Deciding where to stay in Salento can be a tricky decision. Although the town is small, staying in the town square is not always the best way to spend your time.
We’ll share six different areas of Salento we recommend staying, including the best Salento hotels, hostels, glamping, ecoresorts and much more.
Quick Tips – Where to Stay in Salento
If one of these descriptions describes you, click the link to jump straight to our description of the area.
- Where to stay in Salento First Time – Plaza de Bolivar
- Where to stay in Salento on a Budget – Carrera 2 Salento
- Where to stay in Salento for Couples – a Mountainside Retreat
- Best area to stay in Salento for nightlife – Calle Real
- Coolest place to stay in Salento – Valley de Cocora
- Best place to stay in Salento for families – Countryside EcoResort
Salento Neighbourhood Guide
Okay, okay, Salento is so tiny, how can you possibly need a neighbourhood guide?
Well, even though the city centre of Salento is relatively small, there’s lots of accommodation outside of town too.
I’m not just talking about some hidden gems on the outskirts of town (I’ll share those later).
No, there’s also unique accommodation deep in the Valley de Cocora which is totally worth going out of your way for if you love the idea of tranquil, memorable accommodation.
Or maybe you want to enjoy the nightlife by staying right in the heart of the action. We’ll show you where that is.
Read More: 5 Safest & Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Medellin
6 Best Areas to Stay in Salento
These areas range from the middle of town to (relatively) remote Ecoresorts and countryside guesthouses with epic hammocks.
From hotels to hostels – these are some of the best places to stay in Salento.
Although the accommodation offerings are very different, one thing they share in common is that they are all pretty great in their own unique way and will make for an unforgettable trip to Salento.
Wondering where to stay in Salento? How about waking up to this view in Valley de Cocora
Plaza de Bolivar – Where to Stay in Salento for your First Time
Like many Latin American towns, there is a town square in the middle of Salento which is the hub of activity.
In Salento it’s Plaza de Bolivar – where you find lots of outdoor bars, street vendors selling all sorts of delicious food.
Families love to hang around the square and watch their kids drive around in miniature cars, or play with helium-filled balloons.
Where to Stay in Plaza de Bolivar – Hotel Salento Plaza
Located basically on the square is Hotel Salento Plaza which has an impeccable 9.5 rating on Booking.com.
Past guests love the cleanliness of the rooms, beautiful garden, good wifi and of course – outstanding location.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
Carrera 2 Salento – Where to Stay on a Budget
Even though Salento is tiny, you’ll find a big price difference between the accommodation on Carrera 6 because it’s right in the heart of the action.
Carrera 2 – literally 4 streets and 5 minutes walk away – has awesome quality accommodation at a really affordable price.
One of the best parts about staying on Carrera 2 is that it’s close to the bus terminal if you’re catching the bus to Salento from Medellin.
Since we travelled South America in unconventional style – with suitcases rather than a backpack – we opted for the closest accommodation to the bus stop.
For us, the best accommodation was Casa Le Eliana which had awesome reviews over 9 on Booking.com, which it still retains to this day. Try the restaurant too – the food is amazing.
Fair warning, the hotel is really popular and books up fast. Another hotel on Carrera 2 to check out is Hotel La Caracola.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
Mountainside Retreat – Where to Stay in Salento for Couples
Salento is a renowned coffee growing region. One of the essential things to do in the town is to leave the city and visit a coffee farm.
So why not stay out of town to begin with near the coffee farms?
Where to Stay for a Mountainside Retreat – Montana Guesthouse
As a couple sometimes it’s nice to enjoy some time to yourselves. Even better if you can do so while relaxing in a spa bath overlooking the Salento countryside.
Montana Guesthouse also has a pretty epic giant hammock (think the biggest hammock you’ve ever seen – it’s bigger).
It’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy a glorious sunset. And also perfect for Instagram photos too.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
Best area to stay in Salento for nightlife – Calle Real
On Calle Real you’ll find most of the best restaurants, bars and cowboy saloons. Yes, saloons are a a thing in Salento – read it in our Salento travel guide).
