What to do in Cali and reasons to visit the world capital of salsa

Apart from being one of the main cities in Colombia, Cali is also one of the most joyful cities and a must-visit destination when you visit the country or the first time.

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Cali is known as the salsa capital of the world, and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean has turned it into a city with a lot of rhythm, like Santa Marta, Cartagena or any other city on the coast. Furthermore, Cali is so nice that it is also a perfect destination to travel alone.

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In this article, we will cover what to do in Cali and the best reasons for you to visit this city.

"Oiga, mire, vea, vengase a Cali para que vea"

Going around San Antonio

This is one of the most attractive places in the city along with its church, San Antonio Chapel. This neighborhood is one the oldest in the city with a bohemian air. Its streets are full of history and some of its houses had the pleasure of hosting many famous personalities such as Jorge Issacs. The hill on which the neighborhood is located makes it perfect to end up on the grass contemplating the city.

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Walking through the Boulevar del Rio and finish in La Ermita

The next plan to do in Cali begins at the famous Boulevard del Rio; a fascinating and modern tourist corridor next to the river where you can enjoy a nice walk and feel the smell of sugar cane that comes with the river, finishing the walk at La Ermita Church, a symbol of Cali, and of course a tourist attraction that is visited daily by thousands of visitors who want to see up close and appreciate its Gothic architecture and its ancient images of the Virgin and the saints.

Try its excellent gastronomy

Cali is full of flavor and its gastronomy is a witness of it: so, wherever you are, in San Antonio, in the Boulevard, do not miss the chance of trying a cholao, a pandebono, a sancocho caleño, the famous champú, the empanadas, the aborrajado, the lulada or the marranitas.  Your taste buds will appreciate it.

Climbing Cristo Rey

Cristo Rey is another symbol of Cali which is a resembling scaled-down version of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and can be seen from different parts of the city.  This place is also called "Señor de los Cristales" due to the amount of quartz found here. Definitely, this monument cannot be left out on your list of things to do in Cali during your staying if you want to know something different and enjoy a complete panoramic view of the city.

Dance Salsa

This is what you must do if you are in the world capital of salsa, right? Otherwise, you won't have a complete experience. If you do not know how to dance salsa, do not worry, the whole city is a dance school and all Caleños are salsa teachers; although if you want something professional, there are many salsa schools all across the city for you to learn or perfect your steps, and then put them into practice in any of the rumbeaderos of the fifth and/or sixth avenue. You can also attend to big salsa shows like Delirio.

Sugar Cane Museum

If you want to do an open-air activity and learn more about Valle del Cauca's history and its sugar cane culture, do not miss the chance of visiting this splendid museum.

Visit the Cat Park

Located also along the shores of the river, this is a park that you no matter what you have to visit. It has about 25 female cat statues made by great plastic artists, who have different stories, and accompany their boyfriend, the male cat, the main sculpture of the park.

Buga Tour

If you are in Cali, do not miss the opportunity of visiting Guadalajara of Buga, one of the Colombian Heritage Towns, famous for its architecture, for the Señor de los Milagros Basilica, monument that attracts many visitors every year, and for making the best sweets in the whole Valle del Cauca, such as manjar blanco, the melcocha, figs with caramel and others..

Other things to do in Cali

Other places to visit and plans to do in Cali and equally interesting and attractive include the Cali Zoo, the monument to Sebastian de Belalcázar; the founder of the city, the Acuaparque de la Caña, the Tertulia Museum, the Cerro de las Tres Cruces and the Dog Park.

When to visit Cali

Thanks to its nice and cool weather, you can visit Cali any time of the year; but, if you want to know its folkloric side, then the Cali's Fair and Petronio Álvarez Festival are the perfect occasions to enjoy Cali at its fullest.

Now that you know what to do in Cali, we invite you to visit other travel articles from Colombia by clicking here if your plans are to continue traveling or to discover new places to escape.