Salento · Colombia · This or that
Salento, Colombia: a Tuscany alternative with coffee
Salento, in Colombia's coffee region, is a good alternative to Tuscany if you want green hills, small-town character and far lower prices. A stay costs a fraction of a Tuscan villa, and the area adds wax palms, coffee farms and cloud forest. Tuscany wins on art, wine and food history. Salento wins on value, scenery and quiet.
How they compare
- 1
Salento, Colombia: no crowds
Salento is a small town in the Quindío region, in the Colombian coffee axis, which is a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape. Compared with Tuscany, it costs a fraction as much for lodging and meals, and you will not meet the long lines of tour buses on Tuscan roads. Weekends and Colombian holidays can fill the main street, so midweek is calmer. The nearest airports are Pereira and Armenia, about an hour away by road.
- 2
Same green hills, better coffee
Tuscany's rolling hills have cypress trees and vineyards. Salento's are steeper and greener, with coffee bushes, banana trees and mist in the valleys. Coffee is the difference: it is grown on the surrounding farms, so a cup in town is fresh and cheap, and a farm visit shows how it moves from plant to cup. Tuscany has the better wine and cooking, and nothing in Salento matches its art cities. Think of Salento as a different trip, not a copy, with fewer tour buses.
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Salento village
The village is small enough to walk in an hour. The main square, Plaza de Bolívar, is lined with colourful houses with painted doors, and Calle Real, the main street, has craft shops and cafes. Climb the steps to the Mirador at the top of the street for a view over the valley, and look for old Willys jeeps parked in the square, which carry passengers to the Cocora Valley. Try the local trout with fried plantain, and give yourself a morning here.
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Filandia
Filandia is a quieter village about half an hour from Salento, with bright houses, wicker and basketry shops and a wooden lookout tower, the Colina Iluminada, over the coffee hills. It gets fewer visitors than Salento and feels more local. Go for a few hours, walk the streets and stop in a cafe on the main square. It pairs well with a coffee farm visit on the same day. Roads between the villages are winding, so use a driver or taxi if you do not want to drive.
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Cocora Valley
The Cocora Valley is known for its wax palms, the national tree of Colombia and the tallest palms in the world, some reaching around 60 metres. The usual walk is a loop of several hours through cloud forest, past a hummingbird reserve and back down through the palms. The trail is steep and muddy in places, so wear boots. Go early, as clouds roll in by midday, and pack a rain jacket. Families with young children can do a shorter walk among the palms.
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Coffee farm tour
Several coffee farms around Salento offer tours that take you through the whole process: picking beans, drying, roasting and then tasting. Children usually enjoy picking and seeing the machines, and the tours cost little compared with a winery visit in Tuscany. Many farms sit on the road toward Cocora, so you can combine them. Harvest times differ by farm and season, so ask before you book. Book a morning slot, when the light is good, and wear closed shoes.
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Jardín
Jardín is another colourful Andean town, in the neighbouring Antioquia region, a few hours south-west of Medellín. It is a separate trip from Salento, not a day trip. Its main square is surrounded by brightly painted chairs and cafes and faces a neo-Gothic church, and a cable car climbs to a lookout above the town. It is quieter than Salento. Combine it with Medellín rather than Salento unless you have extra days. Roads are winding and slow.
Plan it
- Best time
- December to March and July to August are the driest months, with the best chance of clear Cocora views. The region is wet at other times, and trails become muddy.
- How long
- Three or four nights covers Salento, Filandia, Cocora Valley and a coffee farm. Add two or three days if you want Jardín.
- Getting around
- Fly to Pereira or Armenia, then take a bus or taxi to Salento, about an hour. In town, you walk. Willys jeeps run to Cocora, and taxis and drivers link the nearby villages.
Good to know
- Pack layers and a rain jacket. At altitude, mornings are cool and afternoons can be wet.
- Bring cash for small shops, jeep rides and farm tours.
- Book accommodation ahead for long weekends, when Colombians travel.
Frequently asked
Is Salento, Colombia, safe for families? +
Salento is a small, relaxed tourist town and is generally regarded as safe for visitors. Use normal precautions with valuables and check current travel advice for your country before you go.
How do you get from Salento to the Cocora Valley? +
By Willys jeep from the main square, which takes about half an hour and runs through the morning. You can also take a taxi or walk, though the walk is long. Go early to catch clear weather.
How many days do you need in Salento? +
Two or three days covers the village, the Cocora Valley and a coffee farm. A fourth day lets you add Filandia or a slower morning. The town is small and the pace is slow.
Is Salento cheaper than Tuscany? +
Yes, by a wide margin. Lodging, meals and tours cost a fraction of what Tuscany asks, though flights from Europe or North America add to the overall cost of the trip.
