Travel Guide Filandia

Travel guide Coffee Triangle

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About Filandia

In this travel guide Filandia, you will find everything you need to know about this authentic village in the Colombian coffee region, 20 km from the popular Salento. Filandia is easily accessible by Willy Jeep from Salento or by bus from Armenia or Pereira. The village is located on an altitude of 1900 meters and has about 12,000 inhabitants. The name Filandia translates as “daughter of the Andes.” It is a Unesco World Heritage Site with a rich tradition.

Although the village is a lot less famous than Salento, it has built its own reputation, especially in the gastronomic field. Indeed, with a number of excellent restaurants, Filandia is known as the gastronomic hotspot of the Colombian coffee triangle.

Despite Filandia being known as the “less popular sister of Salento,” it is certainly not a sleepy village like, for example Pijao. Especially on weekends it is crowded with Colombian tourists.

Filandia has a lively coffee culture, there are a number of small museums and also in terms of nature, there is much to enjoy in the area around Filandia. For example, the village is close to Barbas Bremen Nature Reserve, home to 200 different species of birds and howler monkeys.

Our Travel Guide Filandia tells you how to get to Filandia, what is there to do and what are the best areas to stay in Filandia. We also include tips for the best hostels and hotels, cafes and restaurants and useful practical information and tips for your trip. If after reading this travel guide you are in doubt whether to go to Filandia or Salento, read this article comparing the two villages and see which one suits you best.

All about Filandia

How to get to Filandia

 

What to do in and outside Filandia
Where to stay in Filandia?
The best restaurants in Filandia
Practical information about Filandia

How to get to Filandia

Travel Guide Filandia

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How to get to Filandia?

Updated August 2025

How to get to Filandia?
In this article, you can read all about the different modes of transportation to and from Filandia, coming from Salento, Pereira and Armenia.

Many travelers including ourselves, combine Filandia with a trip to Salento during a tour of the coffee region.

From Salento
Are you coming from Salento, then grab a Willy Jeep at the Willy’s stand at the square. This costs around COP8000/$2 for a collectivo, where you share a cab with other travelers and locals.

The Willy goes every hour on the hour. A private Willy costs around COP90,000/$22.50. In Filandia, you will be dropped off on a side street near the square.

From Armenia and Pereira
Coming from Armenia, catch a bus to Filandia, for around COP6,800pp/$1.70. The bus takes a bit over an hour. Buses leave throughout the day, about every 20 minutes.

From Pereira, buses also go throughout the day, but from Armenia the buses are more frequent.

Can you also fly at Filandia?
No, Filandia itself does not have an airport, neither does Salento. You can fly into El Edén Airport in Armenia or Matecaña airport in Pereira. After this you travel further to Filandia by bus or taxi.

The cheapest flight is booked with low-cost airline Wingo; a round-trip Bogotá-Armenia costs as low as $50.

You can also fly to Armenia from Medellín. From Cartagena, there is a flight to Pereira.

Bogotá – Pereira (55 min), including Latam, Easyfly and Avianca
Bogotá – Armenia (1h), including Latam, Easyfly, Avianca and Wingo
Medellín – Armenia (50 min) a.o. Avianca
Cartagena – Pereira (1.25h), a.o. Avianca

Here you can read more about how to get to Salento.

#ColombiaMyWay Tip

Filandia is good place to visit in combination with a round trip in the coffee region of a week or longer. For a week -in addition to Filandia-, you can also visit Salento, the village of Pijao or Calarcá for a glamping experience.

If you have longer, you can travel further north to the Risaralda and Caldas regions for an overnight stay at a coffee inca such as Hacienda Venecia coffeefarm hotel.

You can also visit the thermal baths in Santa Rosa de Cabal.

From there you can travel further to Medellín. Check here our travel routes for inspiration.

What to do in and outside Salento

Travel Guide Salento

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What to do in Salento and surroundings? There is plenty to do to keep yourself well entertained for a few days. Activities range from hiking and horseback riding to exploring coffee culture, mountain biking and bird watching. Here are our tips for what to do in Salento.

ColombiaMyWay

10 tips + bonus tips

1. Stroll around the colorful city center

There is nothing we like more in Salento, than strolling in the streets, while soaking in the atmosphere and enjoy the colorful architecture. In streets like Calle Real, one building is even more beautiful and colorful than the other. Be sure to walk in the side streets, where it is quieter, but no less colorful. Plaza de Bolívar -the central square- is the perfect place to grab a drink on a terrace.

The local taxis (the Willy Jeeps)- are also located in the plaza. With the coming and going of the jeeps, there is always something to see!

2. Discover the coffee culture of Salento

With the many nice cafes with even nicer interiors, it’s a treat to grab a cup of coffee and choose from one of the many ways of coffee preparations.

