The History of Cali

Cali, or Santiago de Cali, is the capital of Valle del Cauca, a department of Colombia located in the western part of the country. The city was founded in 1536 by Sebastián de Belalcázar, a Spanish conquistador (conqueror) and explorer.

Although its economy developed particularly late, with it only rising during the 1950s, it has since become one of the fastest rising economic powers in the country. It is also the main urban and economic center in the southwest area of the country. The history of Cali opened doors for the city to be well-known, not just in Colombia but in the whole region of Latin America.

Because of its booming industry and powerful culture, Cali has become one of the top three cities to visit in Colombia. Thousands and thousands of foreigners visit the city in hopes of experiencing the city itself and meeting the women in Cali. These are only some of the many reasons why you should travel to Cali and experience these things yourself.

Although Cali, as of today, has been incredibly modernized, the people in it still seem to be very in touch with their traditional culture. People in Cali and Colombia as a whole are very family oriented. Colombians are extremely polite, even to the extent that they’ll feel bad saying no to a proposition, rather answering it with yes or could be. Just remember to be polite to them as well as they are to you. This trait of Colombian people is also one of the reasons some of the foreigners who visit Cali decide to stay in Cali.

Just like in other places to visit in Colombia, the nightlife in Cali is also not a problem. Colombians surely know how to entertain themselves and the tourists. They absolutely appreciate the art form, and what they do best is salsa. You can impress the women there even without talking to them. All you have to do is dance with them. Impress them enough and you can leave without saying a word afterwards and they will surely still remember you. So if ever you are planning to visit Cali, remember to bring your dancing shoes. And if ever you are planning on meeting Cali women, you better start practicing those moves.

The Growth of Cali

During its early years, Cali was mostly a farm and its economy strongly depended on the production of sugar. In the early 1900s, the focus of the city’s economy turned toward commerciality, developing basic infrastructures. It was also around this time that the department of Valle del Cauca was developed, having Cali as its capital city.

The city’s economy really started to flourish around 1950s. Thanks to the development of local businesses. At this point a lot of them have already grown to become multinational corporations, and some US corporations are penetrating the local market further, pushing the rise of the economy. Around this time, the wave of immigration really started rising. And people have not stopped visiting the wonderful city of Cali to this day.

Tourists today can witness the growth of Cali, with its wide array of structures, from historical to modern. The plazas, monuments, museums, and churches in the city are also some of the more popular destination spots. There are also streets and certain districts that are filled with dance clubs. Here, foreigners can come around to meet and hang around the locals and maybe meet Cali singles.

Today, Cali is considered to be the second biggest city in all of Colombia, only behind Bogotá. It is also the third most populated city, behind Bogotá and Medellín, with a population of over 2 million residents.

Cali, Colombia | Salsa Capital of the World

As mentioned earlier, people from Colombia love to dance, and the best form of dance that they are known for is salsa. Colombians of all walks of life embrace this culture wholeheartedly. Dance music can be heard throughout the city, even the streets. Parties from small clubs to big mansions play music in the spirit of Salsa.

Dancing schools are also taught throughout the city, and this is something you should really consider trying out if you are planning to visit the city. This will not be difficult to do so as you will even find hostels that host dance lessons, and you can also find private dance tutors instead of enrolling in an actual salsa dancing school.

Throughout the year, the city holds some of the biggest salsa festivals in the world, ranging from carnivals, parades, and massive dance parties. These festivals are participated by people from all over the globe.

Whether it be by traditional or modern music, the Colombians have always danced salsa. Cali is the self-proclaimed salsa capital of the world (and rightfully so). The majority of the people from Cali can dance salsa. It doesn’t matter if they are rich or poor, old or young, male or female, salsa is in their blood, and it will remain in the blood of Cali for a long time as it has before.