Top 4: Best Experiences you can have in Salento, Colombia.

As you know, Julie and I travelled to Colombia this past July. We absolutely loved it and we would definitely recommend adding it onto your travel bucket list. One of our favorite cities was Salento; where we spent 3 days (including my bday!!!!!). Salento is a town that is well-known for their production of Colombian coffee and it’s beautiful landscape. We loved it so much that we both got a coffee plant tattoo when we came back to Montreal! I know, intense right? I’m sure you would have done the same after you travelled to Salento. So without further ado, here are the Top 4: Best Experiences you can have in Salento, Colombia.

1- Staying at El Viajero Hostel.

We are in no way paid to write this; but honestly, the view from the El Viajero Hostel is incredible. I have never seen anything like it. The hostel offers free breakfast, AND of course, free colombian coffee (probably the best coffee you will ever taste in your life). You can then enjoy this amazing drink while sitting on the “terrasse” and looking out to breathtaking scenery of vegetation and plantations. We literally spend hours just sitting there, writing, reading, talking and drinking and looking at the view.

2- Take a jeep to Cocora Valley.

Now, if you go to Salento, it’s probably because you want to see Cocora Valley and look at the highest wax palm trees in the world. (Probably the favorite thing I have done… ever! (see top #3)) what I’m about to write is super important for the experience to be crazy… beautiful. There will be Jeeps at the main plaza in town that will take you directly to the Valley. Make sure the jeep you get has a step in the back to stand up on. Ask the drivers if you can stand up at the back of the jeep during the ride to the valley or just wait until everybody is on the jeep to get on last. You will have the best view. Okay, we know it’s not 100% safe, but honestly it’s completely worth it. Just make sure you hold on to the handles especially during the picture/video taking phase you will definitely have.

3- COCORA VALLEY

The valley itself is AMAZING!!! My all time favorite thing… probably in the whole world that I have ever experienced. There are two ways to go around the valley; if you have a lot of time I would suggest doing both, if you are short on time you will have to pick one. First option is to hike the Cocora Valley, which can take 1 to 7 hours, depending on how long you have. We unfortunately didn’t hike the valley (but it’s on my bucket list for next time I go back to Salento), instead we took option two, and decided to go horseback riding. My horse was named Coquetta, and she was awesome. Julie, Mafe (our new Colombian friend) and I were guided to the valley on our horses for about 2 hours; going through little rivers, really steep mountains and endless views of the majestic palm trees. It was scary at times, especially while trying to take pictures when our horses decided to pass one another in the middle of a 50ft drop mountain passage… let’s just say they wanted to be rebels and make us (mostly Julie) freak out a bit. But we really did love every moment of this day, and we would redo it without hesitating.

4- Coffee Plantation visit

You can check online for the coffee plantation that you want to visit, but your hostel of choice will most likely have some discounts on some of the coolest places to go. Once you find a plantation to visit, you will have to apply the Top #2 of this list, but with the coffee plantation, to get the full experience. Jeeps will take you to your plantation, and mostly likely as a group, you will have a guide going through the different parts of the plantation. You learn everything there is to know about the authentic Colombian coffee and how to make it. The tour takes two hours more or less, and at the end you can sit, relax and enjoy amazing pure colombian coffee. (Get ready to drink about 4 or more cups of coffee a day when in Salento… You will not be able to stop yourself).

*bonus tip: There is this sport called Tejo (it’s more of a game than a sport to be honest), which allows you to throw metal “pucks” onto to box of clay and… explosives. All you have to do is land on one of the explosives and BOOM. It takes a while before you can actually get one to explode, it’s harder than you might think, but it gets easier with a couple of beers :).