Salento was my third stop on my trip through South America, after arriving in Capurgana on the north coast of Colombia by boat, then spending two weeks in Medellin. I was heading south as quickly as possible because I had a long way to go if I was going to make it to Chile on time (long story), so, yes, I missed almost the entire Caribbean coast of Colombia. Instead of seeing this as a sad thing, I have decided to view it as a convenient excuse to go back one day and finish the “Colombia” section of this website.
Anyway, let’s talk about Salento. Why Salento? Salento’s tourism industry has been thriving over the past few years, and most of the people I met whilst backpacking in Colombia had already been to Salento or were on their way there. It’s a very small town in the coffee region of Colombia which charms tourists with tours of local coffee farms (fincas) and a proximity to Cocora Valley and its very famous, very tall palm trees.
Despite being such a small town, there’s an overwhelming number of options when it comes to choosing where to stay in Salento. But don’t worry, I’m on it! Whether you want the best hostel around or the cheapest, or a boutique hotel is more your thing, I have a whole list of recommendations ready to go.
I have to give my usual disclosure that, of course, I have not stayed in every one of these hotels and hostels (now that would be impressive). However, you meet so many different people when you travel solo that you get a good vibe for what’s around.
All of my recommendations come from real people. They’re either places that I’ve stayed in or visited (if you read my last article on travelling to Salento from Medellin then you’ll know that I accidentally-on-purpose spent the night on the sofa in my friend Ashlee’s hostel, and I went there for breakfast twice, too), gone to for a drink, heard about from a friend or been recommended by a local.
I’ve decided to break this list down by the different areas of Salento that you can choose to stay in, because they’re quite distinct and where you choose to stay in Salento will give you quite a different experience.
Read more about Colombia: How to Get from Capurgana to Medellin
Where to Stay Near Salento’s Main Square
The main square of Salento is basically what it says on the tin – a lively square with a lot to see, lined with restaurants and bars that give a romantic, holiday-vibe to the town. If you’re going for holiday vibes then I would definitely recommend staying around here because this is where all the best rated places to eat and drink are.
I was sat having a beer outside a restaurant here in Salento’s main square with a few friends I’d made along the way when a stranger came over and excitedly told us that this place had the best sangria he’d ever tried. So, of course, we had to try it, and it was pretty damned good. It had a lot of ingredients that were served right there in front of us, which usually isn’t a good thing when it comes to alcoholic beverages but, what can I say, it worked. We also ended up eating dinner there which was pretty nice too – it’s called Parrilla y Vinos Juan Esteban.
Anyway, there are also a lot of fancy-looking hotels in this area, the kind that usually come with concierge services and hot tubs. (Not that I would know, I mostly saw them from the bar area). If you’re looking for 5-star hotel vibes, this is the kind of area to be looking at. You couldn’t find a more central location, you’re seconds from the best restaurants in town, and in my opinion you can get a very luxury hotel for a really good price.
Best Hotels in Salento
Hotel Kawa Mountain Retreat (this one is not so close to the plaza but had to be mentioned in the “hotels” section)
Hospedaje Vista Hermosa Salento
Read more about Colombia: Where to Stay in Medellin
Where to Stay in Salento’s Hostel Corner
Important note: “Hostel Corner” is not an official name, nor one of those unofficial names given by gringos. This is just a me thing, this is what I called it in my head when I was navigating Salento.
So, if you can imagine our luck (mostly based on the ordeals of my last article), the corner of Salento where all of the hostels are is indeed the opposite side of town to where the bus drops you off. Whilst, yes, that’s less than a 20 minute walk, it’s still far from ideal when you’re stranded at 3am. Anyway, if you search “hostels in Salento” on Google Maps then you’ll see that all of the hostels in Salento are bunched up in one corner.
All of the hostels I saw in this area were of pretty decent quality, apart from the one I stayed in which was, of course, the cheapest. I haven’t mentioned it because I don’t like to give businesses bad reviews unless they really deserve it, and they didn’t do anything majorly wrong.
They’re all walking distance from the main square, and although Salento is a pretty safe place, I would still advise against walking alone at night, especially as a solo traveller. The hostel with the best vibe seemed to be the Viajero, although a friend said it was difficult to make friends there, which is my general experience of Viajero hostels. Good vibes, but not very social. There was a big shared lounge, amazing views of the garden, and a nice outdoor area. They also have a lot of double rooms, which may contribute to the not-so-social vibes.
Best Hostels in Salento
Where to Stay in the Fincas in Salento
So, here’s your third, not-so-hidden option if you’re not so fussed about spending time in Salento town. There are some seriously beautiful places to stay around Salento in the fincas with incredible mountain views. Whilst Salento town is a good location, staying on a finca will provide you with a more unique experience. These places range in price a lot, from hostels to boutique hotels, with everything from free breakfast to free bikes to take around the local coffee farms.
If you’re more interested in staying close to coffee farms, take accommodation to the west of Salento, where most of the fincas are. If you’re more interested in staying close to Cocora Valley, stay to the west of Salento. Either way, you’re pretty much guaranteed to stay in a beautiful place if you decide to stay in a more remote location near Salento.
The only thing to be aware of is getting to and from your chosen accommodation, which may not be so easy if you’re outside of Salento town. Make sure to book your travel to arrive with plenty of daylight remaining so you have time to get there!