The guide
Salento is the oldest town in Quindío — “el Padre del Quindío” — founded in 1842, and its centre is a walk through bahareque houses with fired-clay roofs, carved balconies and doors painted in every colour.
This loop needs no ticket and no guide. It starts a block from the hostel and ends with the whole town at your feet.
A walk in six stops
1 · The corner. Start at the hostel on Calle Real (Carrera 6) and look up: painted eaves, wooden balconies, the colours the town is famous for.
2 · Plaza de Bolívar. A block away: the statue of Bolívar, the church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen and the row of Willys jeeps waiting for Cocora.
3 · Calle Real. Back up the street, shops sell coffee-bean bracelets, totumo tableware, weavings and guadua (bamboo) crafts.
4 · The stairway. Where the street ends, more than 200 steps climb past the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Take it slow — you’re at about 1,900 m.
5 · Alto de la Cruz. The lookout opens over the roofs of town towards the Cocora valley and the mountains of the Cordillera Central.
6 · Back down for trout. The local speciality is trucha, usually with patacón — fried green plantain.
When to go
Early morning and late afternoon light is kindest to the balconies. The town fills up at weekends and on public-holiday long weekends (puentes), and celebrates its founding anniversary in the first week of January.
There’s also a road up to the lookout area if the stairs aren’t for you, with a short path from the car park to the cross.
Calle Real (Carrera 6), towards the Alto de la Cruz Destination photo — not the hostel The stairway to the lookout (2014) Destination photo — not the hostel The town from the Alto de la Cruz Destination photo — not the hostel Plaza de Bolívar, where the jeeps gather Destination photo — not the hostel Balconies on Calle 5 Destination photo — not the hostel
