The Salsa capital of the world, “city of rhythm” in south Colombia.
Cali is a fun place with warm vibes and easy-going atmosphere. Of all the places I’ve been in Colombia, it’s the one I felt I could spend the most time in. Mainly because of yes, I want to learn how to dance salsa…but also because of the nice restaurant area. It reminds me a bit of the El Poblado and Provenza neighborhood in Medellin.
2-3 days is enough to enjoy the vibe, but you’d probably want to stay longer. For whatever reason, many people really hang out here. It’s just a nice chill vibe, and also cheap. Most people I ran into were living life and not even doing tourist stuff.
Where to stay:
- Parque del Perro – I recommend being around this area. It’s where I stayed and where I spent most of my time. Less touristy than San Antonio yet still vibrant and with stuff to do.
- San Antonio – the touristy area.
Hostels:
- Oasis Cali Hostel – such a great vibe! Met nothing but also people everyday. Just fun and chill. Perfect perfect vibe in Colombia. Felt like everyone was just living there as neighbors. Nice roof area, bed setup was comfy, rooms spacious, bathrooms were clean and big. They’ve got plenty of daily events and tour arrangements that’ll fill all your time.
Neighborhoods & Walking areas:
- Parque del Perro – walk around here and you’ll find whatever you need. Mostly restaurants, bars, some shops as well. It’s the only area that I stayed and I know.
Activities to do:
- Salsa – seriously. It’s what we did everyday whether it be classes, shows or social dancing.
- Teatro El Mulato Cabaret – go here to see a salsa show. It’s awesome if you’ve never been.
- Cristo Rey – same statue as Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
- Street food tour – I heard they give you a lot of food and many people like it. Also they walk you through marketplaces and what not.
- Barrio San Antonio – similar to Candeleria neighborhood in Bogota. Old town area and street art. There’s also a park with a church and has nice city view from here.
- Cerro de Las Tres Cruces – famous hike with city view.
- Comuna tour – Cali is similar to Medellin in being a hilly town with cablecars. You can do the tour of formerly-violent neighborhoods that have now transformed.
- Cat park – there’s a park with cat statues.
Although Cali has many things to do, it just felt like salsa was right thing to do here. Like it’s what EVERYBODY does. Hahaha. I tried to list other things that I heard about and people did but just letting you know I only did salsa.
Restaurants & Cafes:
Bars & Clubs:
- Latin dancing – La Topa (beautiful traditional place), SaBaKi (friendly space with lots of room), and some others that I forgot.
Just go around Parque del Perro and see what you like.
Miscellaneous tips:
Nearby towns:
- Popayan* – nice small colonial town with all-white buildings.
- Neiva – small town that people use as a jump point to the Tatacoa desert.
- Tatacoa desert* – go for the picturesque red rocks landscape. The grey rocks part is nice too but not as unique.
Unfiltered notes: