Cali

No reviews yetCity Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia

Cristo Rey Cali, Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia

Cerro de las Tres Cruces, Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia

About Cali

Cali calls itself the world capital of salsa, and the claim is easy to believe on any weekend night, when dance floors fill and teenagers spin with the speed and footwork the city is famous for. Colombia's third-largest city lies in the warm Cauca Valley, with the green Farallones mountains rising to the west and a fresh breeze that arrives each afternoon from the Pacific side.

Founded by Spanish conquerors in 1536, Cali keeps a small colonial core around the hillside San Antonio neighbourhood, the brick Mudéjar tower of San Francisco and the riverside La Ermita church. The Cali River runs through the centre, lined with a boulevard, modern art at La Tertulia and the playful bronze cat of Hernando Tejada. Afro-Colombian traditions from the Pacific coast shape the music and food, from pandebono to fresh lulada.

Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport lies north-east of the city in Palmira. The Feria de Cali fills the last week of December with salsa parades, concerts and parties.

Best seasonDecember-March and July-August (drier months)

Ideal stay3 days

ArrivingAlfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport; long-distance buses

What to See in Cali: 12 Favorites

Viewpoints 1

Cristo Rey Cali

A statue of Christ about 26 metres tall stands on the Cerro de los Cristales above western Cali, completed in the 1950s and visibl...

Hikes 1

Cerro de las Tres Cruces

This hill on the north-west edge of Cali is crowned by three large crosses and is the city's favourite workout: on weekend morning...

Neighborhoods 2

Barrio San Antonio

Cali's best-preserved old neighbourhood climbs a hill west of the centre, with single-storey colonial houses painted in bright col...

Bulevar del Rio Cali

A pedestrian promenade runs along the Cali River through the centre, created when the riverside avenue was moved into a tunnel, an...

Temples and Shrines 1

La Ermita Church

With its white and blue walls and slender Gothic-style spires, La Ermita is one of Cali's most photographed buildings, standing on...

Family 1

Zoologico de Cali

Set along the Cali River in the west of the city, the Cali Zoo is one of the best-regarded in Colombia, with spacious enclosures a...

Arts 1

El Gato del Rio

Created by the Cali artist Hernando Tejada, this large bronze cat sits by the Cali River in a riverside park and has become a belo...

Museums 1

Museo La Tertulia

Set on a green slope beside the Cali River, La Tertulia is one of Colombia's leading museums of modern and contemporary art, with...

History 1

Torre Mudejar Cali

Part of the San Francisco church and convent complex in the centre, this eighteenth-century bell tower is a rare example of Mudéja...

Nature 1

Farallones de Cali National Natural Park

The mountains west of Cali are protected in this national park of cloud forest, high peaks and clear rivers that supply the city's...

Events 1

Feria de Cali

Every year from 25 to 30 December, the Feria de Cali turns the city into a giant party, opening with the Salsódromo, a parade of h...

Food and Drink 1

Galeria Alameda

This busy covered market in the Alameda district is the best place to taste the fruits of the Cauca Valley, from lulo and guanában...

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Photo: Juan Velasco, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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