Don't like Salsa? Travel to Cali!

No, that’s not a typo and yes, I know, Cali is the Salsa capital of the WORLD. But it isn’t all salsa bars and fancy footwork in this city caliente. No matter what music you like or what you like to do, there is a lot going on in Cali and you’re bound to find something that makes you fall in love with it.

–> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <–

Barrio San Antonio

Propped on the top of a hill, San Antonio is the quieter, older and more colourful side of town. There are lines of cafes and restaurants, colonial-style buildings, cobbled pathways, art galleries and a beautiful view of the city. People gather in the San Antonio park with their lunch or with friends and play guitar and sing, they play with their kids or their dogs or sit in the amphitheater and listen to the storyteller recount tales about their beautiful city. Head over to restaurant el Zaguan de San Antonio which is in a big colonial house. The food is traditional and the portions are huge. Go eat, relax, then sit on the rooftop and spend a good hour or so digesting and watch the view of the city.

Iglesia de San Antonio, Cali. Built in 1757.

Parque del Perro

This is where you go to eat, to party or to chill out with friends with a quiet beer. It’s called the Dog Park because of a statue of a dog named Teddy in the centre of the park. The dog used to follow a group of boys around back in the 50s but the dog bit one of the boys who then poisoned Teddy as some sort of cruel revenge. In the 70s, Chief Constable Victor Alberto Delgado Mallarino, who was one of the boys from the group, organised the erection of the statute of poor Teddy.

Chipichape

Shopping! Girls (and boys) this is where you go to shop. It’s open from six in the morning until 12 at night and has all the big brands including ZARA and Tommy Hilfiger, food outlets and a huge fancy hotel built on the top of it.