Tour Operators

Contacts

Don Álvaro Gómez Giraldo. The most reliable guide and source for all your horseback-riding adventures around Salento. Salento, Quindío. 311/375–8293.

Finca El Ocaso. El Ocaso is a small, family-run coffee farm that's opened itself up to tourism in a big way. Their excellent tours are run on their farm, 3 km (2 miles) outside town. The tours are aimed at the casual tourist and cover the history and cultivation of coffee, work in the field, harvesting (you'll get to pick some beans of your own) and processing, and preparation and tasting. Daily tours run at 9 and 11 am and 1, 2, and 4 pm, and last for an hour and a half. Overnight accommodation is now offered in the traditional red-and-white-painted hacienda, with all meals and a tour included. Km 3, 8 Vereda Palestina Salento, Salento, Quindío. 312/296–8668; www.fincaelocasosalento.com.

Jesus Martín. Providing the best tour in the area, the folks at Jesus Martín offer caffeine aficionados a chance to immerse themselves in the Colombian coffee world. Tours go through the four key phases: the coffee plantation; the processing areas; the factory where bean selection, roasting, and organoleptic analysis is explained; and finally, tasting at the café. Set aside a good half day for this top-notch educational experience. Cra. 6 No. 6–14, Salento, Quindío. 6/759–3282; www.cafejesusmartin.com.