Cali
 |
Department: Valle del Cauca Population: 2 million Altitude: 1000m Climate: Warm & humid |
Colombia's third largest city may not be the most attractive in the country, but there are some good reasons to visit. Of those reasons nightlife is probably the biggest. Cali is Colombia's salsa capital and at the weekend the caleNos (Cali inhabitants) head out to the numerous discotekas to strut their stuff on the dancefloor. And since Cali's girls are known as the most beautiful in the country (along with those from Medellin) there is plenty of motivation (at least for the men) to learn a few slasa steps. The city is not exactly overflowing with tourist attractions, but Cali is a good 'jumping off point' for trips to nearby towns and especially Calima Lake.
Things to see and do
Cali's principal sights can be comfortably seen in a day. Many of Cali's hotels are located north of the river on or around Avenida Sexta (16th Avenue) so assuming you're starting from there the best thing to do is to stroll south down Avenida Sexta, along which you might spot a good venue for some dining and dancing for later in the evening. As Avenida Sexta swings around to the left and finishes, you'll see a park on the opposite side of the street known as El Centenario. A broad walkway called Paseo Bolívar takes you past the Centro Administrativo Municipal (CAM) on your right. At the end of the walkway you come to Puente Ortiz (Ortiz Bridge) which crosses Río Cali. It is from here that you'll get your first glimse of the distinctive Iglesia Ermita, a church built in the neo-gothic style.
Head over the footbridge and continue for two more blocks until you reach Plaza Caycedo, Cali's central plaza. In the middle of the plaza's tall palms is a statue of independence leader Joaquín de Caycedo y Cuero. On the eastern side (the left hand side as you arrive at the plaza coming from the river) is the Palacio Nacional and on the southern corner is Catedral San Pedro.
From the cathedral corner walk one block down Carrera 5 and then turn right one block up Calle 10 to arrive at Iglesia de San Francisco and next to it the Capilla de la Inmaculada. Opposite is the tall Gobernación building.
From Capilla de la Inmaculada walk two blocks down Calle 9 and then left for two blocks, 
passing the large Banco de Occidente building, into La Merced district. On the corner of Carrera 4 and Calle 7 are the Iglesia de la Merced and the Museo Arqueológico La Merced featuring pre-Columbian artifacts from the old indigenous peoples of southern Colombia.
Continuing west along Carrera 4 takes you over the busy Calle 5 and on into San Antonio district. Several blocks further along you'll come to a small hill with Iglesia de San Antonio perched at the top. After a couple of hours of walking it's a nice opportunity to sit and relax in the shade under the trees and admire the view over the centre of Cali from where you've come.
There are two lookout points on the ridge of the mountains which flank the city to the north and 
west. The first, called 'El Monumento Las Tres Cruces' is situated at 1,450m. To start the climb head to the intersection of Avenida 9AN with Calle 12D and follow the trail up. Initially you walk along a stony road. Keep an eye out for the path that leads upwards into the woods after about ten minutes. If you do happen to miss it (as I did!) you'll come to a dead end a minute further along and will have to turn back anyway. At a reasonable pace it's do-able in about 45 minutes. The final part involves walking up some rocks which can get slippery after rain so bring some decent footwear. Three large crosses decorate the peak.
The other lookout point to the west near San Antonio is 'Monumento Cristo Rey', at 1,470m, and has at its peak a huge statue of Christ.
Another great vantange point is from atop the 45 story Torre de Cali on Avenida de Las Americas in the north of the city.
Cali Zoo (Zoológico de Cali) is an impressive maze of exotic wildlife. It's easy to lose your bearings in the 10 hectare area and just as you think you must be back near the entrance a whole new zone of wildlife opens up before youand you realise that you're still down the other end of the place.
Aswell as the numerous animal enclosures there are 8 special sections each dedicated to a different section of the animal kingdom:
|
|
|
You could very easily spend all day here, but three hours is probably the minimum time necessary to get around all of the attractions.
(Open mon - fr:i: 9am - 4:30pm, sat & sun: 9am - 5:30pm; Adults $9,000, children $6,300, website)
Accommodation
Budget:
Calidad House: Calle 17N No. 9AN-39, Tel. (2) 661 2338
A good option for travellers looking for something cheap, but cheerful. Comfortable rooms, mainly dormitories, balcony with hammocks, common area with Cable TV and DVD collection, kitchen, laundry service, one computer with free internet. There is a shortage of bathrooms when the place gets full. $18,000 / night for dormitory.
Guest House Iguana: Avenida 9N No. 22N-46, Tel. 313 768 6024 website email: iguana_cali@yahoo.com
Another excellent choice for budget travellers. Iguana has recently moved to a new address just round the corner from the old site. It has both private rooms and dormitories, internet access, including wi-fi, kitchen, laundry service, TV and DVD, a garage, and a garden at the back. They also arrange spanish and salsa classes.
Casa Blanca Hostel: Avenida Sexta Bis, Calle 26N-57, Tel. (2) 3963849 website
Another good budget option. This Danish-Colombian run hostel includes wi-fi, breakfast, car park, large kitchen, dining area and TV room. Dorm beds from $17,000 pesos.
Pelican Larry Hostel: Calle 23N No. 8N-12, Tel. (2) 3968659, Cel. 3157706770 website
An excellent hostel with comfortable dorm rooms and communal areas. Pelican Larry has dorm rooms and private rooms, a large kitchen and an internet cafe. It also holds a BBQ every Sunday for its guests.
