Salento (Colombia)

I spent several days in this little town, which, with its multi-coloured façades, is in my opinion the prettiest to be found in the "Eje Cafetero" (Colombia's coffee-growing region). Tourism is well developed in this area, though it tends to be mainly domestic tourists who visit when the festivals are held. The very warm, friendly inhabitants will tell you that this is a town in which time has stood still, and there's certainly some truth in that. If you want to really savour the atmosphere of Salento, one of the best things to do is go and sip a coffee at the town's central square, Plaza de Bolívar, and watch the crowds of people wandering around there.

If you like Colombian arts and crafts, you'll really enjoy browsing the many shops and stalls selling hammocks, jewellery and, of course, coffee here.

There's also a small hill you can climb to reach the Alto de la Cruz lookout-point, from where there are views over Salento on one side and the verdant mountains of Quindio on the other.

Salento is also a great place from which to go hiking, with many walks available here that you can do without a guide, especially in the magnificent Cocora Valley area, which can be reached by jeep (the famous Yipao Willys) from the town.