Santiago de Cali is a city founded on July 25, 1536, by Sebastián de Belalcázar. Characterized by having 7 Towns, which in turn are subdivided into a total of 249 neighborhoods and comprise a population of 2.2 million inhabitants.
This metropolis of large buildings has the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón airport located on the outskirts of the city in the Palmaseca corregimiento and 20 minutes from the town center in case you want to travel by plane, a bus terminal located to the north if you want get to Cali by bus, a transportation system called Massive Integrated West (MIO), and 192 kilometers of the bike path or bike path to ride a bike through the city.
Cali is a city to live in Colombia because, in addition to offering essential places to go, see and visit, it is recognized for being a salsa city full of flavor, party, color, rhythm, exquisite cuisine, and where discos abound. As well as traditions such as the “Petronio Álvarez” Pacific Music Festival in August, the World Salsa Festival in September, and the Cali Fair in December. But especially, for its cozy climate, since the The weather in Santiago de Cali during most of the year is warm, sunny and dry with an average temperature between 22 °C and 33 degrees Celsius.
Now as for the beautiful places in Cali, they are identified as having many facets since you can do different types of tourism. For example, something very attractive in historical tourism is visiting beautiful places in Cali where you can take photos without any problem, some of the main ones are the Cristo Rey Monument, the San Antonio neighborhood (here you can also listen to storytellers on Fridays) and the Boulevard del Río Cali.
Another of the good plans in Cali to do in one day is to walk through landscapes or parks such as the Cerro de las Tres Cruces, Pico de Loro, the Nirvana Nature Reserve, and the Río Pance Ecopark. Most of these tourist sites in Cali require little money to get to know them.
Other attractions in Cali that you should visit to spend the day are the museums, some of the most important is the La Tertulia Museum, the La Merced Archaeological Museum, the Caliwood Museum, and the De La Salsa Museum.
Also, if you are more into plans to do in Cali at night and you like to travel alone or go out as a couple, you should know some emblematic places in Cali to go at night. Some recommended plans are to have a drink in the bars of Ciudad Jardin, 66, around the Parque del Perro, in the El Peñon neighborhood, go salsa dancing in La Topa Tolondra, and party in Menga, Juanchito, or in the Granada neighborhood. But if you are one of those who prefer to travel with the family, among the beautiful places in Cali for children are the Andoke Butterfly Garden, Granjalandia Interactiva, the La Estacion shopping center, Chipichape, and the Loma de La Cruz Artisan Park.
Before traveling to this marvelous city and living experiences in some tourist places in Cali, we recommend you to know the wealth of customs of the Cali people and some curious facts about the metropolis. Some important ones are:
- On Sundays or holidays, the people of Cali go to rivers like the Pance
- The Pacific beaches are only 2 hours from the city
- In the stores of the downtown Cali can haggle
- To walk around Cali wear comfortable, light and fresh clothes
- People from Cali dedicate a lot of time to their image
- In Cali you can find places everywhere that sell hamburgers
- In Cali they drink aguaelulo, shampoos and lulada
- In Cali you should have breakfast or afternoon in a bakery< /li>
- Los caleños have expressions like chuspa, oís, mirá ve, borondo, azarar or ñapa
- Caleños love to drink coffee with pandebono in the afternoon.
- Going to Calima Lake is an obligatory plan for one day
- Request a taxi through the app and if you are going to walk around the city avoid carrying valuables
Cali, being one of the important cities in Colombia, is a trade center for gastronomy, so one of many essential things to do is eat in areas like San Antonio, El Peñón, Ciudad Jardín, around the Parque del Perro and Flora, which are the favorites of foodies. You will find the best restaurants and bars for all tastes, budgets and perfect to try some of the specialties of food typical valluna such as sancocho de gallina, Chontaduro, Cholado, Manjar Blanco, tamale valluno, pandebono, and Champús; some recommended restaurants are Cantina La 15, Platillos Voladores, La Comitiva, Antigua Contemporanea, La Gente Que Me Gusta, Storia D'Amore and Zumaia.
