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Within the rapidly expanding city (it has grown fourfold in the past 40 years) you'll find a small colonial quarter, some interesting museums, and many leafy parks. The city's tree-lined avenues and lazy open-air cafés invite you to linger. In the center is the Paseo de Bolívar, a large park on the north bank of the muddy Río Cali. To the south are the main sights, including most of the interesting old churches.
Although ground was broken in 1772, construction on the Metropolitan Cathedral was halted during the war for independence. The grand structure wasn't completed until 1841 and the current facade dates from 1930. The pale interior of this massive temple is complemented by its marble columns and brilliantly gilded altar.
The Hill of the Crystals affords a spectacular view of the city. The monumental statue of Christ at the top is visible for miles. A taxi from downtown should cost about 50,000 pesos round-trip. Be sure to ask the driver to wait for you.
A neo-Gothic church built between 1930 and 1948, the white-and-blue Hermitage Church has become such an enduring symbol of Cali that it is one of the most common images on postcards.
This large brick church and the adjacent Franciscan monastery date from the early 19th century. The church's brick Torre Mudéjar (Moorish Tower) is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish-Moorish architecture in South America. The church's impressive frescoes, painted by Mauricio Ramelli, depict the life of St. Francis.
The Church of Grace, Cali's oldest house of worship, was completed in 1680. It stands on the site where the city's founders celebrated their first religious service in 1536. The museum, which shares the space, has a collection of pre-Columbian ceramics from the region's major cultures, including the Quimbaya, Teirradentro, San Agustín, and Nariño. The garden houses a replica of a funerary mound found in Tierradentro.
Intricately carved doors under equally ornate arches adorn the 1933 National Palace, on the east side of Plaza de Caicedo. This neoclassical government building houses a small museum that commemorates 300 years of growing and processing sugarcane, for which Cali and the surrounding Valle del Cauca are famous.
Tropical trees shade this large park on the Río Cali's north bank. The modern buildings to the west house municipal offices and are collectively known as the CAM, a term also used by locals to identify the park.
In the middle of this shady square is a statue of Joaquín Caicedo y Cuero, the 18th-century patriot who liberated Cali from the Spanish.
