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 have done in and around Salento, my good addresses for eat cheap in Salento and to sleep cheap 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?
On Marta's good advice, in the afternoon, we leave for hiking to discover a waterfall in a generous and green nature.
To do this, you have to go to the bus station at the bottom of the main street. Just take the bus to Pereira and go down to boquia at the bridge: 1 COP per trip.
After the bridge on the right, take the path as if to go to the restaurant and follow the Reserve Natural la Patasola. Always following the same path, you will enter a coffee finca where you will pay 5 COP entry.
There a site map is displayed and indicates access to the waterfall.
Restaurants tested in Salento
The rincon of Lucy
Here is the right address for eat cheap in Salento (restaurant open only for lunch). It is located in the main street of Salento at the corner of Calle 4 and Carrera 6.
A single menu (almuerzo corriente) is offered for 8 COP or about 2,60 €. It included a soup, a plate with trout, rice, vegetables and a 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
To eat cheap in the evening in a typical setting: La Fonda de los Arrieros (in 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
It will be one of the best memories I will keep from 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 small budgets, it's a good plan: 15 Euros per night !
See this hotel on Booking
Come and discover our next day at the Cocora Valley:
Hello Coco.
Thank you very much for your blog. It is really very useful.
I have a few questions for you.
On this stage: Armenia-Salento, with which travel agency did you transfer from Salento to Armenia or did you take the bus?
And again (in the next step): did you use the same agency to visit the Cocora and Filandia valley?
thank you in advance
Hello,
For all private drivers, we went through Colombia Infinita (Pierre VERGER (57) 3208125670 pierreverger @ colombiainfinita.com).
For information, our driver for the BOGOTA-VILLAVIEJA and VILLAVIEJA-ARMENIA trips was Carlos RUBIANO (+ 57 3158390610). We had to do Armenia-Salento by bus but in the end we preferred to ask Carlos who kindly accepted. To visit the Valley of Cocora and Filandia, you can easily find 4 × 4 jeeps in the square of Salento that make the daily trips for cheap!