Things to Do in Cali, The Salsa Capital of Colombia

A visit to Cali, the ‘Salsa Capital of the World’, is on many people’s itineraries when travelling to Colombia, even if it isn’t the most popular city to visit in the country. Whilst the ultimate thing to do in Cali is to dance and watch salsa, the city also offers much more on top. So, if you’re currently planning your trip and are interested in what else you can do in Cali, then you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we’ll list some of the best attractions in Cali, from beautiful churches to street art and scenic views. As usual, you can also read about how to get to Cali, the best time to visit, where to stay and where to eat in this award winning Colombian city.

If you’d like to see the highlights of our time in Cali, then make sure to watch our short Cali video on our YouTube channel. For more Colombia videos, check out our Colombia Series.

Introducing Cali, Colombia

Located in the Valle del Cauca region, Cali is the third largest city in Colombia after Bogota and Medellin. The city’s full name is actually Santiago de Cali, but everyone just refers to it as Cali.

It was founded in 1536 by the Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar. Of course before the Spanish, Cali was inhabited by indigenous tribes. During the colonial era, the area was occupied by haciendas – large estates and plantations. The city gained its independence from Spain in 1811.

During the 19th century, Cali was the centre of the sugar plantation economy. Industrialisation and modernisation of the agricultural sector in the 20th century led to the rapid growth of the city’s economy. Cali today is one of the major economic and industrial centers in Colombia.

For a lot of people Cali is known as the ‘Salsa Capital of the World’ and attracts visitors from all over for this reason. However, the city is also one of the most important Sports Centers in Colombia and has hosted many important games over the years.

Cali has won the World Travel Awards’ ‘South America’s Leading Cultural City Destination’ award for multiple years.

Things to Do in Cali, Colombia

1. Go on a Salsa Tour

Since Cali is known as the ‘Salsa Capital of the World’ most visitors come to the city with the intention of learning about salsa. You can follow the ‘Salsa Route’ (La Ruta de la Salsa) that guides you through the city between Antigua Estacion del Tren de Cali and Parque Alameda. Along the way you can visit places like the Salsa Museum (Museo de la Salsa) and the Jairo Varela Square (Plazoleta Jairo Varela). They normally have a map of the Salsa Route at each of the must-see stops.

In our opinion, the best way to appreciate and understand Cali’s salsa culture is by joining a dedicated salsa tour. These tours normally last for 4 or 5 hours. During this time, your local guide will take you to different spots around Cali where you can learn and experience salsa.

2. Sign Up for a Salsa Class

Once you’ve gained enough background knowledge about salsa, why not learn some of the dance moves as well. With a lot of visitors arriving here to experience Cali’s salsa scene, there are numerous places offering salsa lessons. Whether you’re a beginner, or already have some experience, you can sign up for either a private or group class.

Sometimes hostels like Viajero hostel offer free lessons for their guests, which is worth considering when booking your accommodation. You can also sign up for lessons at places like Salsa Pura or Rumba Y Salsa. Taking some lessons is a great way to meet with fellow travellers whilst also learning a new skill.

Once you’ve gained some confidence, it’s time to hit one of the clubs and dance the night away.

3. Watch a Salsa Show at Delirio

If you want to see a fantastic salsa show then you should book one at Delirio.

The Delirio Foundation (Fundación Delirio) was created in 2006 to help reclaim the popular culture of the city and to also provide artists with the opportunity to obtain professional recognition. Their show is an incredible mix of concert, circus and salsa. They’re like the Cirque du Soleil of salsa.

You can watch their incredible show on the last Friday of every month at the Pacific Valley Events Center (Centro de Eventos Valle Del Pacifico). The show normally starts after 9PM (although the doors are open from about 7PM) and won’t end until 2AM. You will need to book your ticket in advance because they do sell out quickly!

Don’t worry if you’re not in Cali on that specific day though. You can buy a ticket to see Paseo de la Aurora, which is performed every Saturday and Sunday at the same place as the monthly show.

During your weekend visit you will be able to interact with the artists, enjoy live shows, join in with some salsa lessons and have some food. It is a bit like a festival but more family oriented. Apart from us, we only saw a handful of other ‘gringos’ there. Just bear in mind that to truly enjoy the experience, you may want to understand a little bit of Spanish. Even though we’re not fluent, we had a ton of fun interacting with the artists using our limited language knowledge. Attending this weekend show became one of our favourite memories from Colombia.

4. Join a Free Walking Tour

The best way to get to know a new city is by joining a free walking tour. Local guides will walk you to some of the best spots within Cali’s historic centre and will tell you plenty of interesting facts about the city.

If you stay somewhere like the Viajero hostel, then you can just sign up for a free walking tour with them. Alternatively, you can also secure a spot online via this tour.

