Salento - Coffee, Jungle, Palms

I treated myself to a flight from Cartagena to Pereira. From there, I took a bus to Salento. Salento is a small town with steep streets, colorful houses, a lively central square, many restaurants and cafes, surrounded by green mountains. The area is known for coffee cultivation. My accommodation, 'The Plantation House,' was beautifully located in the countryside with a large garden and an adjacent coffee plantation. On the first afternoon, I strolled through the alleys, climbed the viewpoint, and of course, enjoyed a cozy cup of coffee. The next morning, I joined the tour of the coffee plantation. My host, Don Eduardo, entertainingly explained the cultivation and processing of different types of coffee, and afterwards, we had the opportunity to taste freshly roasted coffee. For those who were interested, there was also the option to roast and take home their own coffee in the afternoon.

The next day, we went to the beautiful Cocora Valley. I teamed up with Emily and Marika from Canada. We decided to leave relatively early to avoid the crowds, as it was Colombian Independence Day. At 7:30 a.m., we were taken to the starting point of the 6-hour hike in colorful vintage jeeps. The hike initially led through a wide green valley, past the famous giant wax palms (palma de cera) that tower above the cloud forest. My tour guide aptly describes the valley as the tropical version of Switzerland. The mountains and palms were still covered in clouds early in the morning, which added a mystical touch. After a long ascent, we finally reached La Montana with a fantastic view. From there, we descended steeply into the jungle, walked along the muddy river, and crossed several somewhat dubious wooden suspension bridges. It felt like a light Indiana Jones adventure. The hike was truly one of the highlights of my trip through Colombia.