If you want to know all about the coffee culture of Salento and the Colombian coffee triangle, take a tour of a coffee finca, such as at Finca El Ocaso, 4 kilometers from Salento. While walking around the grounds, you’ll see how the special ecosystem provides good conditions for growing coffee beans. Check the link for more information about the coffee tour at Finca el Ocaso in Salento.

3. Hike in the Cocora Valley

In this nature reserve, a 20-minute drive from Salento, you will find the tallest palm trees in the world. The maximum height of these palma de cera is a whopping 60 meters. You get there by one of the Willy Jeeps, which leave from Salento’s central square. The jeep drops you off at the entrance to the Valle de Cocora, where you can choose the 2-hour or 5-hour hike. If you go early in the morning, you’ll be ahead of the crowds. Especially on weekends, it can get crowded. You are also more likely to spot birds, such as the mighty condor, in the morning. If you prefer to go to the Valle de Cocora with a guide, you can include these hiking tour booking.

4. Explore the area on horseback

A horseback ride is a special way to discover the countryside around Salento. You can also combine the tour with a trip to a waterfall, a visit to a coffee finca or a longer horseback ride in the Valle de Cocora. Check here your options for horseback riding in Salento.

5. Shop a souvenir in the Calle Real and then climb the Mirador

Cl. 4 #5-8


At the Pasaje Real on Calle Real, you are guaranteed to find a nice souvenir or Mochila (handmade Wayuu bag).

The Calle Real is a colorful street filled with restaurants, cafes and stores. It is busy every day, but especially so on weekends, when locals and Colombian tourists come to shop. At the end of the Calle Real, you can climb the steps of the Mirador Alto de la Cruz, for a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

6. Spot birds

The coffee region is a paradise for birdwatchers. One of the best places to spot birds in Salento is the Camino Nacional, a 15-km long unpaved trail that runs uphill from Salento and then downhill to the Valle de Cocora.

As many as 349 bird species are found here. The trail is a good place to look for toucans, hummingbirds and tanagers (tangare), among others. Under the guidance of a expert bird guide you are more likely to see the different species and learn to recognize the bird species yourself. There are also options to combine a bird watching tour and coffee tour, including with this tour.

 

7. Play a game of Tejo

Cancha de Tejo Los Amigos
a 3-98, Cra. 4 #32.

This is the place for travelers to play Tejo, a Colombian game, which we looove ourselves! You have to throw a steel disc into a plate of clay. If you throw near the center, you get the most points. If you throw on the paper triangles filled with gunpowder, a big bang follows and you get extra points. That, of course, is the thrill of the game! As soon as you enter, you get an explanation of the game. Most important advice and unwritten rule at Tejo: the more beer you drink, the better you throw -:)

8. Grab a mountain bike for a scenic bike ride

At Nativo Apartahotel you can rent mountain bikes, or take a guided tour to the Santa Rita waterfall and Carbonera . You can also book a bike tour to Carbonera online if you want to secure your spot in advance. This is a mix of adventure and sightseeing, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 

9. Take a day trip to Filandia

The architecture of Filandia is similar to Salento. Still, it’s fun to take a side trip to Salento’s lesser-known “sister.” Take a lap around the square, grab a bite to eat at one of the good restaurants and do a “photo shoot” at the Mirador de Encanto.

You can catch a Willy Jeep at the Willy’s stand at the plaza. This costs around COP8000/$2 for a collectivo, where you share a cab with other travelers and locals. The Willy goes every hour on the hour. A private Willy costs around COP90,000/$22.50. In Filandia, you will be dropped off on a side street near the square.

10. Take a side trip and chill in one of the thermal pools

Staying a little longer in Salento and have time for a side trip? Then head to the natural thermal baths in the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal. There are two thermal baths here: Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal and Reserva Termal San Vicente.

Santa Rosa de Cabal is about a 1.5-hour drive from Salento. You can get there by bus, but more convenient for a day trip is a rental car saving you travel time. After Salento, are you traveling on toward Armenia, Pereira or Manizales? Then make a stopover of 1 or 2 days in Santa Rosa de Cabal. Both termales have a hotel on site so you can enjoy the wonderful baths to the fullest. Look here for more information: Hotel Termales San Vicente en Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal. Also check our travel guide Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal with additional information about the termales and the town.

#ColombiaMyWay bonus tips

If you like hiking, you might benefit from these additional tips for what to do in Salento, which include a scenic hike to a waterfall and an adventurous trek to a national park.

