5 Things You Should Do While In Salento, Columbia The town of Salento is only 100 miles from the Columbian capital city of Bogota and lies in the heart of the country’s coffee growing region. It is also a community of very talented craftsmen and artisans famous for their jewelry and artifacts made from Bamboo. There are plenty of things to do in Salento, Columbia; we list some for you: Take A Walk Across The Village: Salento is famous for preserving the Paisa architecture – a cheerful style where rows of houses are painted in white, but the wooden shutters that serve as windows and doors are painted in bright colors with a tiny balcony (similarly decorated) in each home. All you have to do is walk down from Calle Real towards the plaza to find a variety of these homes that seem to be competing with each other to have the brightest façade. It’s not just the homes that are colorfully painted – as Dale Dunlop of The Maritime Explorer observes, “there is local representative art everywhere.” Go Trout Tasting In Salento: Not many people know, but trout is a local specialty in Salento, with every restaurant offering the fish in a variety of ways – fried, grilled, or cooked in garlic—they are then served with huge patacones. There are several restaurants famous for their trout dishes; don’t forget to ask a local for recommendations. Walk Up To A Mirador: Mirador is a Spanish word for turrets or towers designed to offer a panoramic view of a scenic place. At the end of Calle Real, you can walk around 250 colorful steps for a view of the homes, the green fields and farms that surround the town. Visit A Coffee Farm: When you’re in the heart of a coffee cultivating region, it would be a sin not to take a tour of one of the many coffee farms. There are many coffee farms in the area – a majority of them are huge, but some are small family owned farms selling artisanal coffee beans that have been picked by hand and only sell locally. A local guide can take you on a tour explaining about the production process, from picking berries to roasting and grinding. You also get to sip on some great tasting coffee brewed freshly just for you! Take Up One Of The Many Adventure Activities: One of the main attractions around Salento is the wonderful natural landscape around the town. You could either go hiking in the surrounding mountains or opt to paraglide from the mountain.
You could go horse riding to the Los Nevedos National Natural Park to wonder at the Quindio wax palm –supposedly, one of the tallest palm trees in the world. Resource Box: The Author loves traveling and has visited Columbia several times. He helps fellow visitors explore the country and writes about the many things to do in Salento and the many other places he’s visited.