Give Cali three days and three nights. Spend the first morning on foot in the centre: La Merced, the Bulevar del Río, La Ermita and the Gato del Río, then climb to San Antonio for sunset. Ride up to Cristo Rey or hike the Tres Cruces early on the second day, and see La Tertulia. Every night belongs to salsa: take a class, then dance at La Topa Tolondra or Tin Tin Deo.
Cali is the capital of the Valle del Cauca and the city that made salsa its own. Founded in 1536 on the Río Cali, it sits on the valley floor under the Farallones, an hour's climb from the Pacific lowlands, and it saves its energy for the night.
The busiest dance floor in the city, a tiled room at the foot of San Antonio where caleños and visitors share the floor. Locals dance fast and close, so watch a few songs before you ask. Arrive late; it fills after 11pm.
Cali's oldest barrio, single-storey colonial houses climbing to an 18th-century hilltop chapel. The park in front of the church is where the city watches the sun go down. Come late afternoon and stay for dinner in the lanes below.
A 26-metre Christ in iron and concrete, raised in 1953 on the hill west of the city. The terrace gives the whole valley floor in one view, Cali spread flat to the Cauca. Go by car or taxi, and check whether a visiting slot is needed.
A riverside promenade built over the Avenida Colombia tunnel, running past the Puente Ortiz to the neo-Gothic La Ermita, the city's most photographed church. It holds the colonial image of the Señor de la Caña. Walk it at dusk, when the river lights come on.
Hernando Tejada's bronze cat, given to the city in 1996 and now the emblem of Cali. Around it sit the cat sculptures other artists have added since, each painted in its own style. Pair it with La Tertulia, a short walk upriver.
The city's morning climb, a steep path to three crosses above the north of Cali. Hundreds of caleños walk it before work, and the summit view takes in the whole valley. Start early, before the heat, and never go up alone.
Cali's museum of modern art, a 1960s complex on the river where the Charco del Burro bathing pool once was. The collection is Colombian and Latin American modern art, shown in changing exhibitions. Check the programme before you go.
A salsa cabaret staged in a big top once a month, with dancers, a live orchestra and the audience on its feet by the end. It is the polished version of what the city does every night. Book ahead: tables sell out.
The whitewashed complex on the site where Cali's first mass was said in July 1536, and the oldest building in the city. The former convent holds the Museo Arqueológico La Merced, with pre-Hispanic pieces from the southwest. The cloister is the quiet part.
Widely held to be the best zoo in Colombia, laid out along the Río Cali on the west side of the city. The animals range from tigers and monkeys to Andean flamingos. The visit is long, so arrive near opening.
An upstairs salsoteca on Calle 5 that has been a Thursday ritual for years; free beginner lessons early.
The most prestigious school in the city, with a strict programme in Cali-style salsa.
Regional plates with the city below, high in San Antonio; come for the sunset.
The city's best-loved market: tropical fruit, juice stalls and cheap Pacific seafood lunches.
A hilltop craft park founded in 1990, with stalls of artisans from across Colombia.
Cali's largest food market, raw and chaotic, for those who want the real wholesale city.
The Banco de la República's gold museum, small and free, devoted to the Calima culture.
A Franciscan complex whose brick bell tower is the best Mudéjar work in Colombia.
A rainforest reserve reached by brujita, a motorbike cart on old rail tracks; the last ride back is at 5pm.
Colombia's largest artificial lake, about 89 km away, known for steady wind and kitesurfing.
The national park on the city's western skyline, cloud forest and guided hikes.
The house where Jorge Isaacs set his novel María, now a museum of sugar cane, 45 minutes north.
Six days from 25 December of salsa, parades and concerts, most of them free.
The Feria's opening parade, hundreds of dancers from the city's schools on 25 December.
The great festival of Pacific music: marimba, chirimía and viche. The 2026 edition was postponed.
The city's world salsa festival; dates move year to year, so check the city's agenda.
Ten days of visiting and Colombian companies, staged across the city's theatres.
Holy Week, when thousands climb the Tres Cruces and Cristo Rey before dawn.
The city's birthday, 25 July, the date of the first mass at La Merced in 1536.
The Feria's costumed parade of old Cali, on 28 December.
The airport is in Palmira, about 16 km northeast of the city. Shuttles run to the bus terminal; a taxi takes 30 to 40 minutes.
Cali's bus rapid transit, with trunk lines on dedicated lanes and feeder routes. Pay with a rechargeable card bought at stations.
The Terminal de Transportes, north of the centre, has buses to Bogotá, Medellín, Popayán, Buenaventura and the Valle's towns.
Taxis are cheap and the easiest way around at night. Order one through an app or your hotel rather than hailing late.
Cheese bread of cassava starch and corn, best warm in the morning.
Shaved ice piled with fruit, condensed milk and syrup.
Hen soup with yuca, plantain and corn, served with rice and avocado.
Ripe plantain wrapped round cheese, battered and fried.
Fried green plantain balls stuffed with pork crackling.
A large corn tamal with pork or chicken, wrapped in plantain leaf.
A cold drink of corn, lulo, pineapple, panela, clove and cinnamon.
Crushed lulo with lime, sugar and ice, the city's own drink.
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