I recently arrived in Cali, Colombia, for the second time and couldn’t be happier.
Cali ended up becoming one of my absolute favorite places in Colombia during my 2+ months trip here in 2016. Now when I’m back, it’s like I’m falling for it all over again.
Still as charming and colorful. Still as much personality and culture. Always as much salsa.
Cali is like an exciting crush that you can’t get enough of. That could turn into something long-term, even if you weren’t looking for anything special. It just wins you over.
Here are a few reasons why you need to visit Cali at least once in your life.
The Weather
With an average temperature of 25-30 °C all-year-round, Cali represents my definition of perfect weather. There are no seasons as such, apart from the rainy season and “the rest of the year”, which usually translates to hot, hotter, and lots of sunshine.
During the warmest period of the year (June-July), the temperature increases even further and can reach 34+ °C. On those rainy days, it gets a little bit chillier, but you will never need anything more than a thin jacket.
There is never a bad time to visit Cali, and with eternal summer, why wouldn’t you?
The Culture And The People
What I like most about Cali are the people and the warm culture. It’s so authentic and welcoming. No matter if you’re in the supermarket, in a bar, a restaurant, waiting for a bus, or whatever, really. The locals are so friendly.
It’s easy to get to know people here. When I ask my caleño friends what they miss most about Cali when they are out of town, it’s exactly that. “People are happy here and it’s when you step out you realize how unique and friendly the ambiance is” as one of my friends said after her stay in another bigger city.
The people are happy and proud of their city in Cali, in a beautiful way. This doesn’t mean that the city is perfect. Cali has lots of problems, too. Security is one, but the mindset and positive energy from the locals make up for it.
Me being charmed by the cutest local little girl during a volunteer project in Cali.
I love how the majority live in the moment, and not only for the weekend. There are lots of events going on since people like to socialize, and you could, at least in theory, attend something every day.
The Salsa
Cali is the capital of salsa and once you’re here, you will understand why. Everyone knows how to dance. If not, they aren’t really caleños, as my local friends put it. You won’t run out of places to go. For someone who likes dancing, being in Cali is best described as being in paradise.
What characterizes salsa caleña are fast footwork and natural flow. When watching most of the locals, it becomes obvious that these people have been dancing since they were born. They just got the rhythm and the moves, so don’t take it too personally if small kids dance way better than you.
All of my caleño friends learned how to dance at home with their grandma or parents. Some take it to the next level, by participating in classes at dancing schools, and incredible shows.
No matter what level you’re on, you’ll be able to improve your dancing skills and have an amazing time dancing your way around Cali.
The Food
Cali is a great culinary destination. One of the main reasons is that you always have a wide selection of fresh ingredients, tropical fruits, and vegetables available throughout the year. You’ll be able to purchase freshly squeezed juices, fruit salads (with cheese on top, so delicious), and whatever you need at local markets in most neighborhoods.
In addition, there is a great choice of restaurants spread out across the city. Pick from delicious Colombian specialties such as Aborrajados (a little pastry that you’ll find in many local panaderias, so good that you might become addicted), Sobrebarriga (juicy meat usually served with rice and beans), and Arroz Atollado (rice, potatoes, and different kinds of meat mixed), as well as lots of international options. It’s usually possible to find food somewhere at any time, since it plays an important part in the Colombian culture.
The Views
Cali is not the prettiest city I’ve seen. It’s not picture-perfect, but it’s real, and that’s what makes it beautiful.
You don’t come here for traditional tourist attractions. To be honest, there aren’t that many Tripadvisor Top 10 to-dos in Cali. You’ll instead find the charm in the ambiance and the local places. My favorite type of sightseeing is just that – getting to know neighborhoods as a local, rather than checking of attractions (even I like that as well).
Cali is a perfect place for authentic exploring.
There are several viewing points relatively close by the city center, such as Cerro de Las Tres Cruces. Hiking it makes a great morning workout. Cali is also a relatively green city with lots of parks.
You’ll find the best views in its surroundings, which consist of nature, mountains, fincas (houses on the countryside) , cute villages, rivers, and lots of agriculture.
