Santiago del Cali, also called Cali, is one of the most important cities in Colombia . Capital of the Valle del Cauca department, the city offers its visitors splendid natural landscapes, lots of fun and splendid places to visit . Of course, there aren’t many, but it’s worth it, the beauty of the area will leave you satisfied.
Here are its 10 main attractions .
1 – Archaeological Museum “La Merced”
Photo by Remux. It is located in one of the oldest buildings in Cali , the former La Merced convent. A place with great historical wealth , the museum currently houses a large collection of Colombian ceramics, in addition to various finds of the aboriginal people, the remains of the Tierradentro, Quimbaya, Tolima, Calima tribes.
This is not an overly large museum, but what it contains is essential for understanding the beauty and history of the city.
- How to get there: from the Terminal de Trasporte it is 3.5 km away, with the yellow line bus E27, which leaves from Av 3N entre Cl 31 y 30, 700 meters from the terminal de Transporte, takes 9 minutes to Av 1N entre Cl 7 y 6 , less than 200 meters from La Meced – Get directions
- Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00
- Ticket cost: COP 12 for foreigners / € 0.003 (€ 1.00 = COP 3.562.95)
2 – Iglesia de la Merced
Photo by marplar. In 1536 Fray Santos de Anasco celebrated the first mass in this church and thus the city was founded.
This colonial church, also called Iglesia Nuestra Senora De La Merced, is part of the La Merced religious complex declared a national monument in 1975 . It is composed of the main nave of the church of La Merced, the auxiliary chapels of Our Lady of Remedies and the Lateran Christ, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Religious Art and the convent.
The church has survived the earthquakes that have enveloped the city since its foundation. Outside it has a pure white color, while inside there are beautiful decorations, which however are not lacking in simplicity.
- How to get there: and in the same area as the archaeological museum, with the yellow line bus E27 it takes 9 minutes to get off at
Av 1N entre Cl 7 y 6 – Get directions - Hours: Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00
- Ticket cost: free
3 – La Merced Colonial Art Museum
Located in the old cloister of the La Merced church, in a 16th century structure with three internal courtyards.
This two-story museum collects numerous testimonies of ancient South American art , collections of paintings and colonial religious artifacts. Among the finds we point out those coming from Easter Island, contained in the “Rapa Nui” wing.
- How to get there: and in the same area as the archaeological museum, with the yellow line bus E27 it takes 9 minutes to get off at
Av 1N entre Cl 7 y 6 – Get directions - Hours: from Monday to Friday 10: 00-18: 00
- Ticket price: full COP 500 / € 0.14
4 – Gold Museum
Located inside a bank, this museum contains various artifacts made of gold and made during the pre-Columbian era . The collection is often joined by temporary exhibitions, such as the one dedicated to finds from the Panama area.
- How to get there: 11 minutes by car from the Terminal de Transporte, with the yellow line bus E27 it takes 9 minutes to get off at Av 1N entre Cl 7 y 6 – Get directions
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00
- Ticket cost: free
5 – Museo la Tertulia
Photo by Leidy Estefani Mielguteto Sandoval. It is dedicated to Colombian modern art , dates back to 1956. The structure consists of 3 buildings : the main gallery, which has 300 works by national and international artists, a film library with regular projections of art films, readings of poems and musical performances and a building dedicated to restorations, all for a total of more than 1,500 works.
In 1968 the museum was enriched with another structure on the banks of the Cali River, called El Charco del Burro.
- How to get there: located 15 minutes walk from the city center, along the Rio Cali. With the E27 bus line, which leaves from
Av 3N entre Cl 31 y 30, 700 meters from the terminal de Transporte, it takes about 11 minutes to get off at Av 1N entre Cl 7 y 6 and then continue for 950 meters on foot – Get directions - Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00
- Ticket cost: COP 10,000 adults (€ 2.73) and COP 2,000 (€ 0.55) for students. Sunday free admission
6 – Iglesia San Antonio
Photo by Mario Carvajal. Located on the top of the homonymous hill, this small colonial-style church attracts visitors not so much thanks to its interior, rather modest as the style itself wants, but rather to its beautiful viewpoint, from which you can admire the whole city below .
