Salento is nestled in the heart of the Quindio department of Colombia, and captivates visitors with its vibrant colors, colonial architecture, and stunning natural landscapes. Surrounded by lush green coffee plantations and the majestic peaks of the Andes Mountains, Salento offers a picturesque setting for travelers seeking both cultural immersion and outdoor adventures. From exploring the charming streets lined with brightly painted houses to trekking through the nearby Cocora Valley, Salento promises an unforgettable Colombian experience.
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Top 8 Things to do in Salento
Here are our top 8 things to do in Salento. This place is absolutely beautiful – you can’t go wrong with a trip to Salento!
➡️ Read: 11 Things to Do in Jardin (Our Favorite Place in Colombia) ✨
1 – Hike the Cocora Valley
This is the whole reason you came to Salento. Hop in a JEEP in the center and head to the Cocora Valley. (10,000 COP round trip) Once you get to the valley you have two options. Hike the ‘Valle de Cocora Loop’ (about 4-6 hours) or hike directly up to the famous viewpoints then hike back (1.5 hours). The hike to the viewpoints is part of the Valle de Cocora Loop, with the only difference being that you do the loop clockwise and turn around after you have seen the important viewpoints.
I would define the whole loop as a moderate hike, and as long as you are in decent physical shape, I would recommend doing the loop. BUT if you want to spend less time in the valley (about 2 hours) to free up more time for other activities later in the day, hiking directly to the viewpoints and back will allow you to see all the important spots. You’re not missing much if you don’t do the whole loop.
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2 – Visit Santa Rita La Cascada
This turned out to be much more of an experience than we were expecting. The waterfall of Santa Rita is actually on a massive ‘finca’ just outside of Salento. The ‘finca’ is by far the most beautiful ‘finca’ I have ever seen in my whole life.
But the ‘finca’ doesn’t just have this waterfall. There’s multiple natural swimming pools nestled underneath waterfalls, and tons of places to swim and relax by the river. The farm is huge and loaded with cows, horses, birds, dogs, and other wildlife.
We spent hours hiking through the farm (very hilly) with our friend Pablo (pictured below) that we picked up on the way there. We recommend you head there in the afternoon on the day you arrive and spend 3-4 hours at the farm. Trust us, it won’t disappoint.
🛌 Here are all your hotel options in Salento 🌴
3 – Take a Coffee Tour
Salento is at the heart of the coffee-growing region, so if there is ever a place to do a coffee tour … it’s here. The big decision you have is which farm to do the tour at. There are five main farms along the “Coffee Route” near Salento, and each of them offer daily coffee tours.
The farms in order are Acacias, Ocaso, Luger, Elias, and Azarcia. If you would like, you can even walk the 4-6 hours from Salento to pass by each coffee farm. This walk will take you to the town of Boquia, where you can then catch a bus back to Salento.
☕️ Book your coffee tour in Salento HERE 🌴
Some blogs will tell you to walk the “Coffee Route” but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. Just take JEEP from the center and tell them whichever coffee farm you want to go to. The road is long, narrow, and rocky, and there are plenty of cars and jeeps passing by to dust you up. There’s really much to see from the road.
We did the tour at the Luger Coffee Finca for 45,000 COP ($11.54) and would highly recommend it. From what I understand, Luger is cheaper and more local (less commercialized) then the other ones. They don’t sell their beans to any coffee shops or exporters, and the only way to get them is to go directly to the farm.
Our guide Lionel was very friendly and personable and spoke both English and Spanish. In general, everyone at this whole Finca were very nice to us, and the whole tour truly was amazing. Very engaging. We got to pick the beans from the farm, roast, grind, brew, taste, … the whole process.
In our opinion, the tour couldn’t have been much better than this one, so we can’t justify paying double the money at any of the other coffee farms nearby. Come to Luger. You don’t need a reservation. They have tours every hour on the hour.
4 – Mirador de Salento
This is a beautiful view of Salento, with Calle Real (Salento’s most famous street) clearly visible. It’s only about a 10 minute walk up the stairs, and definitely worth the view.
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#5 – Plaza de Bolivar
This plaza as nice as the plaza in Jardin, because this one let’s cars in. (Cars ruin everything!) But there’s still a church (like always) and you will undoubtedly walk through here a lot when in Salento. Great place to have a beer or Tinto (Colombian coffee).
6 – Take a stroll along Calle Real
This is the most famous street in Salento, with tons of shops, restaurants, and colorful doorways. You will no doubt find yourself walking down this street during your stay in Salento many times. The stairs to the Mirador are at the end of this street.
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#7 – Visit Filandia
Filandia is a small town about 30 minutes from Salento that can be visited in a day trip. There is the famous ‘Double Waterfall’ outside of town that is probably the main reason many go. Really though, Filandia is a smaller, more authentic Salento. You can still easily reach the Cocora Valley in 30 minutes from here, and the town has much less tourists than Salento does. Check out this post here on what to do in Filandia.
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How Long to Stay in Salento?
2.5 – 3 days seems perfect for this area. Here’s how I would schedule Salento if I was doing it again.
Day 1 – Arrive in the afternoon and visit Santa Rita La Cascada. Spend the afternoon hiking to the waterfalls and swimming in the natural pools, while taking in the beautiful scenery at the Finca. Get dinner in town.
