Salento is an idyllic mountain town in the coffee region of Colombia. About 250 km away from this quaint little town lies a big modern city of Colombia, Medellin. Both Salento and Medellin deserve to be on your Colombia travel itinerary. But the challenge arises while planning the commute between the two places as transport connectivity in Salento is limited. So, we are going to share with you all the details about how to travel by direct bus from Salento to Medellin.
Why travel by bus from Salento to Medellin?
Bus travel is cheaper than air travel, by at least 70% in this case. That is the simplest reason of choosing to bus travel from Salento to Medellin.
In addition, Salento is not served by any airport. The nearest domestic airports are at Armenia, 26 km away and at Pereira, 36 km away. Colombia’s domestic budget airline Viva Air operates in this sector. But the cost of printing the boarding pass (!), check-in luggage, etc add up to the cost. Thus the total cost of air travel ends up being much higher than what is shown as the airfare.
Also, traveling by bus in a foreign land gives you the opportunity to pass by other regions of the country that you otherwise would not have seen. Why let go of this chance?
So, we chose to take the direct bus from Salento to Medellin. But, on the other hand, to optimize our time schedule, we took a domestic flight from Cartagena to Pereira to arrive at Salento.
Bus service provider from Salento to Medellin
Flota Occidental is the only bus service provider that operates direct bus from Salento to Medellin.
We took the Flota Occidental bus from Salento to Medellin in June 2019.
How to book tickets for the direct bus from Salento to Medellin?
We booked our tickets online from the site of Flota Occidental.
Ticket price: 49,000 Colombian Pesos (~13 USD) per person
We made the payment online using credit card. The confirmation was almost instantaneous. Interestingly, the payment confirmation email was just that, a confirmation of successful payment! The email did not include any detail about departure or arrival, neither place nor time. The online confirmation receipt did carry an authorization number, a reference number and an identification number (which was the passport number of the primary passenger). How are these details relevant? Wait for it, until later in this post.
[The online booking feature on Flota Occidental site does not seem to be active at the time of writing this, probably due to the pandemic situation. But the booking page says it will be back soon.]
You can also purchase your bus tickets from the Flota Occidental office at the bus station in Salento. The ticket sale hours are from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. But, remember there are not many options for direct bus from Salento to Medellin. Only one service provider (Flota Occidental) operates few times a day. So, if you need to be strict with your schedule, we recommend purchasing the tickets online beforehand.
Salento to Medellin bus schedule
Flota Occidental runs direct bus from Salento to Medellin 3 times a day every day. On the day of our travel, they had a handwritten schedule up on a notice board at their office. The departure times were listed as 8:00 am, 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
However, I had previously seen different schedules on various other online platforms. So, it is best that you verify the departure schedule with the Flota Occidental office once you arrive at Salento.
Boarding the bus from Salento
You can explore the town of Salento pretty much on foot. The same applies for going to the bus station. We simply followed the directions shared by our hotel reception manager. After walking out of the main town, we saw a tiny board saying ‘Bus Station’. But that pointed towards an empty green field. A bit confused, we still proceeded and later realized that we approached the bus station from its back side.
We went to the Flota Occidental office first for checking in. I showed the payment confirmation email on my phone. Now, here comes the surprise! They were not able to trace our booking on their system. Remember, the reference number and the authorization number? Nah, none of those were on their system! We started to get anxious. However, the guy behind the desk did not seem too worried though. He asked us to wait.
It was then that I noticed that my passport number was listed as the identification number on the payment confirmation email from Flota Occidental. We informed the guy about the same and showed our passports. Apparently, that solved all the problems. He retrieved our booking on the system and told us to board the bus once it arrived. Was this a one time technical glitch? Was this plain simple inexperience of the office guy? We do not really know. But in case you face a similar situation while taking the direct bus from Salento to Medellin, just inform the office about your passport number.
As the big luxury coach pulled up, we boarded the bus and started our journey towards Medellin.
Rest stops on the way from Salento to Medellin
During the course of the journey from Salento to Medellin, the bus allows only 1 rest stop. It is a big cafeteria with different pre-cooked meal options. One area of the cafeteria also has a snacks counter. This is the only chance during the bus journey to grab some food or to take a bio break. So, plan your food and water intake accordingly on the day of the journey.
Arriving at Medellin
The bus from Salento ends its trip at Terminal Sur (South Terminal) bus station in Medellin. This is actually convenient as compared to the North Terminal, as Teminal Sur is closer to the Poblado area. Chances are good that you may have chosen your hotel/ hostel/ Airbnb in Poblado or adjacent neighborhoods of Medellin.
As you exit the Terminal Sur bus station, take a cab and head towards your destination in Medellin. You may check out our recommendations on things to do in Medellin, including a tip on what not to do!
What we did not like about this bus journey
The journey by direct bus from Salento to Medellin was supposed to take about 6 hours. But in reality, the journey lasted 9 hours! That is almost a day gone in traveling from one place to another that are just 250 km apart.
What we liked about this bus journey
When you spend morning to evening sitting in a bus, your body may become uncomfortable and your mind may feel restless. However, we did not at all get annoyed with this 9 hour long bus journey. Various factors played a part in making this journey enjoyable.
- Clean bus coach
- Air-conditioning with the right temperature setting
- Comfortable reclining chairs with good head support
- Power charging outlets
- WiFi on board (the ultimate winner in today’s times, ain’t it?)
- Beautiful moving scenery of Colombian countryside
Should you take the direct bus from Salento to Medellin?
Would I ever repeat a bus journey that lasts for 9 hours, despite the schedule of 6 hours? We did not put much thought about it anymore after arriving in Medellin. We had already switched our brains from Salento to Medellin by then.
But now, at the time of writing this during the age of self isolation, I am fondly reminiscing that long bus journey, and actually craving for another such! The bus ride was cheap yet ultra comfortable, traveling through the lush green countryside of Colombia. Of course, you should take the direct bus from Salento to Medellin! Who knows, this bus trip might constitute your memories that you will cherish later.
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