Cali is a city in southwestern Colombia, capital of the Valle del Cauca department. It has about 2 million inhabitants and it is a significant industrial and commercial center of activity in Colombia. Being at around 1,000 metres above sea level, it has a warm, but not excessively hot climate. It's best known for its salsa music.
Cali is located on the Cauca Valley to the west of the Cauca River and to the east of the Western Mountain Range near the hills known as Farallones de Cali. The city rests approximately 1,000 meters (3,280 ft.) above sea level and its topography is fairly flat. Approximately 100 km west of Cali lies the port city of Buenaventura on the Colombian Pacific coast; to the northeast are the industrial town of Yumbo and the city of Palmira, where Cali's international airport, the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (CLO), is located; the colonial city of Popayán is two hours south by car in the Cauca department.
Santiago de Cali is located on a valley. The city is totally bordered by mountains to the West, Los farallones are the closest to the city. The Eastern part of the city is bordered by the Cauca river, North and South both are extended plains, in the first one you can find the industrial city of Yumbo part of Cali's metropolitan area, to the south you can find Jamundi, also a metropolitan area. The city is mainly plain, but there are zones mostly at West that are Mountainous, there are also some elevations practically inside the city; like San Antonio and La loma de la Cruz, both are tourist sites. There are Several rivers that descend from the Western Mountain Range and empty into the Cauca River those rivers pass through the metropolitan area of Cali. In the western part of the city the Aguacatal River flows into the Cali River, which continues on to the Cauca River. In the south the rivers Cañaveralejo, Lilí, and Meléndez flow into the CVC south channel which also empties into the Cauca River. Farther south, the banks of the Pance River are a popular place for recreation and leisure.
PLACE TO VISIT
Museo del Oro del Banco de la República, Calle 7 No. 4-69. A Museum containing archaeological exhibits of pottery and gold of pre-Columbian cultures which existed in the region. There is also a small art exhibitions. The entrance is free and it's open Monday till Saturday.
Museo Arqueologico La Merced, Located in the downtown, is a Colonial-type church, with an archaeological museum displaying pre-Hispanic exhibits and religious art from ancient cultures which inhabited the region in pre-Columbian times.
Cristo Rey A statue located in the top of a hill, similar to Cristo de Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. offers a great city view and a good exercise climb the mountain. Do not walk alone. It's not a real safe place.
Cerro de las Tres Cruces A hill embellished with three big crosses from which the whole city is visible.
Iglesia de San Antonio Colonial-type church at the top of a hill. Another great view of the downtown area.
Estatua de Belalcazar, Like the city of Popayan to it's south, Cali was founded by a Spaniard named Sebastian de Belalcazar. There is a statue in Belalcazar's honor in a nice residential area of Cali, where you can look out over the whole city. It's much safer than Cristo Rey.
Zoologico de Cali, This is an excellent zoo with many animals from around the world. The premises are very well kept and, surprisingly, it is located in an up-scale side of town. The animals generally have lots of space for themselves. Do not miss: the Bengal tigers, the butterflies, and the birds.
La Ermita A Gothic-style church located in the downtown area. It was built in 1678 and then renovated in 1930.
La Tertulia Museum of modern art.
Plaza de Toros The city's bullfighting arena. Only active in December during the "Feria de Cali" festival.
Culture Cali had may of cultural offers, like the Teatro Municipal Enrique Buenaventura, Centro Cultural Comfandi, Teatro Jorge Isaacs, etc.
Nice places: Lake Calima (one and a half hour drive from city) nice place to stay for about 30 dollars night also one of the best places for windsurf in south America
WHAT TO DO
Soccer Matches: In the Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero is the Host place of the local teams of the city, Deportivo Cali and America de Cali. regularly each Sunday one of them plays a Match for the National Championship. Between the months of May-June and November-December they are in playoffs, so the matches are more exciting. It is recommended that tourists sit on the west side section, "Occidental", of the stadium. Under no circumstances should a tourist sit at the south side of the stadium as this is where the popular barras for both teams are located.
Mountain Biking: Excellent tracks there, get information at BTT de Colombia Bike store (yellow pages ask for Julio).
Wind or Kite surfing: The best place in south America, wind blows virtually 365 days a year.
Salsa Dancing: Cali is one of the most famous or popular places for salsa in the world. You can find people dancing in the streets and every single night find a club open for salsa dancing. These clubs have live salsa music, with popular groups as "La Sonora Carrusel".
HOW TO REACH
By bus - From the Terminal de transportes you have the choice of many different regional, national and domestic destinations.
From the Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International airport, about 20 minutes from the city, the taxi trip costs 10 dollars. or just 2 dollars Bus drive. Recommendation: Travel only by certified transport companies, like Expreso Palmira, Bolivariano o Expreso Brasilia. This companies bring you safety and comfort for you and your luggage. You may bargain with other companies, but the trip may be very uncomfortable.
A modern bus system similar to Bogota's famous Transmilenio is currently under construction; for this reason many streets are now blocked or closed.
By plane - Cali's International Airport Alfonso Bonilla Aragón is settled 16km northeast of the city an can be reached by Bus or Taxi. Many domestic and some international destinations can be reached. There are flights to and from Medellín, Bogotá, Pereira, Pasto and Cartagena. Abroad cities that can be reached by non-stop flights are Miami, Madrid, Panama City (Panama) and Esmeraldas in Ecuador.
