A Fine Meal in Salento

Salento is a town of only about 3,500 in the "Coffee Triangle" of Colombia where most of the famous Colombian coffee is grown.

It used to be on the road from Cali to Bogota, but the modern road bypassed the town. As a result it stayed a sleepy rural hamlet. But recently it has become a major tourist destination due to its proximity to the Cocora Valley, well-known for its beauty, and to many coffee plantations. Salento mostly attracts tourists from Colombia, but the backpackers seem to have caught on to it too.

On our first night here we asked the proprietor of our hostel for a restaurant recommendation. We hadn't really eaten all day and were ready for a good meal.

He said his favorite restaurant was a little place called Alegra, and that smoked trout was one of their specialties.

He didn't have to say any more. We were on it. And it was a wonderful meal. Smoked trout served cold with a wonderful fresh tomato salad and small fresh cheeses and bread. The cost was under $10.

We may need to come back to Alegra to try more on their menu.