As for lodging, if you want to stay in one of the most exclusive and safe areas of Cali, we recommend El Peñón, Granada, San Antonio, and San Fernando, that's where they are the most recommended famous hotels in Cali such as the Intercontinental Cali hotel, the Spiwak Hotel, La Vaina Hostel Cali and Viajero Hostel Cali.
Cali is without a doubt a city in Colombia with a wide range of beautiful and picturesque places both inside and around it; Well, Valle del Cauca is also home to a lot of nature, history, gastronomy, and buildings worth visiting.
So if you are looking for what to do in Cali today or if you want to stay more days to get to know the culture and enjoy this beautiful destination, we bring you a list with more things to see and do in Cali.
Travel to Calima Lake
It is a large tourist reservoir located 2 hours from Cali. Around Lake Calima Darien there is a wide range of hotels and farm rentals, there are also spaces where they rent equipment to do different water attractions in the lake. The closest town to the lake is Darién, which is the meeting point for all the people who stay around the town because they find markets, restaurants, and bars.
Eating around the Dog Park
The park is striking due to the commercial establishments around it such as restaurants, discos, bars, and boutiques. The Cali Dog Park is located in the San Fernando neighborhood in the south of Cali, in the morning people jog around it because it is also a residential area. After noon and at night you can enjoy a very varied gastronomic offer.
Sitting in the Peñón Park
It is a traditional place located in the El Peñón neighborhood in Cali. Although Peñón Park is small, there is a lot to do around it since you will see all kinds of restaurants, and places to have a coffee, and a few blocks away you will find the famous street of the El Peñón neighborhood. On weekends there are outdoor art exhibitions in the park.
Jogging around the Ingenio Park
It is a large park south of the city with different areas for exercise, eating, and recreation for children. The InIngenio Park also has green areas ideal for picnicking, a bike-cross track, a calisthenics area for exercising, parkour modules, and a small climbing wall. The park is also famous for the cholado stalls that are open from 10 am to 10 pm.
Meet El Gato del Río and his girlfriends
It is a 3.5-meter-tall bronze sculpture, located in the west center of the city, next to the Cali River and in a park on Colombia Avenue in the sector known as Normandía. The park where the River Cat is located is very well-lit in case you want to visit it at night and there are many restaurants in the area.
See the entire city from Cristo Rey
It is a monument of Christ the Redeemer, with open arms, 26 meters high located on the Los Cristales hill on the outskirts of Cali. The entrance to Cristo Rey is free, around the monument you will find the best viewpoint in Cali, and next to it there is a restaurant that sells typical food from Cali.
On the way from the parking lot to the monument there are craft stalls and if you go at night we recommend you visit the restaurants where they sell pizza located on the road before arriving at the place.
Climb the Hill of the Three Crosses
It is a symbolic mountain with a monument of three large crosses on its top. To get to the Hill of the Three Crosses, you can do it by car, although the ideal plan is to do it walking up the rocky mountain, which is why visiting the hill is more of a sports plan.
One of the paths that you must travel on foot has a distance of 2 kilometers from the parking lots to the top. Once you reach the top you will find a rest area with bleachers to sit on, the monument, and vendors of natural products to consume.
Go to River Boulevard
It is one of the most representative modern places of Cali and is located in the center of the city next to the Cali river. Walking along the River Boulevard you feel the breeze that characterizes the city and you can sit in the restaurants, bars, and ice cream parlors located in the pedestrian zone. In December, the place is the epicenter of Cali's Christmas lighting.
Tour the San Antonio neighborhood
It is one of the oldest sites in Cali and is located to the west of the city. The San Antonio neighborhood is recognized not only for being part of Cali's history but also for its different signature cuisine restaurants, San Antonio Hill, and a baroque-style church with the same name.
It is a plan for the weekends, start trying the typical food of the region such as roasted ears with butter, shampoos, raspados, and cotton candy and from 7:00 pm listen to the storytellers.
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