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Looking south from Salento towards the mountains

Salento, Colombia

Salento is a picturesque town located at 6,200 feet above sea level in the Quindío Department of Colombia. It lies about 15 miles northeast of Armenia and serves as one of the main gateways to the Cocora Valley, home to the wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), Colombia’s national tree and the tallest palm species in the world. Salento is part of the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is surrounded by lush green hills and coffee farms, many of which offer tours and tastings. Its main street, Calle Real, is known for colorful colonial architecture, handicraft shops, cafes, and local restaurants. From the Mirador Alto de la Cruz, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Cocora Valley and the Andean landscape. Salento is also a starting point for hikes into Los Nevados National Natural Park, a protected area with snow-capped volcanoes, páramo ecosystems, and endemic flora and fauna. The combination of temperate climate, cultural charm, and natural beauty makes Salento one of Colombia’s most visited towns in the coffee region.

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A peaceful valley landscape near Salento, Colombia, featuring rolling green hills, a small rural town below, and a backdrop of layered Andean mountains partially veiled by clouds

Dense forests and a tall, white-leaved yarumo tree dominate the foreground of this expansive view of the Andean slopes near Salento under a dramatic sky

A closer view of the small town of Salento nestled among the Andean hills, surrounded by forest and ridges with steep elevation changes and deep greens

Rolling green pastures and tall trees extend toward the towering peaks of the Central Andes near Salento, Colombia, under a deep blue sky filled with clouds

A lush green valley near Salento opens toward a chain of blue-toned mountains in the distance, framed by dense vegetation and thick clouds overhead

Sweeping highland pastures roll toward a backdrop of the Central Andes, with scattered trees and grazing areas visible in the peaceful countryside near Salento

A traditional Colombian farmhouse with a tiled roof sits on a hilltop overlooking the wide green valleys and jagged Andean ridges surrounding Salento

A panoramic view of the Central Andes with layers of forested hills and distant mountains under a bright blue sky dotted with cumulus clouds, seen from a grassy ridge near Salento

Bright green pastureland slopes gently toward a tree-covered ravine and opens up to a wide horizon of distant Andean mountains under a patchy sky

A hilly green landscape filled with scattered crops, trees, and a red-roofed farmhouse sits below layered Andean ridges near Salento, Colombia