11. Hike to the Santa Rita waterfall

From Salento you can take a short hike of about an hour to the Santa Rita waterfall, passing through tunnels and over suspension bridges. The waterfall is located in Reserva Natural Santa Rita, a 173-hectare nature reserve. A day pass costs COP10,000/$2.50. You can also camp there or stay overnight in a cottage. Finca Santa Rita was a coffee finca for a long time. With changing conditions in the coffee market and the potential for eco-tourism, the finca turned its attention to protecting the area. The nature reserve has a large water reservoir and is home to several species of birds and other animals. Check out more information here.

You can also visit the waterfall during a guided hiking tour.

Check this link for a combo tour with a hike to the Santa Rita waterfall, horseback riding and the Valle de Cocora.

12. Take a trek to Los Nevados National Park.

If you are an avid hiker, you can also do a guided trekking to Los Nevados National Park, one of the great adventures in Colombia’s coffee region! A trek to the Nevado Santa Isabel and Nevado del Tolima can be booked departing from Salento. Check more information here for trekking options.

How to get to Salento

Travel Guide Salento

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Plane + taxi/bus

How to get to Salento?
Updated August 2025

Here you will read about the different ways of transportation to Salento, of which traveling by plane + taxi is the fastest option. You cannot fly to Salento, because Salento itself has no airport, but within 50 km distance there are two airports: El Edén Airport (AXM) in Armenia (at 41km/region Quindío) and Matecaña airport (PEI) in Pereira (at 45km/region Risaralda). The cheapest flight can be booked with low-cost airline Wingo; a return Bogotá-Armenia ticket is as low as $50.

You can also fly to Armenia from Medellín. From Cartagena, there is a flight to Pereira.

Bogotá – Pereira (55 min), including Latam, Easyfly and Avianca
Bogotá – Armenia (1h), including Latam, Easyfly, Avianca and Wingo
Medellín – Armenia (50 min) a.o. Avianca
Cartagena – Pereira (1.25h), a.o. Avianca

Transportation from airport Armenia → Salento

  • Cab: COP150,000/$37.50, the ride takes an hour. Tip: we also paid this for a cab back to the airport with the cab service in Salento (an Uber turned out to be as expensive as the cab service). W e reserved a taxi from Salento drivers in the central square one evening in advance. We kept in touch via WhatsApp and that went fine.

  • Taxi+bus: first take a cab to the bus terminal (COP25,000/$6.50) and then take the bus from the bus terminal to Salento (50 min.). Buses leave every 20 minutes and cost COP8,500/$2. (Cootracir/Expreso Alcala). During our trip, the staff at the bus terminal in Armenia was very helpful in directing us to the right bus.

Transportation from Pereira airport → Salento

  • Cab: COP150,000/$37.50, the ride takes an hour. Here to book a private cab from Pereira to Salento online
  • Taxi+bus: first grab a cab to the bus station (COP20,000/$5 / 15min) and then the bus to Salento (COP 8000/$2, 1h) Floto Occidental/Expreso Alcalá). A bus goes every hour.

Bus and taxi/jeep

How to get to Salento from Bogotá?
There are buses from Bogotá to Armenia all day, from early morning until late at night. There is also a night bus that leaves at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in Armenia at 6:30 a.m. (8 a.m.). Most buses depart from the Terminal del Sur and arrive at Armenia’s bus station. Bus companies running this route include Expreso Palmira, Coomotor, Bolivariano and Flota Magdalena. Prices start at COP 75,000/$19 and the trip takes between 7-9h. After arriving in Armenia, catch the bus from the terminal to Salento (approx. COP 5300/$1.45). Buses leave every 20 minutes.

How to get to Salento from Filandia?
By Willy Jeep (approx. 45 min.) The Willy Jeeps leave from the Willy’s stand at the central square. This costs around COP8000/$2 for a collectivo, where you share a cab with other travelers and locals. The Willy goes every hour on the hour. A private Willy costs around COP90,000/$22.50.

How to get to Salento from Medellín?Flota Occidental and Arauca operate this route. The ride takes 6 hours and there is also a night bus. Prices start at COP73,000/ $18.25)

How to get to Salento from Jardín?
This is not an obvious route because the drive is long and because the first part from Jardín to Riosucio is on a dirt road through the mountains. If it has rained a lot, this road can be very bad. Previously, it was only possible to do the first part with a (slow) chiva, but nowadays buses run on this route. The bus from Jardín to Riosucio leaves at 8 a.m. and arrives around noon. Tickets cost COP30,000/$7.50.

Tip: There is a limited number of spots on the bus (max 18) and you cannot buy these tickets online. Therefore, buy your ticket for the bus from Jardín to Riosucio a day in advance, at the Cootransio office on Calle 5 #52. After arriving in Riosucio, book a ticket to Salento at the Flota Occidental counter. The bus leaves at 1:15 pm and arrives around 5:00 pm. Tickets cost COP42,000/$10.50. If the direct bus from Riosucio to Salento is already full, catch the bus to Pereira, where you transfer to the bus to Salento.