The Culture Of Sports
I’m not sure if it’s the weather, the nature, the people, or a little bit of everything, that has made Cali a very active city. Also called the Capital of Sports, the locals love to workout, and there are lots of options to do so.
On Sundays, parts of the highways are shut down to enable people to work out. There are many communities you can join to go bicycling, practice CrossFit, gym in the park, and so on. Pass by one of the parks and you can almost be guaranteed to see at least a few groups working out, often with a personal trainer.
If you’re into races, you have a great selection to choose from too, such as the mid-year half marathon, ½ Maraton de Cali, and the December 10k race called Carrera del Río Cali. Cali can proud itself with one of the most developed sports infrastructures in Colombia, and there are lots of events taking place throughout the year. Past events include everything from swimming and basketball to hockey and the Pan American Games.
La Feria
La Feria de Cali (25/12-30/12) is one of the biggest happenings in Colombia and worth coming to Cali for alone. If you’re anything into dancing, music, and culture, you should add it to your bucket list.
Introduced in 1957, the Cali Fair celebrates cultural diversity, dance, and music. It’s famous for crazy salsa parties and impressing dance parades until sunrise and onwards. Many big events take place during the feria. Salsadrome, a large parade where the best salsa schools perform, and the Super Concierto, featuring some of the biggest artists in Latin America, are two of the highlights.
The event options range from fancy to street.
In addition to the parties, there are lots of other cultural happenings taking place throughout the city during the feria. My local friends always make sure to be home for it, and you should too. I went for the first time in 2018 and had an amazing time.
Affordable Beauty Services
The beauty industry is apparent in Cali. Plastic surgery is getting more popular all over Colombia and medical tourism has increased to such levels that Colombia is on the top list in the world in terms of how many operations that are being carried out annually.
Personally, I’m not in favor of surgery in any way, even if I respect if people want to do something for their own sake. The beauty focus, however, has resulted in that there are lots of beauty services available in general, which you can take advantage of even if you’re aren’t planning on doing anything extreme.
There are hairdressers at almost every corner. You can get a manicure and a pedicure for about 13 000 pesos (4 USD) in Cali, which is about half the price in comparison with Bogota, and a fraction of the price in Sweden. So, as long as you feel good about yourself and don’t mind that some people (definitely not everyone) might have an extra focus on their looks, you can treat yourself at a very affordable rate. Yes, this applies to spas too.
The Beautiful Places Nearby
Coffee fields in Manizales
Whenever you feel like changing scene for a while, there is an endless amount of options close by Cali. If it gets too hot, you can escape to colder temperatures by visiting places such as Kilometro 18. If you’re in the mood for some village life, you have pretty colonial towns such as Popáyan less than a 2 hours’ drive away.
A coffée lover? Go village hopping in Zona Cafetera. Finlandia, Salento, and Manizales are some charming options to get you started. All of these places offer more than coffeé, too. I hiked the Nevado de Santa Isabel outside of Manizales last time, which is a part of the longest continental mountain range The Andes, where you’ll see snow at the top. A great experience that I definitely can recommend.
At the top of Santa Isabel.
Other main attractions are Cocora Valley (Salento) and the hot springs around Manizales.
Lago De Calima (the Calima Lake) and Dapaa are two other beautiful options close by Cali where you’ll be able to spend time surrounded by spectacular nature. And the list goes on…
Convinced yet? Feel free to ask any questions if you’re thinking about visiting Cali.
Looking for more authentic travel experiences?
2 ways I can help:
- Book a 1:1 session for personalized tips on finding authentic places, connecting with cultures, people, and making your travels more meaningful, customized just for you
- Check out more content on authentic travel experiences and how travel can be a powerful tool for personal growth and impact
Thank you for this lovely review of Cali, city where I lived as a teen many, many years ago. It brought back so many memories. I will return to Cali next year after a too long absence and I am really looking forward to it. Thanks again!
How nice Cristina, happy I could help you remember those special times. It’s such a unique place 🙂 Have an amazing time there!