Riding a Willys jeep in Salento and the Coffee Region
In Salento the shared taxi is an old Willys jeep, often painted bright colors and packed with passengers. They wait at the main square and head out to the farms and the Cocora Valley. Some tours build a jeep ride into the day; on others you catch one yourself.
From farm workhorse to shared taxi
The Willys jeep began as a small military vehicle and found a second life on Colombia's coffee farms. Its short body and high clearance suited steep, muddy farm tracks where a car would struggle.
Farmers used them to haul sacks of beans down from the slopes, and many are still running decades later. Gran Colombia Tours calls them "the most traditional cars in the coffee culture" on its horseback listing.
Around Salento they now work mostly as shared taxis for visitors and locals. You will see them lined up in the square, and on the roads out of town they are the vehicle you meet most often.
Where the jeeps leave from
The jeeps gather at Salento's main square, Plaza de Bolívar. From there they run out to the coffee farms around town and up to the Cocora Valley, the wax palm valley that most visitors come to see.
We have no timetable to give you, and the listings do not print one. Ask at the square which jeep goes your way, and confirm the destination with the driver before you climb in.
The jeeps to the farms often carry a mix of visitors and people who live along the road, with sacks and shopping on board. Expect stops along the way when someone needs to get off at a gate.
Mornings are the busy time for the valley, since most walkers want to start early. If you plan to be at the palms before the clouds build, our guide to timing your trip covers the weather pattern.
Paying the fare
The fare is small and paid in pesos, in cash. None of our listings gives a figure, and we would rather not guess one, so ask the driver or a local before you set off.
Carry small notes, since change for a large bill can be hard to find out on a farm road. The same cash covers lunch in town and tips, which our packing list also mentions.
Finca El Ocaso says on its listing that you can take a jeep from Salento Square, and that the fare is not part of the tour price. Budget a little extra in pesos for the ride out and back.
Standing on the back step
When a jeep is full, some passengers ride standing on the rear step, holding on to a bar at the back. It is a familiar sight around Salento and many visitors try it once for the view.
It is your choice, not a requirement. If you stand, keep a firm grip with both hands, since the roads to the farms are bumpy and partly unpaved. A seat inside is the safer place with a child or a heavy bag.
Inside, passengers usually sit on benches along the sides, close together, with bags on laps. It is a friendly, cramped way to travel, and over a short trip out of town few people mind.
Tours that put you in a Willys
Three of the six trips we compare involve a jeep, in different ways. On two the ride is part of the tour; on the third you sort it out yourself.
- The shared coffee farm tour from ~$60 starts at the square and takes the group to a farm with over 100 years of history by Willys
- The private horseback day from ~$192 lists a Willys ride among its inclusions
- Finca El Ocaso, at ~$22, has no transport, so the jeep from the square is your own ride
The other three use a car or a pickup service according to their listings. If a jeep ride matters to you, pick one of the trips above. Our horseback guide explains how the jeep fits into that longer day.
Getting to Finca El Ocaso by jeep or on foot
Finca El Ocaso sits at vereda Palestina, km 3.8 on the road out of Salento, about 4 km (2.5 miles) from town. Its 1.5-hour tour in English holds 4.8 from 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide, the most of any coffee listing here.
A jeep from the square is the easy way out. Some travelers walk instead, which is possible on a partly unpaved road that can turn muddy after rain. Allow for the walk back too, since the tour ends at the farm.
A short farm tour you reach by jeep
Finca El Ocaso shows the whole path of a bean in 1.5 hours, from the plantation to roasting and a cloth-strainer coffee. Food, drinks and the jeep fare are not included.
It is the cheapest coffee option we list, but you plan the transport yourself. Our farm comparison sets it beside the guided farm days with a ride from town.
Tips for your first ride
- Agree on the destination before the jeep pulls out, especially for a farm off the main road
- Keep small peso notes in a pocket you can reach while seated
- Put cameras and phones in a bag on the bumpy stretches
- Wear shoes you can walk in, as some drops are at a gate or a track rather than a door
- Ask how the return works if you are heading somewhere quiet
A jeep ride is part of the fun of Salento, but it does not replace a guide. If you would rather leave the whole day to someone else, the private tour guide covers the trips that collect you and bring you back.