My Gateway Vacation

Santiago de Cali is also referred to as Cali for short here in the country of Colombia. This city is the main municipality and capital of the Valle del Cauca, which is a department in western Colombia. Cali is the third largest city in Colombia with a population of over two million. It is home to the fastest growing economy in the country and is a very significant reference point because of its geographic location. The first part of this great city's name is in honor to the apostle Saint James. Just as in many South American cities it has many cathedrals and important religious temples. A humorous side not for this now notoriously large city is that its beginning population, for quite some time, was no more than seventeen people.

This is another great South American city to find yourself visiting if you are a sports fan. As a matter of fact, it is the sports capital of Colombia. In the same year that this great city was named the sports capital of Colombia, they also finished the construction of the second largest building in Colombia. This building is known as the La Torre de Cali, or the Cali Tower. This gigantic building houses a hotel, offices and even apartment complexes. It stands forty two floors above the city and is a wonderful stop on any vacationing trip here to Colombia. You can even reserve a room in the hotel here at this great tower, but plan ahead because it becomes booked for months in advance!

Santiago de Cali is home to a vast array of historical tourism. There are a great and many attractions here in downtown Cali such as churches like the La Merced and La Ermita, which are very popular sights. These historical sights are so very popular because of the preservation of the old city and other historical land marks. One of the most important zones here in Cali is La Plaza de Caycedo, which is considered by locals and tourists alike to be the center of the city. It is a square surrounded by an array of both historical and modern buildings. Some of the important buildings surrounding this square are the El Edificio Otero, La Cathedral, and El Palacio de Justicia. This Plaza is in proximity to many popular tourist places like the municipal theater, the La Merced Church, and the Saint Francis' church in Spanish Iglesia de San Francisco. All these sights are highly acclaimed by the locals and tourists alike and a re a great place for any foreigner to stop and check out.

Cali is also a city that has many various monuments, parks, squares, and museums that are all very well kept, as this is one of the cleaner cities in Colombia. They are a few very famous sculptures within this city such as the Cristo Rey, which is located on top of a mountain range. There is also the sculpture of Sebastian se Belalcazar, who was founder of the city.