Salento
Salento and its surroundings, an honest guide.
The finca is your base, not where everything happens: Cocora, coffee and the páramo are separate outings. Here we separate what's walkable, what's a short ride and what takes a whole day.
Vereda Boquía
One bus from Salento. A different pace altogether.
Boquía is the rural vereda where the finca sits, among the river, pastures, forest and dirt lanes. It's real countryside: roosters at dawn, mist drifting up and down, neighbours who say hello.
The Santa Rita waterfalls are in the same vereda, reached through private land; the path passes tunnels from the old Armenia–Ibagué railway, which was never finished. Near Salento there's also the Kasaguadua Nature Reserve, with forest walks.
- Finca location
- Finca La Diana, Vereda Boquía, Salento, Quindío
- Santa Rita waterfalls
- In Boquía; access through private land as listed
- Kasaguadua reserve
- Near Salento; visits per its website as listed
- Ask us the evening before about trail conditions.
- On weekend afternoons, buses through Boquía can be packed.
Salento town
Flower-filled balconies and painted doors.
Salento is the oldest town in the region, 25 km from Armenia. Its bahareque houses, built from bamboo, wood and earth, have brightly painted façades and balconies overflowing with plants and ferns.
Around the main square you'll find the town hall, the Nuestra Señora del Carmen church, cafés and shops. From there Calle Real (Carrera 6), lined with craft shops, climbs to the Alto de la Cruz staircase, one of the region's best viewpoints.
After the August 2026 earthquake, Salento is welcoming visitors; check current conditions before you travel.
- Distance from the finca
- ≈1.5–2 km; about 45 min on foot along a country path
- Calle Real
- Carrera 6, from the square to Alto de la Cruz
- Average temperature
- About 18 °C
- Situation after the earthquake
- Welcoming visitors; check conditions before travelling as listed
- Climb Alto de la Cruz early, when skies tend to be clearest.
- Try trout, the local speciality.
Cocora Valley
The tallest palms reward early risers.
The valley of the wax palm, Colombia's national tree, which can reach 60 metres. The yellow-eared parrot depends on it. There are ecological trails and horseback rides.
It isn't at the finca: it's a day trip from Salento. The usual loop takes 4 to 6 hours, and part of it crosses private land that charges a cash fee, with variable rates best confirmed on site.
- Wax palm
- National tree, up to 60 m
- Willys jeeps
- Leave Salento's square when full; in high season, from Calle 3 with Carrera 3 as listed
- Last jeep back
- Around 18:00–18:30 · check locally as listed
- Loop hike
- 4–6 h as listed
- Go early: mist and rain often arrive after midday.
- Rubber boots, a rain jacket and cash in small notes.
Coffee farms
Here the landscape comes in a cup.
Salento lies in the Coffee Cultural Landscape. Several farms open their plantations to show coffee's journey from plant to cup.
Two we know: Finca El Ocaso, also featured by Colombia Travel, and Finca Cafetera Don Elías, a family farm growing its own organic coffee. Times, languages and rates are on each farm's website; book with them directly.
- Finca El Ocaso
- Coffee tours; details on its website as listed
- Finca Don Elías
- Tours in Spanish and English, per its website as listed
- Rates
- Variable; confirm with each farm to be confirmed
- Pair the visit with a walk and be back in time for sunset at the finca.
Birds and forest
A region you hear before you see.
The wax palm sustains the yellow-eared parrot, one of Cocora's most striking birds. At the finca we've filmed hummingbirds among the garden flowers, though nobody can guarantee sightings.
Near Salento, Reserva La Patasola protects 150 hectares of humid forest with ecological trails, waterfalls, flowers and birdwatching, according to Colombia Travel.
- Yellow-eared parrot
- Depends on the wax palm
- Reserva La Patasola
- 150 ha of humid forest near Salento
- Hummingbirds at the finca
- Frequent in the garden; sightings not guaranteed as listed
- Binoculars, muted colours and quiet: the three keys.
- The first hours of the day are the liveliest.
Los Nevados National Natural Park
High mountains: with a guide, insurance and patience.
From Salento, via the Cocora road, you reach the park's Quindío–Dulima sector, on the way to Nevado del Tolima. This is páramo and high mountain terrain, with sub-zero temperatures and altitude: not an easy walk.
According to the official National Parks page, all entry is with a REPSE-registered operator or guide and with mandatory accident insurance. For Quindío–Dulima you book 5 business days ahead through your operator, and the Valle del Cocora attention point opens 6:00 to 10:00.
Minimum age 15 in this sector and maximum 69 across the park. There are three scheduled five-day closures a year. Check the official page before you go.
- Status
- Open (official page, read 22 Oct 2026)
- Guide and insurance
- Mandatory
- Quindío–Dulima booking
- 5 business days ahead, via an operator
- Closures
- Week after Holy Week; from the 4th Monday of September; from the 4th Monday of November
- Pick your operator early: the booking goes through them.
- Tell your operator if it's your first time at high altitude.
The Willys jeeps
The mountain's unofficial taxi.
Colourful Willys jeeps wait in Salento's square and are the usual way to reach Cocora and the trails towards Los Nevados. Locally they're also called yipaos.
They leave when full, with no official published timetable. Fares change, so ask at the departure point.
- Departure point
- Main square; in high season, Calle 3 with Carrera 3 as listed
- Frequency
- Leave when full as listed
- Fare
- Variable; confirm on the spot to be confirmed
- Go early to avoid queues in high season.
Transport
How to reach the finca
No fixed timetables or fares: transport changes often. Here's the route; for the last stretch we'll guide you on WhatsApp.
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From central Salento
- On foot: about 45 minutes along a country path to the vereda of Boquía.
- By bus: according to the posada, buses pass often on the main road; ask to be dropped at Boquía.
- By taxi: a short ride from town.
- Message us on WhatsApp and we'll send directions for the last stretch to the finca.
Distances and times as stated by the posada on Hostelworld; after rain the walking path can be muddy. as listed
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From Armenia
- Go to Armenia's bus terminal (Terminal de Transportes de Armenia).
- Take a bus towards Salento: the ride takes around 1 hour and, according to bus timetable sites, there are frequent departures during the day.
- Ask the driver to drop you at Boquía, before you reach town.
- Check the last stretch to the finca with us on WhatsApp.
We don't publish timetables or fares, as they change. Check at the terminal. as listed
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From Pereira
- From Pereira's bus terminal there are direct buses to Salento, with fewer departures than from Armenia, especially on weekdays.
- If the times don't work, go to Armenia first and take the Salento bus from there.
- Ask to be dropped at Boquía and message us for the last stretch.
Departures from Pereira are less frequent; confirm them before you travel. as listed
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From Bogotá or Medellín
- There's no direct bus to Salento: take a long-distance bus to Armenia or Pereira.
- Connect there to the bus towards Salento.
- Ask to be dropped at Boquía and message us for the last stretch.
These are long mountain-road journeys; check schedules with the bus companies. as listed
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Nearby airports
- Armenia's El Edén Airport (AXM) and Pereira's Matecaña Airport (PEI).
- From either one, continue by taxi or head to the city bus terminal and take the bus to Salento.
- After the August 2026 earthquake, Pereira airport ran reduced operations; check its status with your airline before flying.
Need pointers on continuing by taxi or bus? Ask us on WhatsApp. as listed
Finca La Diana, Vereda Boquía, Salento, Quindío, Colombia