When one of the past times in Salento is to play tejo – a game involving gun powder, beer and lots of explosions – you know the nightlife is going to be good.
If you’re in the mood for enjoying the Salento nightlife then why not stay in the heart of where the action is?
Where to Stay near Calle Real – Hostels
The most popular type of accommodation in Calle Real is hostels.
Two of the best rated are Hostal La Casa de Lili and Eureka Hostel (told you cowboys are a thing here) which score a 9.4 and 8.9 respectively.
For $2 for breakfast you can try to soak up any left over alcohol in your system.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
Coolest place to stay in Salento – Valley de Cocora
All around Cocora valley you’ll see the biggest palm trees in the world.
In our guide to Salento, Colombia we describe the valley as something out of Jurassic Park.
I think it’s because a) the grandness of the valley evokes memories of the first scenes of Isla Nublar – we half expected herds of dinosaurs to race of the hills at any time, and b) in this context the tall palms seem a little bit like brachiosaurus.
Where to stay in Valley de Cocora: Lumbre Glamorous Camping
Did you know that you can actually stay in the Cocora Valley – one of the most important things to do in Salento?
Let’s take the coolness up a notch because you don’t need to do a homestay to experience.
No. You’ll be GLAMPING under the stars in some of the highest quality tents around.
You’ll have proper beds of course and private bathrooms too.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
Best Place to Stay in Salento for Families – an Countryside EcoResort
Salento is an incredible place for families to visit because of all the awesome activities on offer.
The best way to experience this is to stay outside the city centre in the countryside.
And if you plan on getting away from the hustle and bustle, why not stay in an EcoResort too?
Where to Stay in the Countryside for families – Ecoresort Gran Azul
This is an awesome place to stay as a family because there’s plenty of room for an extended family and lots of space to enjoy, including a fireplace to enjoy when the temperature dips.
Eoresort Gran Azul can arrange all sorts of fun activities including horse-riding and mountain biking. The resort hires bikes too.
For younger families there is also a playground to keep the kids entertained. Each room has a private bathroom – perfect for families with teens.
See More: view the latest pricing, more features and availability here
More Salento Travel Blog Posts
Salento was one of our favourite places to visit in Colombia. We love the Valle de Cocora, cowboy saloons, drinking beer and exploding gun powder (of course at the same time). Take a quick look at our Salento Travel Guide to make sure you don’t miss any of the many great attractions, food and coffee on offer.
Are you lucky enough to have at least 2 weeks in Colombia? Wondering what to do? Don’t miss our post about What to do in Colombia in 2 Weeks which contains an overview of all the amazing things to do.
If you don’t know Spanish, here’s 10 super simple Spanish phrases which helped us incredibly when travelling South America.
Salento is the middle destination of most Colombia itineraries. To the north is Medellin and Cartagena. To the south is Popayan and Ipiales (then onto Ecuador of course!)
If Medellin is your next destination and you loved the countryside of Salento then you’re in luck. Medellin has some incredible parks which is just one of the things we cover in our Medellin travel guide. The city’s reputation for being dangerous precedes it but after a lot of research we stayed in a completely safe area and loved out time there. If you’re travelling to Medellin for the first time you should read our guide to where to stay in Medellin.
Whether you live in Medellin or are just visiting, you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the colourful town of Guatape. The town is home to quite possibly the largest boulder you’ll ever see and according to the locals – the best view in the world. The view is seriously impressive – and can be seen in a day trip to Guatape from Medellin.
After Medellin you must visit the fortified city of Cartagena. Of course we show you how to travel from Medellin to Cartagena.
If you are heading south next, there are a few bus options. Use our guide to travel from Salento to Cali or Popayan.
Popayan has an average reputation and is known as a boring transit city. We disagree. Hence our aptly named post about 8 Things in Popayan in 1 day (which don’t suck).
Ecuador next for you? Don’t worry – we show you how to travel from Ipiales to Quito. Ipiales is a border town featuring a magnificent church which you can visit before you cross the border. Stick with us gang and even your transit days won’t be boring!