Note. Whilst the walking tour is free, it’s expected that you leave a tip if you’ve had a good experience. Make sure to bring enough cash with you!

5. Check out Iglesia La Ermita Church

La Ermita is a church that you can’t miss seeing when visiting Cali. There used to be a small chapel where La Ermita stands today, however it was destroyed in a strong earthquake.

Overlooking Rio Cali, the picture perfect church you see today was inspired by the Ulm Cathedral in Germany. It was built in a neo-Gothic style between 1930 and 1948.

Inside the blue and white church you can check out some artwork and paintings. The marble altar is from Italy, and the musical clock and windows are from the Netherlands.

6. Experience the Sounds at Jairo Varela Square

Right next to the leafy Boulevard del Rio is Plazoleta Jairo Varela. This square is also one of the stops along the Salsa Route. Even if you don’t fancy completing the whole route, you should still visit this plaza.

Here you can visit Museo Jairo Varela which is dedicated to Chocoano Jairo Varela, one of the greatest artists of Colombian salsa. He was the founder (and also composer) of the salsa group called Grupo Niche.

The coolest attraction in this square has to be the giant trumpet-shaped monument. The structure forms the letters of the word NICHE. Each horn of the trumpet plays a song in harmonic, melodic and rhythmic elements respectively.

There’s also a Gastronomic and Cultural Market, where you can try different types of foods.

7. Go for a Walk along Cali River

A relaxing thing to do in Cali is to take a stroll down Río Cali. The river flows through the north of Cali, skirting around the city centre. It originates from Farallones de Cali, a mountain range that towers over the west side of the city.

The river bank is lined by a nice promenade (Bulevar del Río) and also filled with tree-lined green spaces. These provide the perfect place for a walk or bike ride, and you can just enjoy some shade when its hot. It reminded us of the leafy river walk we did in Cuenca, Ecuador.

There are also a few points of interest along Río Cali that are worth stopping at. One of them is Museo La Tertulia, an art museum containing a collection of Colombian and international art. There’s also Parque del Peñon, a small park where you might spot a few vendors selling their artwork. You can also stop by the Iglesia la Merced, an old church that is part of the La Merced Religious Complex. Make sure to pop into the Gold Museum too, located just behind the church.

8. Stop by Cali’s Cat Park

As you make your way along the river, you’ll come across Cali’s cool cat park called El Parque del Gato de Tejada. Now, unlike the cat park in the Miraflores district of Lima in Peru, you won’t find any real cats in this park.

Instead, you’ll see a giant bronze cat statue called El Gato del Río and an additional 15 colorful smaller ones. They were installed as part of an improvement project to make this area of Cali more inviting. The huge statue was donated by Hernando Tejada, a Colombian artist, and the smaller statues were all painted by different local artists.

9. Wander Around San Antonio

Being the oldest part of Cali, you should definitely spend some time wandering around the San Antonio neighbourhood. It is basically the bohemian, hipster area of the city with narrow streets, colourful houses, antique shops, and plenty of street art. Many Colombian artists and writers used to live in this part of Cali.

As you can imagine, there are lots of artsy cafes and restaurants here where you can stop for lunch or a drink.

San Antonio is considered a safe barrio and many visitors book their accommodation around here. As always, we still advise you to be cautious.

10. Enjoy the Views from Parque San Antonio

If you’re walking around San Antonio, then you should definitely make your way up to San Antonio Park.

On top of San Antonio Hill (Colina de San Antonio), there’s an old church called Iglesia San Antonio. This small church was built back in 1747, making it the oldest church in Cali. Inside, there is a collection of 17th century wooden statues of saints.

The best part about this park is that from this vantage point, you get to enjoy some lovely views of Cali.

11. Try Some Cholado

Every part of Colombia seems to have an interesting dish that you may only be able to try in that location. Cali is no exception and is known for some unique foods. One of these is called cholado. It is essentially a cup of shredded ice, mixed tropical fruits, condensed milk, jam, and biscuits and wafers, all topped off with ice cream.

However, there are other typical dishes that you might want to taste when in the city, such as pandebono, sancocho de gallina, chontaduro, or champús del valle.

Top Tip. If you’d like to learn more about Cali’s cuisine, then definitely sign up for a street food tour like this free tour of the Alameda Market or this affordable tour that takes you to multiple parts of the city.

12. Enjoy the Views from El Cristo Rey

Note. Access to Cristo Rey is currently closed due to renovation works.

If you’d like to get panoramic views of Cali and its surrounding area, then definitely head up to Cristo Rey Monument. The 26-metre high statue is located on top of Cerro de los Cristales to the west of the city.

