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@paddyroyal I agree Paddy

It is more hot,stuffy "Valle", then green, cool ,tranquil "eje"

@paddyroyal Why do you like Solento?  I am a retiree also and am considering Manizales, Bucaramanga and even Medellin.  I never heard of Solento until you mentioned it here or Armenia.  I lived in Medellin for 4 months and will return for good soon. 

@Digitarius I like Salento because I enjoy small town life and the amenities of living in a tourist town. My arrival was "accidental;" I got here a week before the lockdown and stayed. It's very hard to find housing here. Feel free to PM me.

@Digitarius Salento is a little town, overcrowded with tourists on weekends

Seen it onece, you have seen it a dozen times

And I know,I have seen it about a dozen times, cuz It is the way to get into the PNN de los Nevados and Nevada Tolima

@nico peligro What do you think about Bucaramanga and Barranquilla?

@Digitarius Never been to Baranquilla, only passed through-I heard it is even uglier, hotter and stufier than Cali

Bucuramanga is Ok, used to be the best city in Colombia, but got run down and dirty in the last few years, and its not just because of the Venezuelans, the locals can share the blame

I would live  (and have lived) in Floridablanca. pretty nice, and Santander has lots of beautiful spots, and Metro Buca is not too big, not too small, 1.5 Million people

But people arent as friendly and laid back as in the Eje Cafetero

And once again, like most of Colombia, but even more so, not much English spoken

    @Digitarius Salento is a little town, overcrowded with tourists on weekends
Seen it onece, you have seen it a dozen times

And I know,I have seen it about a dozen times, cuz It is the way to get into the PNN de los Nevados and Nevada Tolima
   

    -@nico peligro

You can get to Los Nevados and Nevada Tolima though Manizales and Ibague...and there is a much lesser known route from Pereira.

    @J L Barrera10
GO TO CERRITOS and thank me
later - in genie world this would count as a wish
   

    -@Poke laxdal

Cerritos is terrible, unless your looking for heat, heavy, congested traffic, having to drive everywhere, and being sequestered inside a gated community.

@nico peligro

            My wife and i visit Termales a few times a year to enjoy the hot springs as for Salento in the many years here we have been there twice the last being about six years ago it never changes and the food is terrible it's nothong but a tourist trap .

@Tail Gunner

I have been to the termales at Santa Rosa de Cabal and San Vincente. We only did a day trip to Santa Rosa and did stay two days at San Vincente. I enjoyed San Vincente more but have to agree about the food. Instead of sticking with good old Paisa beans,rice, arepa, and pork fat they tried to make some fancy French dish. I literally spit my food back onto my plate. On a positive note the massages were good and the facilities nice enough and I left my new I phone in the showers and it was at the front desk when I inquired.

lpd

@Lpdiver

        Honestly after all the years here i still find it fascinating how good the food is at our local restaurants here in the pueblo and extreemly reasonable price wise .

        My wife is Colombian and was a nurse here for over thirty years and one thing i have learned is she knows where all the good places are to eat not only in our peublo but all the surrounding ones nearby including those in the mountains nearby .

@Tail Gunner

I was specifically referring to the food at the termales resort St Vincente. Being a Cajun form South Louisiana red beans, rice, sausage, and pork belly is just fine. Personally I eat a lot of street food.

Wow, LP you had better not mention your food taste on the other site,  they will start telling you to look at barrio 1or 2 to buy a house

@Lpdiver

         When i think about Santa Rosa the first thing that pops into my head is chorizos and they do have the best there i have ever eaten .

@GuyB your preaching to the choir.I have climbed all 3 peaks on Santa Isabel several times , Nevada Tolima 4 times by 3 different routes, El Ruiz (that pile of rocks) 3 times.

The Main route into Santa Isabel area from Villa Maria up past La Playa, and into El Cisne refugio is 4 Wheel Drive acess only , and takes 3 hours. Acess only with the PNN guides into the park.

I have been up the Pereira route to climb the South Peak of Santa Isabel, and back out through Laguna  del otun . Its a 30 KM odd hike , a staying atthe Finca at Berlin , and camping at Lago del Otun.

Oh there is a gravel road close to Laguna del Atun as well. I think you can get there with a normal car. But then half to hike about 3 Km to the road to get out via Villa Maria

My Venezuelan girlfriend, when she cooks (rarely), makes way, way better food than the traditonal greasy Colombisan crap. Really good natural sauces with chicken , or meat, well prepared vegetable dishes

We scold probably do real good opening a restaurant here, if she could train some locals to cook like she does.

@Tail Gunner Salento 50 places to eat the same Trucha

My Tacaño cColombian friend found one place for 50 mil once. We ordered a bear forom next door for 4 mil and drank it with the meal.

Of course that was several years ago-