Salento & Coffee Region

A colorful town in Colombia's coffee country, with towering wax palms in the Cocora Valley and coffee farm tours — a must for backpackers in South America.

Salento & Coffee Region lies on the western slopes of the Cordillera Central of the Andes in west-central Colombia, spanning the departments of Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas, whose capitals are Armenia, Pereira and Manizales. In 2011 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site as the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. At about 1,200–2,000 m above sea level, it enjoys spring-like weather all year, with daytime temperatures around 20–25°C. There are two rainy seasons a year; December–March and July–August are relatively dry, and the main coffee harvests run April–May and October–November. The heart of a visit is the town of Salento: its colorful Calle Real and viewpoints, a Willys jeep ride to the Cocora Valley to hike among the world's tallest wax palms, and a coffee farm outside town to try picking and roasting. Nearby you can visit quiet mountain towns such as Filandia; around Armenia there are family-friendly theme parks including the National Coffee Park, Panaca and the botanical garden; Risaralda has the Santa Rosa and San Vicente hot springs and birdwatching reserves; and in Manizales you can climb the cathedral, visit century-old haciendas and head up to the high plateau of Nevado del Ruiz. Both Armenia and Pereira have airports with flights to Bogotá and Medellín, and Salento is about 45 minutes by road from Armenia. Plan on 4–6 days, based in Salento or Filandia. Mountain weather is changeable, so bring rain gear and waterproof shoes; check in advance whether the volcano area is open.

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Itineraries