Some people choose to hike up there on a trail from the city centre, although our taxi driver told us that it can be quite dangerous. If you want to hike this trail, then make sure to only do it earlier in the day, don’t do it solo and don’t take a lot of valuables with you.

Alternatively, you can also take a taxi up. Just bear in mind that the taxi can cost a fair amount (drivers normally have a set price), since it’s a bit of a drive out of the city. We personally walked back down along the road (which is much safer if you do want to walk one way or the other), but if you want to return with the taxi then just ask the driver to wait for you.

Top Tip. If you get a bit peckish, then definitely stop at one of the many pizza places lining the road on the way up.

How to Get to Cali, Colombia

Depending on where you’re coming from, there are a few ways you can reach Santiago de Cali.

Plane. The quickest way to get to Cali is to fly. Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport (CLO) is located to the north of Cali and services both international and domestic flights. It depends on where you’re coming from, but there are many direct flights between Cali and other major cities in Colombia, such as Bogota and Medellin. There are also a few direct international flights to Cali from North, South, and Central America, as well as one from Spain in Europe. You can check where you can fly direct to Cali from on this website.

Bus. Bus travel between cities in Colombia is a popular and affordable way to travel for both locals and backpackers alike.

You can reach Cali by bus from either Terminal de Salitre or Terminal del Sur in Bogota. All buses will drop you off at Terminal de Transporte Cali. The journey takes between 10 to 12 hours depending on the bus company and route.

There are also direct bus services running between Medellin, the second largest city in Colombia, and Cali. Buses leave from Terminal del Sur in Medellin and will drop you off at Terminal de Transporte Cali. The journey takes anywhere between 8 to 12 hours depending on the bus company and route.

If you’re coming from Salento, you can easily get to Cali by travelling to Armenia first, then hopping onto another bus to Cali. They leave very regularly and the journey is only about 3.5 hours long.

You can book your ticket to Cali with Busbud or at the bus station in person.

Where to Stay in Cali, Colombia

The best neighbourhood to stay in in Cali is San Antonio. It’s close to the city centre and there are plenty of amenities in the area. There are plenty of hotels and hostels, such as the popular Viajero hostel which offers free walking tours and even some free salsa lessons to its guests. Since its a popular hostel, it can be pretty lively. Alternatively, you can also book La Casa de Adry, La Vaina hostel or Magic Garden House hotel.

To the north of San Antonio is El Peñon, which is possibly the safest area you can stay in. It is the upscale neighbourhood of Cali, so bear in mind that prices are going to be higher here than other parts of the city.

You can also consider booking something around Caicedo Square in the centre of Cali. There are some affordable places to stay here too and plenty of amenities. Versalles and Granada are also great areas to stay in in Cali. They are more residential and quieter neighbourhoods.

Where to Eat in Cali, Colombia

There are plenty of places to eat in Santiago de Cali. Below we’ve listed a few of our favourite places:

Alameda Market is a fantastic place to find something delicious. The market is filled with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as plenty of other traditional dishes. A lot of street food tours come here.

Alma & Café is a lovely restaurant serving delicious vegetarian and vegan food in the San Antonio neighbourhood. They have a great daily menu too.

Madre Selva is another great vegan place with lunch deals in the San Antonio area of Cali.

Pizza from one of the pizzerias on the way up to Cristo Rey viewpoint. Whilst its not a traditional Colombian dish, and they probably won’t taste quite as good as in Italy, it’s still nice to have a slice of comfort food when travelling.

Juan Valdez Cafe is basically the Starbucks of Colombia. Whilst it’s a large chain, we definitely enjoyed popping in here for a quick coffee and some pastries.

Best Time to Visit Cali, Colombia

Cali is located at 1,014 m (3,327 ft) above sea level in close proximity to the equator. You can visit Cali all year round, but there are better and worse times to visit the salsa capital.

The dry season is from December to February and from July to August. Then there’s the rainy season, which lasts from March to May and from September to November. The high tourist months in Cali are between July and September, then in November and December.

You may want to visit Cali during one of its popular festivals. La Feria de Cali is held in December every year. It’s a week of salsa shows, cultural events and music performances, so you’re guaranteed a ton of fun. 

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Cali, Colombia

Whilst we didn’t think that Cali would be jampacked with attractions like Bogota or Medellin, we were pleasantly surprised by just how much you can do in the city. It was actually nice not to see as many tourists here as we did in popular places like Cartagena.

We think it’s safe to say that attending the weekend salsa event organised by Delirio had to be the best part of our stay. It’s a shame that we couldn’t watch the actual monthly show, but thankfully we could still enjoy their performance and can only imagine how fantastic the main event would be.

Have you ever been to Cali before? If so, what was your experience? Did you sign up for a salsa class? If not, would you add Cali to your Colombia itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.