Cali is the 3rd largest city in Colombia located in the Valle del Cauca department, southwest of Bogota. Cali is known for its rich, vibrant dance culture, in fact, Cali is referred to as the “Salsa Capital of the World”.
Although salsa was originated in Cuba, the people of Cali elevated salsa to new heights by forming their own version known as Salsa caleña. Salsa caleña is a style of salsa dancing that developed in Cali, Colombia.
Salsa caleña is known throughout the world for its fast and intricate footwork, as well acrobatic tricks and techniques. Virtually everyone local in Cali knows how to salsa dance at a high level. It is not uncommon to see locals dancing in the streets in the Bulevar area of Cali.
In addition to the wonderful salsa dance culture, Cali, and Colombia as a whole, is known for its wonderful biodiversity. Colombia is the 2nd highest biodiverse country in the world with over 63,000 species registered in Colombia that make up 10% of the planet’s biodiversity.
To see this wonderful biodiversity in Cali, simply take a hike in one of the parks in the city or tour the local Zoologico de Cali
Cali offer many attractions and monuments for tourists to see. From the magnificent Cristo Rey (Christ the King) monument to the trumpet of Grupo Niche monument to El Gato Del Rio (River Cat), Cali has numerous must-see monuments that are worth the visit to take a nice photo. Trust me, it will take you about a full week to see most of the major attractions in or around Cali.
Last, but not least, Cali is friendly city. The people of Cali have made a great culture; they are very warm and hospitable to themselves and foreigners. While most of the locals in Cali do not speak English, they are willing to try to communicate with you as best as possible and are willing to utilize the translator.
Unlike some other cities in Colombia, the people of Cali do not make you feel like the preverbal “Gringo”. Rather, based on my experience, the locals welcome you with open arms as long as you respect their culture. Given that the western world has virtually lost the hospitality in its culture, your stay in Cali with hospitality and respect to foreigners will be a bit addictive for you. After being in Cali for a week, you just might not want to leave.
© 2025 Travel To Cali. All rights reserved.
