Is Salento Colombia Worth Visiting? (9 Reasons You Should Definitely Visit)

Trying To Plan Out Your Trip To Colombia And Wondering Whether Or Not The Town Of Salento Is Worth Visiting?

As a former Colombia resident (I lived right here in the Coffee Region), one of my first weekend trips was to the small town of Salento, and although it’s a little far from typical major tourist cities and it can get a little touristy (more details on these below), it’s a top must-see destination in Colombia in my opinion and it’s most definitely worth visiting for nature, hiking, and outdoor lovers.

⛰ Reasons Why Salento, Colombia Is Definitely Worth Visiting

After living here and exploring more than 20 destinations around Colombia, Salento remains one of my absolute favorites and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves hiking, insanely beautiful views, small towns, or coffee (even though I don’t drink it 😬).

An Epic Hike

Hiking is the absolute best thing to do in Salento.

I spent a lot of my youth in Arizona so I was never really impressed with nature (it’s very brown and dusty there), but when I came to Colombia and went on my first hike in Salento, I fell in love with the outdoors.

The famed Cocora Valley hike is the main reason I think Salento is one of the top places worth visiting in Colombia, but expect a hard and exhausting trail with steep sections and a river to cross while shimmying along a rock wall.

I did the hike alone, following the Valle de Cocora to Acaime loop trail counterclockwise (skipping the Hummingbird House), and didn’t have any issues, but there are guided hiking tours available if that makes you feel more comfortable, plus there are many other hiking trails in the area.

➡️ Tip: If you love hiking and adventurous activities like me, check out the Nevado de Santa Isabel glacier hike nearby

Insanely Beautiful Views

The nature surrounding this area is some of the most beautiful that I've ever seen.

While the entire country is gorgeous, its beauty is one of the main reasons I suggest Colombia is worth visiting, the nature surrounding Salento just has a different level of beauty.

After hiking through the trees and crossing the river before making it up to the summit of the Cocora Valley hike, I was stunned by some of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen and the pictures don’t even come close to doing it justice.

A Cute & Quaint Small Town

Salento is worth visiting to see what a typical small town in Colombia looks like.

Salento is a cute and quaint small town that’s a wonderful place to wander around listening to locals play music, admiring the colorful buildings, or seeing the view from above at Cerro Mirador.

Medellin replicates this type of small town at Pueblito Paisa, but Salento is the real deal.

Heart Of The Coffee Region

There are coffee farms all over this area and there's even an organic farm nearby.

Although I’m not a coffee drinker (everyone here thought I was crazy), Salento is the perfect place to explore coffee farms (it’s in the heart of the Coffee Region after al, and to learn more about this important part of Colombian culture, plus there’s even an organic coffee farm nearby at Finca Momota.

Adventurous Activities

Mountain biking and horseback riding are other popular adventurous ways to explore some of Salento’s nature, but be extra selective about which business you choose to support here for horseback riding (I didn’t ride here but I saw lots of horses that did not look well taken care of).

Pretty Easy To Get To

Salento isn’t necessarily convenient to reach from big cities like Bogota, Medellin, or Cartagena, but when you fly into the capital city of the Coffee Region, Pereira, it’s very simple and easy to get to.

Uber’s are available and safe, but a pretty expensive way to get here
Taxi’s are available, but typically more expensive, not as nice, and not always as safe
Private transfers are easy, safe, and nice
Day trip tours from Pereira are the most convenient
Busses from Pereira are cheap, safe, and super easy (go to the Transportation Terminal, find a booth for Salento, get on the bus)
driving yourself in Colombia is not typically recommended

Spring-Like Weather

The Coffee Region has lovely year round weather with temperatures between the 50s and 70s (perfect for hiking), but rain is very common here with it’s lowest rainfall month (January) still seeing an average of 15 days.

I lived in Pereira and rain came nearly everyday (I loved watching the storms roll in), but usually only in the morning or the afternoon, not both, and rain doesn’t usually stop activities here.

Decent Food

Salento gets lots of tourists so there's actually a good amount of places to eat here.

Despite being a small town, Salento has lots of restaurants and surprisingly some healthier options, plus the main square also has pop up restaurants for quick cheap meals.

Best Salento Restaurants:

Generally Safe

While most of Colombia is pretty safe, Salento is a town worth visiting because its usually very safe and welcoming to tourists.

Small towns in Colombia are typically pretty safe, and with the amount of tourism Salento gets, it’s generally a safe area.

I’m a super careful and cautious person, but as I went all over this area alone (hiking, walking around town, riding the bus, etc.) I never felt unsafe nor did I feel like I needed to be on a super high alert.

❌ Why Salento, Colombia Might Not Be Worth Visiting

I think Salento is definitely worth visiting, but others might prefer to stick to larger cities in Colombia.

Aside from changing the breathtakingly beautiful nature surrounding Salento, Colombia, nothing could make me think it’s not worth visiting, but these few drawbacks might make some think twice:

Salento has continued to get more touristy over the years
This area has some of the best hiking, but if you’re not much of a nature fan, you’ll probably find it boring
No matter the season, it rains a lot in the Coffee Region so clothes, shoes, etc. can get wet and dirty (especially out hiking)
Salento is 4+ hours from popular tourist cities in Colombia like Bogota, Medellin, Cali, or Cartagena (Pereira being the closest at about 1.5 hours)
If you’ve got limited time in Colombia, Salento might seem too far out of the way and not worth visiting just to see some mountains and palm trees

🔁 Sum Up: Is Salento, Colombia Worth Visiting?

The cute and quaint Coffee Region town of Salento might take a little bit more time and effort to reach compared to other destinations in Colombia, but the spectacular nature and adventurous experiences you can have here make it well worth visiting in my outdoor loving opinion.