Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 543

Ì El Rincón de Lucy Cra 6 No. 4-02. A whizz in the
kitchen, Lucy serves the best set lunches in town. For
COP$6500 you get juice, soup and a heaped plate of beans,
vegetables and fish or meat. Daily 6am-3pm.

Colombian-run hostel is a good place to meet fellow
travellers and provides excellent tourist information. An
adjacent building accommodates guests when the main
house is full and the owners can let you stay on their coffee
farm. Dorms a re plain and some roo ms are en suite. Dorms
COP$18,000 , doubles COP$50,000
Ì La Serrana Via Palestina Km1.5 T 316 296 1890,
W laserrana.com.co. Eco-friendly working farm and hostel
with faux-rustic rooms, 1.5km from Salento, with specta-
cular views of the surrounding Cócora mountains and
valleys. Horseriding, mountain biking, fishing, rafting and
paragliding are all offered. End your day on a comfy sofa
enjoying the great music selectio n. Call to arrange a pick -up
from town. Dorms COP$20,000 , doubles COP$55,000
Ì Hostal Tralala C 7 No. 6-45 T 314 850 5543, W hostel
tralalasalento.com. Friendly Dutch owner, Hemmo Misker,
has worked hard to convert this traditional paisa -style house
into a beautiful, modern hostel. The spotless rooms with
ultra-comfortable beds and smart bathrooms retain original
features, like the wooden floors with furnishings made by
local artisans. Bonus features include a fully equipped guest
kitchen, DVD lounge, library and sun terrace. Dorms
COP$20,000 , doubles COP$60,000

5

DAY TRIP FROM SALENTO:
VALLE DE CÓCORA
Salento sits atop the VALLE DE CÓCORA ,
which contains a thick forest of the
skyscraper wax palm, Colombia's national
plant, which grows up to 60m high. The
valley, which offers picturesque hikes, is
easily explored in a day-trip from Salento.
The hamlet of Cócora , with a handful
of restaurants, small shops and hotels,
lies 11km east of Salento. From Cócora
a well-trodden path leads into misty,
pristine cloudforest, scattered with the
remains of pre-Columbian tombs and
dwellings. Orchids, bromeliads and
heliconias are just some of the plant
species that thrive here, and the fauna
includes spectacled bear, native deer
and puma, along with hundreds of
bird species such as toucans, eagles
and motmots.
A five- to six-hour loop walk starts from
the blue gate in Cócora; the muddy track
passes a trout farm and runs through
farmland for around 45 minutes before
reaching the park entrance, after which
you're following an uneven, slippery trail
through cloudforest. The trail eventually
branches, with one track leading up to
the extremely worthwhile Reserva Acaime
(entrance COP$3000), home to eighteen
species of hummingbirds that flock to its
bird feeders. The price includes a large
mug of revitalizing hot chocolate and a
chunk of locally produced cheese. You
then retrace your steps to the main trail
that crosses nine rickety wooden Indiana
Jones-style bridges over the Río Quindío
before the Finca La Montaña branch
culminates at a mountain-top viewing
platform with exhilarating valley views.
The way down along a wide gravel road
takes you past a cluster of wax palms
- Colombia's national tree.
To get to Cócora , take one of the four
Willy-Jeeps (ex-US military 4WDs) that
leave daily from Salento's main plaza
(daily at 6.10am, 7.30am, 9.30am,

EATING AND DRINKING
Fresh trout is on the menu in all the town's restaurants and is
usually served with big crunchy patacones (fried plantains).
The main square has several lively bars with outside tables.
Or meet locals to play tejo - which involves throwing metal
weights into a clay pit to trigger gunpowder explosions for
points - at Cra 4, C 3-32.
Alegra C 6 No. 7 Esq. Delicious home-made cakes, veggie
burgers, chutneys and jams. Owner Jaime Eduardo has a
passion for local organic produce and paintings by Salento
artists. Homecooked pasta, pizza and salad mains from
COP$12,000. Daily noon-9pm.
Ì Brunch C 6 No. 3-25 W brunchsalento.com. This
American-run spot has been winning rave reviews from an
international crowd for its burgers, fajitas and delectable
peanut butter brownies, among other things. The friendly
owner will whip up packed lunches for Cócora-bound
hikers and there's even a little cinema room for nightly
screenings. Daily 7am-9pm.
Ì Donde Mi Apá Cra 6 No. 5-24, main square. Perfect
for people-watching on the square and hanging out
with drunk locals. The interior is packed with stacked
vinyls, old photos and a glaring stuffed bull's head. Mon-
Thurs 4pm-midnight, Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 1pm-2am, Sun
11am-midnight.
La Eliania Cra 2 No. 6-65. If you're craving proper Indian
curry, gourmet pizza or doorstop sandwiches with
inventive fillings, look no further. Given the high cooking
standards, the prices are a bargain. Mains from COP$7000.
Daily 8am-1pm & 4-9pm.