Rent a car

Driving to Salento yourself is also possible, of course, except that the road through the mountains from Bogotá is a challenge, especially if you have no experience with traffic in Colombia. In the coffee triangle itself, the roads are generally good. Alternative to driving yourself to Salento is to rent a car at the Armenia or Pereira airports. These are small, regional airports, where you can start your tour in your rental car in a relaxed manner. We recommend renting a higher-end car, as there is a good chance that you will also be driving off the beaten track. The main roads are generally very good. You can here check out the options for a rental car. Want the convenience of a car but don’t want to drive yourself? Then hire a private driver. Most hotels have regular, reliable drivers they can recommend.

 

DiscoverCars.com

Practical information about Salento

Travel Guide Salento

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Here you can find practical information about Salento: useful information about the climate and the best time to travel, how many days do we recommend to stay in Salento, are there ATM machines to withdraw money, are there supermarkets and what about safety in Salento. Keep reading for our tips and other useful information about Salento.

Climate

Climate

Salento is located in a mountainous area. The climate is tropical, with warm days and nights that cool off considerably. The maximum temperature is around 25 degrees and the minimum temperature 15 degrees.

Best time to visit Salento

Salento can be visited throughout the year. It rains a lot, especially in the months of April/May and September through November. We have been to Salento twice, the first time in March 2019 and the second time at the end of September 2024. In the month of March there were beautiful sunny days, as shown in this picure, that was taken in the Valle de Cocora. There were also brief showers, especially in the afternoon. In late September, it also rained mostly in the afternoon, but the showers lasted a lot longer. We also had conversations with locals about the weather and they told us that the rainy season in Salento is actually no longer a rainy season and the dry season is no longer a dry season. Because of El Niño, everything has changed and the weather is no longer as predictable as it used to be. The rain is not a reason not to visit Salento, you just have to be a bit flexible when planning your activities and hike mostly in the mornings. 

Harvest times for coffee beans are April/May and Oct/Dec. For most action on the coffee plantations, that is the perfect time to visit the coffee triangle. High season is around Christmas and New Year’s period, from mid-December to mid-January. Easter week and (long) weekends are also very busy in Salento, so if possible, avoid these periods.

Safety

Safety

The Coffee Triangle is one of the safest regions of Colombia, and Salento is no exception. We did not feel unsafe for a moment. Plaza de Bolívar has a police presence during the day.

How many days do you need to visit Salento?

2-3 days

How many days do you need for Salento? If you want to do the hike in the Valle de Cocora, do a coffee tour and another activity like horseback riding or mountain biking, we recommend a minimum of 2 days so that you also have time to chill in the town.

Practical info A-Z

Drinking water

Water from the tap is not drinkable. If you don’t trust the hygiene anywhere, watch out for ice cubes, salads and uncooked vegetables.

 

Changing money

You can exchange euros and dollars at Recinto Gastronómico y Artesanal on Plaza Bolívar.

The exchange rate is just not very favorable. Check here for the current exchange rate: exchange rate Colombian peso

Locals and language

Little English is spoken in Salento, so a basic knowledge of Spanish is very useful. Still, you can usually get by if you don’t get beyond a few words of Spanish. The locals are generally very helpful and patient and ready to help you, even if it is in sign language -:)

 

Medical assistance

Salento Hospital
H. San Vicente De Paul
Carrera7ª, 6-60
Check here the facebook page of Hospital San Vicente De Paul

Dentist Salento
Sonrisalento
Cra. 4 #5-48

There are also services such as Angeles Al Llamado who can come to you if you need a doctor’s consultation in the coffee triangle. We used this ourselves once and were very happy with this service. Want to know more? Then read here about our own experience with the Angeles Al Llamado.

Follow this link for general information about medical matters in Colombia.

 

What to bring
  • It can get quite sunny and warm during the day, but it cools down at night, so bring a sweater or blouse as well. If you are going to Nevado del Ruiz National Park, prepare for low temperatures. Layers of clothing will come in handy
  • It rains a lot, so bring a rain jacket or poncho
  • Hiking shoes
ATM machine

You can withdraw cash in Salento. There are 2 ATM machines at Plaza de Bolívar; one next to Café Quindío and the other next to hotel El Jardín, a 3-minute walk from the square. The ATM at the plaza is widely used, so there may not always be enough cash.

Supermarkets

There are many tienda’s little stores selling all sorts of things. There is a supermarket on the square, with a wide assortment, Vía Baloto Supercocora Salento, address Cra. 6 #5-30.

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required for Salento. 

Wifi

Most larger hotels and hostels have wifi, at least in the common areas. If you travel off the beaten track, there is often no or unstable Internet.