2025-02-14 Toggle map

Coffee & Wax Palms

On our weekend off from the cocoa business in Ibagué, we hopped on the public bus to visit the nearby town of Salento. The highland region between Cali, Medellin and Bogotá is widely know as the coffee triangle of Colombia, so of course we took the chance to visit a local finca that organically grows and processes the beans.

A hand holding a red and brown bag of ground coffee in front actual coffee trees full of (green) beans We learned a lot about the entire process from planting, maintaining and harvesting the different types of arabica trees over drying and processing the beans to roasting and finally brewing a good cup. Of course we also got to taste the end product and I liked it so much I had to buy some for the little Bialetti pot I'm travelling with 😄

View into a green valley, with very tall palm trees growing on the descending slope Another attraction that draws many tourists to Salento is the Valle de Cocora, a nearby green valley full of tall wax palms.

Sheep feeding on green grass with tall wax palms and cloud-covered peaks of green mountains in the back Silhouettes of a group of was palms in grey fog The valley was a beautiful place for a day hike, with sheep feeding in the sunny lower parts and foggy clouds creating a spooky atmosphere only a bit higher in altitude.