Today, we leave Armenia very early to reach Salento in a 1 hour drive. We arrive at 30:9 am in a charming, colorful little village that I immediately fall in love with!

This article summarizes what we did in and around Salento , my favorite places to eat cheaply in Salento and to stay cheaply in a very nice place…

What to see in Salento?

By the time we arrive, the village is calm and peaceful, the shops are not yet open, the streets are deserted, the birds are singing and the sun is showing its first rays ...

In short, everything is ideal for a leisurely stroll taking pictures. We relish the chance to be in such a picturesque place and take advantage of the beautiful morning light on these brightly colored facades!

So, if you want to take beautiful photos and enjoy strolling through a wonderful village almost just for you, you will have to go very early in the morning and especially not on weekends ...

To finish in style, I advise you to go to the Mirador to enjoy a beautiful panorama of the bright green mountains.

Well, I stop my lyrical flights and I volet us discover my photos:

What to do around Salento?

Following Marta's good advice, in the afternoon we set off on a hike to discover a waterfall in a generous and green natural setting.

To do this, you need to go to the bus station at the very bottom of the main street. Simply take the bus to Pereira and get off at Boquia near the bridge: 1,000 COP per trip.

After the bridge on the right, take the path as if you were going to the restaurant and follow the signs for the La Patasola Nature Reserve . Continuing along the same path, you will enter a coffee farm where you will pay 5,000 COP for entry.

There a site map is displayed and indicates access to the waterfall.

Restaurants tested in Salento

The rincon of Lucy

Here's a good place to eat cheaply in Salento (restaurant open only for lunch). It's located on Salento's main street at the corner of Calle 4 and Carrera 6.

A set menu (almuerzo corriente) is offered for 8,000 COP, or approximately €2,60 . It included soup, a plate with trout, rice, vegetables, and fruit juice.

We eat with the locals, often a bit crowded but the place is authentic!

The good steak

To eat in the evening quickly, we found a TripAdvisor award-winning fast food establishment. It is on the street leading back to our hotel. The setting is a bit cold but the food is very good.

We had a nice trout there with patacon (grade fried banana plantin pancake) + salad for 15 COP (approximately 000 Euros).

The Fonda de los Arrieros

For an inexpensive evening meal in a typical setting: La Fonda de los Arrieros (on the main square of Salento )

Patacon mixto (minced meat + tomatoes + onions + cheese on patacon): 11 COP or only 000 Euros!

Bernabé Restaurant 

Cheap HOTEL in Salento

This will be one of the best memories I will keep of Colombia: the guest house where we stayed for 3 nights: Hostal Familiar Jerico (in the center of the village of Salento ).

Much better than a simple hotel: it is (simple) accommodation in a typical and picturesque family house. The family is exceptionally kind and does not know what to do to best satisfy you. The advice and information they gave us are reliable and valuable (hikes, restaurants, excursions, etc.). And what can we say about the many coffees still offered free of charge and with an authentic smile!

In four days, we really got attached to this little family and it was with tears in our eyes that we parted…

And for those on a budget, it's a great deal: 15 Euros a night!

See this hotel on Booking

Come and discover our next day at the Cocora Valley:

What to see in the coffee region? Cocora Valley