A small mountain town an hour by road from Armenia. Salento is the obvious base for the Cocora Valley and probably the most photographed pueblo in the coffee country: brightly painted facades, geranium-stuffed balconies, a steep main street called Calle Real lined with souvenir shops and trout restaurants.
Climb the steps at the top of Calle Real to the Mirador de Salento for the standard postcard view back over the valley. Most people spend a day on the Cocora hike, an afternoon wandering the streets, an evening eating trucha (river trout) — Salento's signature dish — and a night in a hostel or boutique guesthouse before returning to Armenia or Pereira. It is easy to visit on a day trip but better as an overnight.