Salento is a small town in Colombia’s coffee region (also known as the coffee triangle or Eje Cafetero) that’s popular amongst tourists thanks to its proximity to the Cocora Valley and many small coffee fincas (coffee farms). Salento is a great place to visit if you want to try the local Colombian coffee and find out a little about how it’s made
A Salento coffee tour will typically contain a tour, either in English or in Spanish, of around 1-2 hours that will show you around the coffee plantations, teach you about the coffee plants, show you how the coffee is harvested and processed and, of course, ends with a good cup of coffee.
Salento Coffee farms also often grow banana trees, and on the tour we did at Finca Don Elias, we got to try a locally grown banana too!
I went to Salento when travelling in South America at the start of this year, and despite having an interesting start to our trip (almost getting stranded with nowhere to stay at 2am after travelling from Medellin to Salento by bus), we had a really great time. As well as taking a coffee tour and exploring the town, we also did the classic Cocora Valley hike.
In this article I’ll run through the different coffee fincas you can find in Salento, how to choose the right one, and how to get there.
Read more about Colombia: How to Get from Medellin to Salento
Choosing The Right Coffee Farm in Salento
If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you probably have some strong opinions on the type of coffee tour you want to take in Salento. For me, as a very average-level Nespresso drinker, I was quite happy to follow along and visit the coffee farm picked by my friend. We heard great things about many of the coffee farms in Salento and I’m sure you’ll have a great time no matter which one you go to, but if you are after something specific here is some information about the most popular coffee farms in Salento.
Finca Don Elias
Finca de Don Elias is a small, family-run coffee farm that offers a 1-hour tour, followed by a complimentary cup of coffee (which you can expect on all coffee tours in Salento). The tour is led personally by Don Elias himself or his English-speaking son, which gives you an intimate look at traditional coffee production methods.
As I mentioned earlier, this was the tour that we did, and we learned about the different coffee varieties grown on the farm and saw the whole process of coffee production, from harvesting the coffee cherries to roasting the beans. This is one of the most popular coffee farm tours in Salento as it’s a family business and you often get to speak to the owner himself!
Finca Cafetera La Abundancia
Finca Cafetera La Abundancia is also a family-run business, which offers a more in-depth, 2-hour coffee tour. The tour includes a coffee tasting, a demonstration of the coffee production process, and a visit to see the coffee plants themselves. This farm is known for its use of organic and sustainable farming practices, which are highlighted throughout the tour. You can gain a deeper appreciation for the care and attention that goes into growing and processing high-quality Colombian coffee here.
Finca El Ocaso Salento
Finca El Ocaso Salento is a larger, more commercial coffee farm that provides a 1.5-hour premium coffee tour for a slightly higher price than some of the others. The tour offers an in-depth coffee tasting workshop and an extensive look at the various stages of coffee production. While they do not use fully organic methods, the farm employs ecological farming practices to cultivate its coffee. This tour provides a more comprehensive and professional experience compared to some of the smaller, family-run fincas in the area.
Finca La Arzacia
Finca La Arzacia offers a 2-hour Colombian coffee farm tour that covers the entire coffee production process, from harvesting to roasting. Visitors can also enjoy a tasting of the farm’s organic coffee. Throughout the tour, the guides emphasise the sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming methods used at Finca La Arzacia. This provides tourists with an educational experience that highlights the importance of responsible coffee cultivation.
Las Acacias Coffee Farm is a small, hillside operation that offers a 1-hour intimate coffee tour that offers a glimpse into the daily life and coffee cultivation practices of a traditional coffee farm. Guests can enjoy free tastings of the farm’s coffee and have the opportunity to tip the guides if they wish. This is one of the most affordable and authentic coffee experiences available in Salento, connecting tourists directly with the local coffee growers.
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How to Get to the Coffee Fincas in Salento
There are basically two ways to get to the coffee farms in Salento: you can walk (usually 40-60 minutes, depending on which one you go to), or you can take a collectivo Jeep from the main square in Salento.
We wanted to save our energy for the Cocora Valley hike the next day, so we decided to take the Jeep. Honestly, taking the Jeep was a bit of a wild ride and one of the best things about the day we spent exploring Salento’s coffee farms.
The Jeeps go from the main plaza in Salento, and you really can’t miss it. There is a small wooden hut where you buy your ticket, and usually a queue lining up to get onto the many Jeeps coming and going from the square. When we took the Jeep to Cocora Valley there wasn’t a queue, so we just walked right up and paid before we got on, but if there is a queue you have to go to the booth to buy your ticket first, and then queue up. Don’t make the mistake of getting into the queue without a ticket!
The easiest way to do it, if you’re visiting coffee plantations, is to buy an all-in-one ticket. We paid around $10 for the Jeep to and from the farm, as well as entrance to coffee the farm itself.
The Jeeps look like they should fit about six people in each, but we saw as many as thirteen in one! In the back of the truck they squish 8-10 people onto benches, then the lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you see it) few at the back stand on the bumper step, hold onto the railings, and duck when a low tree branch approaches.
How Much Does a Coffee Tour in Salento Cost?
If you’re taking one of the standard tours, they usually charge 10,000-20,000COP ($2.50-$5). As I mentioned above, if you take a package that includes Jeep transportation, expect to pay around 40,000 COP ($10 USD). If you want to take a private tour, you may need to book in advance and it will cost quite a bit more, which varies from farm to farm.
Finca El Ocaso offers a more premium tour and charges 40,000 COP ($10 USD) excluding transportation.