Day 2 – Hike the Cocora Valley. This is probably the whole reason you came to Salento. Spend most of the day doing the Valley Loop, then come back and relax in town.
Day 3 – Coffee tour. I recommend Luger Coffee Finca, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.
You can walk around town and see some of the other sites in between these activities, but these are the three big ones that you wanna make sure you do before you leave.
READ 👉 The 5 Best Hikes in Medellin 🗻
Where to Stay in Salento
Salento is a very small town, and as long as you stay in the town, you are going to be able to walk anywhere. There are also a ton of eco-resorts situated in the hills outside of Salento, which I would love to stay in if I come back to the area. The one that I really wanted to stay in was Eco Hotel La Cabana, but they didn’t have any availability when I was in town. This hotel is right in the middle of a farm and surrounded by tons of nature. It’s also a lot closer to the Cocora Valley.
Here are some of the places we would recommend in Salento…
Hostel: Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel
This is where a lot of backpackers stay. Situated at the edge of town on a hill, the hostel comes with a beautiful view, free coffee all day long, and a delicious breakfast available for a small price. This is definitely the best place for solo-travelers.
🏨 Book Your Stay at Coffee Tree HERE!
Budget Hotel: Casa Pachamama
We paid $30 a night for a private room with a shared balcony. Great view of Salento. Perfect if you’re looking for quiet but still walkable to the center. Cons are no free drinking water, and no free breakfast.
Luxury: Hotel Kawa Mountain Retreat
For $180 a night you get a beautiful cabin in the mountains with a pool and wonderful food. And an amazing view. Honestly worth it for a place like Salento!
👉 Book the luxury Hotel Kawa Mountain Retreat HERE! 👈
Where to Eat in Salento
Salento has a TON of amazing places to eat at. Here are some that we tried…
Best Breakfast: Brunch de Salento
This place opens at 6 AM so you can come here before you hike the Cocora Valley. They offer a great breakfast combo for 15,000 COP. ($3.84) You can also order a bag lunch and bring it with you for the day when you hike the Cocora Valley. You should do this because the Valley loop can be 5-6 hours and you’re probably gonna want some food on your hike.
Best Lunch: Restaurante Hostal La Gata Carola
The best lunch in town. The ‘menu del dia’ here is 15,000 COP and the food is wonderful. Don’t miss this place.
Decent Lunch: El Rincon de Luci
Not as good as La Cata Carola, but a good lunch deal for 17,000 COP. This place is also very popular for lunch in Salento.
For Dinner…
El Cacharrito – Very good burgers and very friendly service. A lot of tourists come here. Great meal. About 32,000 COP for a burger and fries.
Cumana Bistro – Venezuelan restaurant – very good food and very friendly service. Will cost you about 40,000 COP.
Best Snacks in Salento
Deliciosas Empanadas Venezolanas
These are the best arepas Kelsey and I have ever had, anywhere in the world. This is a tiny little store on the other side of the bridge run by some Venezuelans. We officially classify this one as a must-visit.
Arepas Manaos
This is a tiny little stand inside a large food hall right on the main square. These Arepas are also very delicious, but not quite as good as ‘Deliciosas Empanadas Venezolanas’!
How to Get Around
To get to and from the spots around Salento you are going to want to take the famous ‘JEEP Willys’.
What are Willys?
After World War II, the American Army had a ton of JEEP’s and didn’t have a need for them, and began selling them for cheap to developing countries. Colombia was one of those countries, as a bunch of these JEEP’s were imported by the Colombian Ministry of Defense in the late 1940’s.
These JEEP’s have become a famous icon in Colombia, especially in the “coffee-growing” region of Quindio.
➡️ Read: Taxis in Colombia – Complete Guide 🇨🇴
How do the JEEP’s work? Very Important!
They all leave from the center square, and you can buy a ticket at the ticket office which is also right in the center square. A ticket is 5,000 one-way, or 10,000 round trip.
If you’re walking along the road (like to one of the coffee farms) and decide you want to take the JEEP, you can also easily flag one down if you want a ride. Just hold your hand up, hop on, and pay the 4,000 COP when you get off. It’s all part of the experience.
If you want to go to Santa Rita Cascada, you need to take a bus from the bus station. (where you got dropped off when you came to Salento) Just tell them you want to go to Boquia, as that is where the walk begins to the farm on which Santa Rita is located.
If you want detailed instructions on how to get to Santa Rita, I recommend you check out this blog post here.
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How to Get to Salento, Colombia
You can take a bus from Medellin, Bogota, or Jardin. However, it is going to be a LONG bus ride through the mountains. And it could be anywhere from 7-11 hours depending on the road conditions.
➡️ Read: How to Get to Salento in 2025 ✨
We chose to fly from Medellin to Pereira, then take the 45 minute bus ride to Salento. The flight was $35. This is what I would recommend. Once you land at Pereira you will need to take a taxi to the bus station in order to get on the bus to Salento. You can also fly to Armenia then take the bus to Salento.
🚌 Book Your Bus to Salento HERE!
Summary – Things to Do in Salento
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Salento. Salento is a wonderful little town with a ton to do. There are tons of tourists in the town, and it is very safe.
Enjoy Salento! 🇨🇴
