once and ended up eating dinner there 3 times during our 4 night stay. After 2 weeks of plato-typico we were craving something a little... 

Jesús Martín: Arty Café with a Nice Homey Atmosphere

Jesús Martín: Arty Café with a Nice Homey Atmosphere, Salento

 mircaskirca Says:  In the morning I visited coffee finca of Don Elias. I wanted to buy organic coffee from his farm to take with me. Unfortunately he did not sell it but he recommended a good place where I could get it. He explained me where the place was. I expected a family home or a shop,... 

Rincon del Lucy: the place for locals & backpackers

Rincon del Lucy: the place for locals & backpackers, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  It's very likely Rincon del Lucy would have escaped my eye without its high recommendation in our guidebook but it was highly touted at our hostel as well. Of course, all this adds to just about every gringo in town going there but that's okay, there's only about twenty of... 

Ensalata de Frutas: hold the cheese, please

Ensalata de Frutas: hold the cheese, please, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  Salento certainly has its fair share of eateries for such a small town but then again it is a tourist destination, especially for Colombians. We didn't sample so many as we found one place we liked quite and bit and with so few days in town, we generally stuck to it. The one... 

arepas lady: look for the arepas ladies

arepas lady: look for the arepas ladies, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  It seems Salento is one of the best places to get freshly made arepas. There are a few women on the street that sell them close to The Plantation House on the main street coming into town. They are generally only out there early in the morning or evening. Locals probably... 

Nightlife  

Bar Quindio: a real local
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Just to show that Calle Real is still real and not just a conglomeration of smart shops peddling handicrafts and upscale coffee, there are two real bars that cater to Salento's version of the blue collar worker: the farmer. We walked by these places every day and no matter what time it was, there was always a group of men sitting at a table, in various stages of being in a stupor. The man in a stupor would often change from one hour to next as if one would revive himself in time for another to get really “relaxed” and nod off, head resting on the table once reserved for cards. By and large, these places are for men, and men alone but after shunning places like (though not quite like) these in El Cocuy, I really wanted to venture in. My wife, being a great sport, agreed and one evening we found no groups of men nodding off, just a few shooting billiards so it wasn't so intimidating. We grabbed a table next to the door and I went up to the bar to order a couple beers, glad that the bartender had offered us small glasses rather than make us drink from the bottle.

Bar Quindio was much like a western cowboy bar in the western US, even the music would have fit in if only in Spanish. No one paid us much notice despite Doreen being not only the prettiest girl in town but also the only girl in the bar. Ok, it probably helped that she was dressed like a backpacker and as such may as well as been in disguise as a boy since it's not likely the locals ever see their women-folk not in a dress unless of course they are undressed. The beer was Pilsen and oddly enough after avoiding it due to a poor reputation, it turned out as good as most of the rest of the Colombian swill we'd been swilling the previous six weeks. Two beers were 3600 COP ($1.80). No need for a second. I'd had my taste and D had done her duty. Our room was calling and we answered it promptly.

Written Dec 12, 2010

Address: Calle Real 4-01

Related to:
 Photography
 Budget Travel
 Beer Tasting

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Transportation  

flying to save time can make sense sometimes

flying to save time can make sense sometimes, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  For such a small town, Salento is well connected at least to the surrounding towns of the Zona Cafetera of which it is one of the area's true gems. We were coming from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia so flew from Santa Marta to Armenia on Avianca. After shopping around, we... 

From Salento to Cali

From Salento to Cali, Salento

 mircaskirca Says:  To get from Salento to Cali you take a minibus to Armenia first. Buses depart from the main square. They also stop by the fire station at the end of the town if you find this more convenient. The journey takes about 50 minutes and you buy the ticket in the bus. In Armenia I... 

Local Customs  

a bean by other name would be just a bean

a bean by other name would be just a bean, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  We learned quite a bit about coffee while in Salento. We had been relatively disappointed with the coffee scene in Colombia before coming here. Even though we managed to find some decent java prior, it always took a lot of effort and it was only at more upscale places that... 

Billiard Halls and Bars

Billiard Halls and Bars, Salento

 mircaskirca Says:  Along Calle Real there are a couple of Billiard halls and bars with Bar Quindío being the most popular among them. It has a couple of pool tables and lots of billiard tables. These places look like something out of a western movie, and they were often full of drunk Colombian... 

What to Pack  

D is great for a romantic getaway like Salento
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cute cat on coffee tour
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Luggage and bags: Though this is still primarily a Colombia getaway, it has all the makings of a gringo backpacker paradise. It also has some real backpacking possibilities in the vicinity so bringing that big bag might not be all show and tell.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Hiking boots are a must for Valle de Cocora and comfy shoes for walking around town will come in handy too. A sweater is a good idea as it gets cool in the evenings and rain gear is likely to come in handy in this area noted for cloud forests full of hummingbirds.

Photo Equipment: A wide angle is great for bringing objects into your foreground, making photos more interesting. A zoom is great for taking photos of barnyard animals, cats, and beans for that matter.

Miscellaneous: Thanks to D for being a great romantic partner in this very romantic town.

Written Dec 12, 2010

Related to:
 Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
 Photography
 Budget Travel

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Off The Beaten Path  

Santa Rosa de Cabal
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Santa Rosa de Cabal
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Termales de Santa Rosa de Cabal is a charming and unspoiled place in the department of Risaralda where you can enjoy medicinal hot springs surrounded by ecological paths and 170m waterfall. They were not really on my way. But since I was somehow in the area I tried to include this thermal springs in my itinerary.

During the week there are three buses a day from Salento to Pereira. They live from the main plaza. I took a morning bus and the ticket was 4.700 COP (December 2008). There are buses departing Pereira every ten minutes or so to Santa Rosa de Cabal. The journey takes about 20 minutes and the cost was 1.500 COP (December 2008). Once in the town of Santa Rosa de Cablal there are chivas that take you to Termales (8 km). They go three three times a day, the trip is mostly up, and it takes almost an hour. The first chiva only left in an hour. If I wanted to catch the last bus from Pereira to Salento I would have to leave Termales to Santa Rosa de Cabal almost immediately. I thought it was not worth a journey and decided I better leave it for my next visit of Colombia and then perhaps stay overnight.

So my day trip to Termales changed to short visits of Santa Rosa de Cabal and Pereira, the capital of the department. Santa Rosa de Cabal is a pleasant small town with some colonial architecture and an attractive Plaza de Bolívar overlooked by the main church Iglesia las Victorias.

Updated Apr 14, 2009

Related to:
 Road Trip
 Architecture
 Historical Travel

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Favorites  

and incredibly again

and incredibly again, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:   Later, on waking her for breakfast, she was a bit peeved that I had not woken her to see the magical birdbut knew deep down she knew I was probably right for letting her sleep in with an early wake-up call the next morning. That night, lying in bed in the dark looking at... 

on spotting the Motmot again

on spotting the Motmot again, Salento

 richiecdisc Says:  As small as Salento was, it seemed to have it all. Nice architecture, interesting food, and nature-oriented excursions close at hand. Most of all, it was a great place to relax since everything was close at hand and not overwhelming. Staying at hostels can be overbearing if... 

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Map of Salento