Aug 31, 2009 - Colombia: Taganga to Salento

The next few days (and indeed most of the last week now) were spent hobbling around Taganga, being given medical care on my knee by friendly shopkeepers, and then Cartagena as we booked flights to a town called Salento in the Zona Cafetera. ... We had been recommended to visit Salento, a small town in the rolling green hills of the coffee area which turned out to be fantastic with locals wandering around in cowboy hats and gumboots. ... Salento is also close to the Cocora Valley which is home to the Colombian national symbol, the wax palm which can grow to around 30m tall, and some of the biggest cows I´ve seen. ... It was really interesting to see another side of Colombia - while touristy, Salento is more orientated at local tourism and doesn´t seem to have progressed to the level on the coast where prices seem to change according to how uch the locals think they can get from you - this seems to apply even for things like bottles of water from the same shop!! Frustrating. ...

Jan 6, 2009 - Finally, a Small Town

After spending every day on this trip in major cities, today we got into the country to Salento, a small mountain town just an hour´s bus ride from Pereira. ... Full of arts and crafts stores, it was an easy place to kill a few hours.After spending every day on this trip in major cities, today we got into the country to Salento, a small mountain town just an hour´s bus ride from Pereira. ... Full of arts and crafts stores, it was an easy place to kill a few hours....

Feb 1, 2008 - Tranquil Salento and the beautiful coffee district

We loved Salento, and could happily live there!! It's a small town, with lots of friendly people, lots of horses, and a very pretty hostel with 3 beautiful collies and lots of cats! We spent our first day here visiting a traditional coffee farm, which was fascinating (and we even quite liked the coffee!), and watching the Cavalgatta (a horse regatta in which LOTS of Colombians ride around the town and local villages getting increasingly drunk and singing!) - Tara even rode with them for a bit! The next day, we took a van up to Corcora to hike a loop around the hills and valley, and to see the hummingbirds that live there (literally hundreds of them, and 7 different types), drink hot chocolate with cheese (!), and see the incredible wax palms, which are unimaginably tall and straight. ... Sitting under a palm in the sunshine in this beautiful valley, we could happily have never left! We spent another couple of days in Salento (it really was hard to leave!) wandering around the town, riding horses (tho Da didn't love that bit - he fell off - twice! - and once in a river, which was terrifying - apparently no-one told him you're supposed to sit on the horse not try to get the horse to sit on you!), eating fantastic trout, and relaxing in the sun. ...

Aug 20, 2007 - Salento: Getting waxed and addicted to coffee in Salento

Next stop on my Colombian tour was in Salento in the heart of La Zona Cafetera (The Coffee Zone). ... phew! I'm feeling really depressed about my lack of culinary skills in the kitchen as over the next few days in Salento we set up a cooking rota where all the guys (except yours truly) starting whipping out gastronomic delights for the whole group to share. ... Then finally Andy and Kate cooked up this really nice chickem casserol dish, yep we ate really well here :-) When in Salento the main things to do are either sit around and do nothing, while admiring the fact that you're in a fabulously beautiful part of the world, do one of the many treks available in the area, go and visit countless coffee fincas and of course go and see the huge wax palm trees - and by huge I mean about 200 feet!! We opted to spend the first day trekking in the hot sun taking in the wonderful scenery with the aim of visiting a couple of the local fincas. ...

Nov 24, 2004 - Salento

Set ini the coffee growing district of Colommmbia, Salento is a little piece of Paradise which is peaceful and has brilliant views from my hostel window.Set ini the coffee growing district of Colommmbia, Salento is a little piece of Paradise which is peaceful and has brilliant views from my hostel window....