- How to get there: about 5 km from the Terminal de Transporte, 6 minutes by car. With the E27 bus line it takes about 11 minutes to get off at Cl 5 entre Kr 6 y 9 Clinica Comfenalco and then continue for 700 meters on foot – Get directions
- Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00 – 21:00
- Ticket cost: free
7 – Cali Tower
It will not be a historic building, but this 46-storey high skyscraper , which houses apartments, hotels and accommodation facilities, is one of the major points of interest in the city.
Built in the early 1980s, the Cali Tower is 211 meters high, making it the third tallest skyscraper in all of Colombia .
- How to get there: by car it takes about 6 minutes from the Terminal de Transporte. At the Av 3N entre Cl 31 y 30 stop, 700 meters from the terminal, the T42 line stops in Versalles, about 300 meters from the attraction, you will arrive in 18 minutes – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
8 – El Gato del Rio
This huge statue, which depicts a colossal cat, is one of the strengths of the city .
Sculpted by the artist Hernando Tejada in 1996, it has become a real attraction for all the artists who over the years have wanted to create “girlfriends” for it.
The phenomenon has become so important that the municipality itself had to launch a competition to create statues that could represent the cat-companions of the Gato del Rio.
- How to get there: 4.7 km away, 13 minutes by car from Terminal de Transporte, bus A05 stops at Av4 with Cl 2 Oeste, 100 meters, takes 31 minutes – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
9 – Cristo Rey
Photo by Mario Carvajal. It is one of the major monuments of the city , located on the Cerro de los Cristales, a hill less than 1,500 meters. During the climb you can admire sculptures modeled with concrete and mud made by Carlos Andres Gomez.
The road leads to this 31-meter-high statue , made of iron and concrete, which overlooks the famous belvedere of the same name , and annually attracts over 290,650 tourists.
It was inaugurated in 1953 in commemoration of the fifty years that have passed since the end of the Thousand Days War.
The visit is free , and the place is equipped with parking, there is a restaurant and a chapel.
- How to get there: 12.3 km from the Terminal de Transporte, reachable in 31 minutes by car – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
10 – Zoological garden
Photo by Martha Rivero. It is one of the most famous and loved in all of South America. Its surface of 11 hectares is home to more than 2,000 specimens of animals : reptiles, birds and mammals.
The zoo offers the possibility of various interactive activities, ranging from art to experiments, without forgetting the insights on the zoo and the animals themselves.
- How to get there: 6.8 from the Terminal de Transporte, accessible in 18 minutes by car – Get directions
- Hours: Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:30
- Ticket price: adults COP 22,000 / € 5.44, children COP15,000 / € 4.08
Plan your stay in Cali: info on flights, hotels and tours
Photo by CALIESCALI1. The Cali-Alfonso Bonilla Aragon airport, located within the city limits, allows the city to be connected with the major national and international airports. From Italy you need 1 or more stopovers to reach the city, taking a total of 15/17 hours (Compare flights – starting from € 468.00)
As for costs, the city is quite cheap : the average costs of a weekends in high season, including flight and 4-star hotel, should not exceed € 1,500. The city has a favorable climate all year round, from Christmas to New Year there are various eventsincluding parades, concerts, masked balls, theatrical performances, bullfights… and of course the renowned beauty contest, typical of this country.
The city does not offer many public transport , in addition to bus lines, which always undergo variations in timetables and fares, it is advisable to visit the official website, or contact the Centrales de Transportes (Get directions) open from Monday to Friday from 7 : 30 to 12:30 and from 13:00 to 17:00. To visit the city at its best you can either opt for a bike, also taking advantage of the various rental points, or go on foot.
- Low cost flights: Flights starting from € 468.00 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 35.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Cali: 3-hour city walking tour Cali: cycle through the beauty of nature Cali: authentic coffee tour experience
