Salento Hikers — Local services in Quindío

What an incredible experience! We booked the 4-day Tolima tour through Salento Hikers. Our summary: top, top, top! We loved every second of our adventure. The organisation in advance is flawless, the team is very helpful and the registration process works perfectly. At the pre-meeting on site, all open questions were clarified and we got a good feeling of what to expect. I particularly liked the fact that our luggage was checked, i.e. whether we had packed everything anyway and whether our equipment fitted. We were able to get to know all the other participants at this meeting. I was also particularly impressed by the size of the group. We were a very small group, especially compared to other groups we met along the way. Our guides (Jason and Steven) were another highlight for us - very professional, committed and helpful. Jason is a real ray of sunshine, his always positive mood is very infectious. Steven was the quiet part - an ideal combination. The two of them went to great lengths to make our time as pleasant and special as possible, which they succeeded in doing. We always had the feeling of being very well looked after during our trip. The equipment we received was in good condition and professional. All in all, we can only warmly recommend...

We had an amazing experience with Salento Hikers on our 2-days tour through beautiful Cocora Valley and the paramount landscape. The office staff was incredible friendly, explained all details and gave us the necessary equipment (rubber boots and hiking sticks were a must with all the mud!) before our trip. During the hike everything was taken care of and we felt really comfortable and safe. The little mountain hut was basic but still comfortable and the food was really good and we got plenty of snacks during the hike. The best thing, however, was our tour guide Yeyo! You could really feel his passion and knowledge about the mountains and his cheerful personality made us succeed even through difficult parts of the hike. He even made us a nice and energizing tea during the hike and prepared the most delicious lunch when we needed a little extra boost of energy. Would highly recommend the tour with salento hikers and especially Yeyo :))

Good to know: a solid fitness level is recommended and if you hike during the rainy season we would highly recommend bringing waterproof clothes (incl. rain pants and gloves). Make sure to check the packing list before the trip to be prepared for all...

If you decide to go hiking in Salento, go with these guys. 100% recommendation.

We did the two day paramo trek (Wax Palms, Andes & Frailejones) with Yeyo, as a group of three. He took really good care of us, gave us pep talks, snacks, teas and cared in every possible way. Big recommendation for this guy, super nice to be around, too.

I feel like some key information is necessary: The tour is strenous and intense, with a lot of rain and long hikes, if thats not for you, don’t sign up. the hike from cocora to the playa finca is around 8 hours, not 5. Depending on your training and the weather conditions it might be 6, or for us, 10, as one person got symptoms of acute mountain sickness (don’t underestimate the altitude, you will be sleeping at 3650m) DONT bring hiking shoes. The rubber boots are totally sufficient, and surprisingly comfortable to wear, noone had blisters even after 40km. You will be walking in mud and marshes a lot.

That being said, the food/lunch package is amazing, we got coca leaves tea, the guide is amazing and the landscape absolute unique. There is a lot of fog, but the moments it clears you will never forget!

Would do again! Thanks...