Salento, Colombia

Hi y'all,

The Valley of Cocora with the Nevados
obscured by clouds in the distance.

On December 25th I took an excursion with Claudia and family to Salento, Colombia to eat some of the famed trucha, to breathe in the fresh air and to enjoy the stunning views of the Nevados (the volcanic mountain range). The road from Pereira to Salento was lined with telos on our way out of the city, but as we rose higher into the mountains the telos gave way to... well, nicer telos... which finally gave way to peasant homes and coffee plantations and a large species of pine that grows high in the mist-covered mountains of Colombia. I soaked in the view and the clean mountain air, and looked forward to tasting the trucha. Ahhh trucha. 

Salento is located in a valley in Quindio, one of the 32 departamentos (provinces) of Colombia. Deep in coffee country, Salento has stunning views of the central cordillera and the nevados, the high mountains and volcanoes that cut a jagged line through the heart of the country. 

The mirador overlooking the town of Salento.

"The Father of Quindio" as Salento is known--being the oldest town in the province--receives heavy tourist traffic every year. It is home to a beautiful Catholic church founded in 1843, a mirador where they sell "water with oxygen"--a joke due to the altitude--and an amazing view of the Valle de Cocora. One can also find all the typical trappings of a quaint touristy town including beautifully colored buildings, hippies strumming ukeleles, a variety of artesanal shops that sell touristy items sometimes completely unrelated to the town or its history, and residents who pose for pictures in the traditional dress--if only people still dressed that way.

Trucha buried in a steaming broth of melted cheese!

But one can also find the famed trucha, yes the savory, succulent, and satisfying trucha. Sometimes fried with butter, at other times drowned in a boiling broth of cheese and condiments, the trucha is a tasty part of the cultural landscape of Salento. To get to the point, trucha is Spanish for trout, a fish that can be found in the streams and rivers of this region and has long been a part of the daily menu for many of the residents and permatourists.

We dined at one of the small trucha stands that lined the Plaza de Bolivar, the main plaza of the town. The trucha came with patecon, fried and crispy plantain that looks and tastes like a giant tortilla. I ordered trucha hawaiian style, with cheese and pineapple, and it arrived boiling in the cheese and sauce in an iron skillet. Per person the prices were decent, about $5 USD per person or $6 USD including a drink.

Fried plantains known as patecon.

A quaint tourist town with perhaps too many tourists and tourist merchandise, Salento has great options for food and spectacular views that outweigh the touristic everywhereness of ukelele playing hippies and generic artesanal products.

Cheers,

Kyle

Me in the Plaza Bolivar with a girl in
traditional dress.