Hypnotic salsa-rhythms fill the deliciously-warm evening air of Santiago de Cali every night of the week. Citizens of this vibrant, fun-loving city have salsa, dance and red-hot passion running through their veins.

Cali is the departmental capital of Valle del Cauca but is also the international capital of salsa music and breeds the world’s most inspirational salsa dancers and musicians. The city was founded in 1534 by Sebastián Belalcázar who chose the land which is now Valle del Cauca for its incredibly fertile soils in the west of Colombia that reaches as far as the Pacific Coast. In the lush, green countryside around Cali is a rich and interesting agricultural history which to this day produces huge quantities of primarily sugar-cane and other crops such as wine and pineapple.
Cali enjoys an extremely traditional gastronomic identity and a trip the city is not complete without visiting one of its many restaurants to sample the famous “Sancocho de Gallina” (a type of chicken stew) in one of its chic hospitality districts where enchanted visitors can eat, drink and relax to the fullest, all in one place.

Cali and its surroundings have much to offer everyone from families to individual travellers. Explore it for yourself and take away your own magical memories of the “City of Salsa”.
 

Before the arrival of the Spanish colonisers to the Americas, Valle del Cauca was inhabited by various groups of indigenous tribes who lived harmoniously with mother-nature. These peoples included; the Calima, Ilama and Yotoco. Intricate sculptures and other crafts are exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Calima.
Along the coast are settlements of Afro-Colombian people who were brought to Colombia by Spanish during the abhorrent slave trade. The people are now expert fishermen and welcome visitors to arrive in their villages and admire their culture which has changed very little from the times of their ancestors in Africa.
Inland, the culture of the farmers and city-dwellers is descended from that of European settlers and specific to Cali is the salsa soul that lives inside its locals that inspires the need to sing, dance and have a great time.
The food of Cali is very specific to that region and includes dishes such as the “Sancocho de Gallina” (a type of chicken stew) and the Tortilla Soup.