Mid Range:
Hotel Casona La Merced: Calle 7 No. 1-65, Tel. (2) 882 4053
A pleasant, friendly hotel set in a colonial building near Río Cali in the La Merced district a few metres from Iglesia de la Merced. Includes a swimming pool.
Top End:
Hotel Intercontinental: Avenida Colombia No. 2-72 Tel. (2) 882 3225 website
Located at the heart of the city and in close proximity to the nightlife and entertainment district, Avenida Sexta, this is Cali's premiere hotel. Facilities include a tennis court, putting green, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym to name but a few!
Hotel Dann Carlton: Carrera 2a No. 1-60, Tel. (2) 886 2000, website
Another of Cali's deluxe hotels, Hotel Dann Carlton is located in the city centre close to the Intercontinental and includes a swimming pool, jacuzzi and massages.
Food and drink
There are decent dining options throughout the city many of them situated in the upper class districts north of the river. The shopping centres, especially ChipiChape, house the usual chain restaurants. A good zone to try is the area in the couple of blocks up from Avenida Sexta where you'll find a mix of cuisine including Italian, Mexican, Chinese, ideal for a romantic start to an evening. Try Palo Alto (Avenida 9AN No. 14N-73) an attractive cafe; Fusion Wok (Avenida 9AN No. 15N-30) for Asian food including sushi.
Shopping
By far the most exclusive Shopping mall in the city is Chipichape, located in the north along Avenida Sexta. This is where the trendy caleños and ex-pats come to shop, dine and generally be seen. As well as all the exclusive shops there are restaurants, small bars, a cinema, and a casino.
Other notable shopping malls are Unicentro (Carrera 100 No. 5-169) and Palmetto Plaza (Calle 9 No. 48-51).
There is also good street shopping in the north of the city, in particular around Avenida Sexta.
Nightlife
The BIG reason to visit Cali is the nightlife. Cali is internationally renound for it's salsa and it's easy to see why. CaleNos are pretty much born dancing and their rhythm and passion for dancing is a source of great pride .Cali's main nightlife strip is Avenida Sexta. A myriad of bars and discotekas line both sides of this busy street. Bar and club reps will try to lure you off the street and onto their dancefloors. Simply take a stroll along the avenue until you encounter something appealing (be it place or person) and let the 'Salsa Capital of the World' sweep you into the early hours of the morning. It's very common to ask girls to dance ("Quiere bailar?") and generally isn't seen as a sleazy 'come-on'. Girls will usually either except or politely decline (a far cry from the often brutal rejections that can occur in other parts of the world. Or perhaps that's just me!)
Las Brisas de la Sexta (Avenida 6N No. 15N-94), a large bar/club that plays a mixture of latin music, is a perenial favourite with locals. Kukuramakara (Calle 28N No. 2-Bis-97) is a good choice for those looking for a bit of eye candy. For an early evening drink try Reggae and Pop bar (photo left) in Chipichape Shopping Mall, popular with ex-pats.
If you're really into salsa head for the Juanchito district in the east of the city. Here the nightclubs, known as 'salsatecas', are full of the steps, spins and twirls of those who live to dance. Come and have a go or just sit back with a cool beverage and enjoy the spectacle.
Sport and Recreation
Cali has a reasonable claim to being Colombia's football capital; its teams have collectively won 
more league championships than any other city (21 following America's victory in the 2008 clausura season). Cali and the department of Valle del Cauca have also produced many of Colombia's best footballers, among them the eccentric Faustino 'El Tino' Asprilla who brought some flair to Parma of Italy, and then Newcastle United of England in the mid-90s and was part of Kevin Keegan's squad that threw away a 12 point lead at the top of the Premiership to Manchester United. Asprilla's arrival was cited by some pundits as one of the reason for Newcastle's failure to lift the title. This was not so much due to his performances which were mostly very good (his hat-trick against Barcelona in the Champions League stands out), but more of a case of 'don't fix what's not broken'.
America de Cali play thier homes games at the Pascual Guerrero stadium. Deportivo Cali have shared this ground with their city rivals for most of their history, but from 2010 they will play thier home games at the spanking new Estadio Deportivo Cali, which holds 55,000 spectators. The stadium is located ouside the city limits on the way to the small city of Palmira. It is the first Colombian football ground to be located outside the city limits, a trend which became common in Europe in the 1990s. Some have suggested that attendances for Cali home games are likely to drop due to the rural location of the stadium. We will have to wait and see if this is the case. On fixture which is unlikely to have low attendance problems is the derby match with America de Cali which is something to savour.
Transport
Cali inaugurated its new mass-transit system 'El Mio' in early 2009. It is of the same style as Bogota's Transmilenio (double bus carriages running along cordoned off lanes with designated stops). Early signs are that it is helping to alleviate the city's congestion problems: El Mio website.
Taxis in Cali are conveniently fitted with taxi meters. Bear in mind that 'recargos' (additional charges) come into play on sundays, public holidays and after about 8pm at night, so don't be surprised if you get charged about an extra $1000 at these times.
Cali's main bus terminal is at Calle 30N # 2an-29. Bogota 12 hours; Medellin 8 hours; Popayan 3 hours.
Around Cali
Coming soon...