Cali, Colombia Quick Facts
About Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Valle del Cauca, a region of exceptional beauty and plentiful resources, is one of the most captivating places in Colombia. Its spectacular landscapes, the diversity of its climates, its wonderful rivers and forests as well as its booming cities, make this department a fascinating place.
It lies in western Colombia and its surface covers an area of 22,140 square kilometers. Nearly four and a half million people live there. Along its Pacific Ocean coastline are beaches, while inland are the Andes Mountains. The department is a leading producer of sugar, rice, tobacco, and coffee.
Valle del Cauca’s capital city, Santiago de Cali, or Cali for short, is the third largest city in Colombia and is known for its salsa music, party atmosphere, and friendly people. People from Cali are referred to as caleñas and there are approximately 2.3 million of them that live there.
The city was founded on July 25, 1536, by Sebastián de Benalcázar. However, Cali did not develop economically until the 1950s because of its landlocked position. It has since become Colombia’s third largest city, after Bogotá and Medellín.
Getting to Cali, Valle del Cauca
Cali is served by the nearby Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (IATA: CLO, ICAO: SKCL) located between Palmira and Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. It is Colombia’s third largest airport.
https://www.cali-airport.com/
Taxis and Buses
There are many taxis available for fare outside of the Alfonso Airport. The estimated taxi fare to transfer from Cali Airport to downtown is about COP 50,000 - 60,000. Uber also works in Colombia. At the airport there are buses into the city of Cali. The buses leave from the second level go to the central bus terminal. Single ticket on the bus is COP 7,000.
Transfer from Cali Airport to downtown is around 26 minutes. To the venue (Centro de Eventos Valle del Pacifico) the ride is 15 minutes by car.
Rental Cars
Rental cars are available at the Alfonso Airport. The car rental booths are located in the Domestic Arrivals Hall. You can also book cars online. https://www.cali-airport.com/car-rental.php#/searchcars
Quick Facts
- Climate | Valle del Cauca has a tropical climate. Colombia’s rainy seasons include April through June so there is a chance of precipitation. In May, average daily temperatures include a high of 84° Fahrenheit (29° Celsius) and low of 66° Fahrenheit (19° Celsius)
- Country Code | +57
- Area Code | 2
- Currency | The currency in Colombia is the Colombian Peso. Currency converter - http://www.xe.com
- Time Zone | Colombia Standard Time Zone (COT)/UTC -5 hours.
- Emergency Services
- The local police department and national emergency number: 1-1-2 or 1-2-3
- Health and emergency services: 1-2-5
- 24 hour emergencies/ambulance: 1-3-2
- Tourist Police: 337-4413
- Electricity & Conversions | Plug type A and B are used in Colombia. Standard voltage is 110V and standard frequency is 60Hz.
- Tipping | In small restaurants, some people tip 1000 pesos or less (about $ . 50 US); A few tip 2000 pesos (about $1 US). Most Colombians tip very little or not at all. In the finer restaurants, wealthy people tip more, about 10%. Tipping in Colombia is not expected but is appreciated.
City Sightseeing Info
Things to Do and See Information for Valle del Cauca can be found on these sites:
