Hotels in Salento

Salento: Gateway to the Cocora Valley and Coffee Country

Salento sits at 1,895 metres above sea level in Colombia's Quindío department, roughly 290 km west of Bogotá. Founded in 1850, it is one of the oldest towns in the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2011. The colourful wooden balconies lining Calle Real — the pedestrian main street — are a direct expression of the bahareque vernacular architecture unique to the Eje Cafetero region.

Where to Stay and What Draws Visitors

Travellers arrive primarily to hike the Valle de Cocora, 11 km east of the town plaza, where wax palms — Colombia's national tree — reach 60 metres tall. Trout farms, coffee estate tours in the surrounding corregimiento of El Bosque, and paragliding over the Río Quindío valley fill out a typical two- to three-night stay. Accommodation ranges from family-run fincas on working coffee farms to small boutique guesthouses on the central square.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Jeeps (Willys 4x4) depart from the main plaza to Cocora every 30 minutes; the ride takes about 20 minutes.
• Weather: Salento receives two rainy seasons (April–May and October–November); the driest months are December–January and June–July.
• Altitude: At nearly 1,900 m, allow one day to acclimatise before long hikes.