Salento & surroundings
As a wannabe hipster, I visited Salento, a key area in Colombia’s coffee making region. In Salento, you can try fresh coffee and enjoy an array of activities. During my time in the small town, I walked through the jungle in a pair of Janoskis, went to thermal springs during a thunderstorm and got caught breaking back into my hostel after a drunken night out.
Walkable from Salento, the Ocaso Coffee House Tour gives a good impression of where the ‘best coffee in the world’ comes from. Our coffee guide was pleasant and knowledgeable about coffee- which probably isn’t a surprise.
On the tour, you can see the whole coffee making process while picking some of the fruit yourself. I’d recommend the tour for those who want to impress their friends with their coffee knowledge. If you want a flex by having the best coffee at your house- this is certainly a thing to do.
There’s also a coffee shop where you can enjoy coffee tasting while looking over the valley. It’s spectacular scenery with spectacular coffee. Coffee testing options are available and it is worth testing out different beans with different roasting processes because there is a significant difference between them. I tried ‘natural’ coffee for the first time, it’s when the coffee fruit as a whole is put through the coffee making process- this is different as usually the bean is isolated from the fruit. A ‘natural’ coffee is extremely bitter and I’m not sure I’ll go for it again, but it was nice to have tried a variety of coffee from different roasting processes.
In the shop there was also a bird feeder where hummingbirds can be seen regularly. It really is a great place to go.
If you’re not up for the walk, you can get a jeep to the farm and hang off the back if you want- it’s fun just be sure to hold on tight.
Coffee tours
Fresh coffee beans, straight from the fruit
A relaxing moment at the coffee shop
The local humming bird
The coffee drying process
The coolest dog
Sorting coffee beans
A good view for a refreshment on the way to the coffee farm
A photo op on the hike
The Cocora Valley is one of the highlights of going to Salento and there’s great scenery. I teamed up with some folks from the hostel to do the ‘Valle de Cocora Loop’ hike. At an estimated 10.6km the hike is moderate but throw altitude and heat in the mix and things can get a bit sweaty. Also make sure you’re properly kitted up. Bring plenty of water, a waterproof and have adequate shoes- not a pair of Janoskis. The hike isn’t one of the hardest in the world, but I would’ve enjoyed it more with a decent pair of shoes.
The first part of the hike is mostly switchbacks and if I’m honest, it wasn’t the most interesting in the world. It’s cool to be hiking through the jungle though. However, when you get to the top and the valley starts to open up, you are treated to some epic views. When we got up there, it was quite cloudy which was a bit of a shame but when the valley would appear through the clouds, giving us the occasional good sights. Due to the climate, it seems more likely than not the valley will be in the clouds, but as you descend, more of the valley comes into view.
You also have to pay $15,000 COP (£2.89) to get into the actual Cocora Valley park. Hardly a bank breaker.
Enjoy some places to sit and chill out. I also tried some of the local fudge-type stuff, I have no idea what it actually was, but it was nice and some much-needed sugar after the hike.
To get to the hike, you can- again- jump on the back of the Jeeps. To get to the valley it costs $4,700 COP (£0.84), and is a great journey.
Cocora Valley
Santa Rosa de Cabal Thermal Baths
The thermal baths around Salento are a very relaxing and worth a visit if you have the opportunity. Keep in mind, getting there can be difficult. When I went, it took 3 separate buses to get to spas and I missed the last bus back to Salento. I’m still not sure about the timings, many hostels and agencies do organised tours so the stress is taken out of things. If you take this option, it is more likely to be expensive, but because I missed the bus, it ended up costing me the same anyway.
As I approached the thermal spa, a thunderstorm broke out and, truth be told, I was apprehensive about jumping into the spa. The apprehension didn’t go away as the thunderstorm got worse.
There were a few benefits of being in the thermal spa during a thunderstorm though. Firstly, the rain from the thunderstorm was relaxing while falling on my face giving a contrast of hot and cold. The waterfall that overlooks the spas was also raging due to the excess rainfall, making for a very cool viewing as the pools closest to the waterfall had to be closed in fear that some debris might get spat from the waterfall.
Pottering about
Salento is a great place to spend the day doing a whole lot of nothing. Due to its close location to the coffee plantations, there is an abundance of great coffee shops to bounce to and from. In Salento, I’d recommend the coffee shop Café Jesús Martín. Café Jesús Martín is up there with the coolest coffee shops I’ve ever been in, and the coffee is elite.
One restaurant worth checking out is ‘The Vegetarian Butcher’, I had a cheap, delicious 3 course meal there and the owner is one of the friendliest blokes you could ever meet. Despite the name, there are still meat options available.
There’re also a few bars and this and that to enjoy your evening if you find yourself with a group. One authentic bar is Bar Danubio. Here you can play a game called ‘Tejo’ where you have a piece of lead and throw it towards, essentially a dart board made out of mud. There is a small bullseye made from gunpowder- so if you hit it- expect a bang.
After a boozy night, I was heading back to my hostel a little later than I should’ve been. The door was locked, and no one was coming out to let me in. In the heat of a hazy moment I made the decision to climb over the wall to get into the hostel. However, at the exact moment when half my body was on hostel premises a member of staff came out to let me in and saw me one foot over the fence and one foot out.
After a ‘hiya mate’, I headed in and went our separate ways. A bit of an awkward one.
While that encapsulates what I got up to in Salento, there’s still loads of options for things to do in Salento. For example, if you’re a keen mountain biker, there’s loads of options for trails catering for all abilities. There’s also an abundance of coffee ‘fincas’, where, if you wanted, you could spend weeks visiting and comparing everyone. It’s also possible to go on volcano tours, (something I wanted to do but was unable due to recent activity) horse riding tours and so much more. I think you get the point, it’s hard to get bored in Salento.
