It's as difficult to decide which coffee plantation in Salento to visit in the Eje Cafetero as it is to decide which winery to visit in wine-growing regions. Since there are so many to choose from, and every one has its unique appeal (big hacienda, a familiar one, ecological sustainability, etc.), it's best to do some research, talk to people who have been through it before, or take a chance based on recommendations you find on TripAdvisor, which is widely used in Colombia. Finca El Ocaso was chosen as our destination for many reasons: its proximity to our hostel, the fact that it was highly recommended by the staff there, the fact that it stood out as the most picturesque of the nearby haciendas, and it is high-ranking on travel website TripAdvisor. As it turned out, it was the finest decision we could have taken.

The Top Three Coffee Tours In Salento, Colombia, Are As Followed:

Salento Finca El Ocaso

It takes around 5 kilometers to reach Finca El Ocaso from Salento's central square. You may take a taxi, sometimes known as a "Willy," to get there from anywhere in the city. These jeeps shuttle tourists between hotels and attractions like coffee plantations and hiking trails. The name "El Ocaso" is a nod to the farm's mission to "preserve and promote coffee culture through life experiences," which translates to "the sunset." It may also serve as a place for up to 10 people to stay overnight. Select from a premium or standard tour, offered in either Spanish or English, and then be led through the plantation with wicker baskets slung over your shoulders to gather coffee cherries.

These excursions last 1.5 or 3 hours and include everything from planting to harvesting the coffee beans. Harvests typically occur in April/May and November/December, and you can count on learning that coffee cherries are ready to be collected after five months. A visit to a Finca isn't complete without a cup of the region's famously strong coffee. Most people in Salento have heard about Finca El Ocaso, a coffee estate that has been in operation since the 1970s and is well-recognized and celebrated for its quality production. This Finca is the quintessential example of a classic coffee plantation. Over a hundred years old, this red-and-white colonial-style farmhouse sits in a picture-perfect location surrounded by verdant trees.

Plantation Home (Finca Don Eduardo)

Plantation House also operates another sustainable coffee plantation called Finca Don Eduardo throughout Salento. Coffee cultivation has been practiced at the original Plantation House for over a century. Only 10 minutes away on foot from Salento, the Finca Don Eduardo offers excursions in both English and Spanish. The Plantation House (within walking distance of Salento's central center) provides both shared and individual rooms for its guests. You are welcome to explore the garden area, whereby coffee plants from either the original coffee plantation are still kept. Waterfalls and a forest may be seen on the Plantation House's grounds.

On his coffee farm, Don Eduardo grows four different Arabica coffee varieties. Bourbon, Arabica Typica, Caturra, and Variety Colombia are the four species shown here, two of which are more contemporary hybrids. During your stay, you may see the beans roasted traditionally, ground them, and brew them to see the improvement yourself. The tour lasts for around three hours, and visitors are free to explore the grounds at their leisure while sipping freshly made Colombian coffee. Visitors seeking a memorable experience might also spend a day or more working on the coffee plantation.

Don Elías Finca Las Brisas

Las Brisas (Café Don Elias) is a family-run coffee plantation operating for 23 years, about 4 kilometers west of Salento's historic core. Tours last 30 to 45 minutes and are given to small groups in Spanish; however, the owner's English-speaking buddy may sometimes be available to lead English-speaking visitors around the farm. No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used on the Arabica and Colombian plants at Finca las Brisas. They use companion plants, including bananas, pineapples, oranges, yuca, and avocados, to help coffee plants thrive.

Dropped fruit from the former helps fertilize the soil, while the citrusy scent of pineapples and oranges drives pests away. The optimal harvesting age for coffee is between 8 and 25 years after planting. Don Elias employs only plants up to 17 to ensure the highest quality. From harvesting the coffee cherries by hand and peeling off the cherry skin (which again is red with ripe Arabica beans as well as yellow for ripe Colombiana beans) through fermenting, drying, and finally roasting in a pan over an open fire, visitors are shown every step of the coffee making process. In conclusion, some freshly roasted beans are ground using a manual grinder to make a cup of coffee, demonstrating the traditional approach while filling the room with an enticing aroma.

Conclusion

Never compare Colombian coffee to Folgers, where it belongs in no way near as a dark roasted, bitter beverage. At one of the top coffee farms in Salento, we sampled freshly roasted coffee in both light and medium roasts and heard the truth about Colombian coffee from the people who grow it. The United States receives a significant amount of coffee from Colombia, making it a major coffee exporter worldwide. It implies that the United States accepts top-quality beans while Colombia gets the scraps. Therefore, it is advisable to drink Colombian coffee outside of Colombia.