Cali, Colombia

*How could I NOT get a picture at the awards ceremony my last night in Cali!?*

In February of 2025 I traveled to the incredible city of Cali to translate for a conference. This was my first time in Colombia, and actually, South America!

We stayed at the Hotel Spirito which shared amenities (including an incredible rooftop pool) with the Hotel Spiwak, and had a connection to the gated Chipichape shopping center. This was really helpful because I was able to easily grab groceries and an outfit since the bulk of my days were spent at the convention center.

I did however, have time to squeeze in a couple tours…

Juan, our local guide, was absolutely phenomenal. We took the Cali Street Food Tour and the Cristo Rey Viewpoint Tour with him. He was so knowledgable about anything and everything Cali!

Cali is known as the Salsa Capital of the World, and as much as I would have liked to take a salsa class, I will forever be grateful to Juan for taking us to La Calle del Sabor (Street of Flavor) our first night in town. I fulfilled my sole Colombian goal of dancing in the middle of the street to Shakira!

You should definitely book with Juan when you visit Cali. He offers a HUGE variety of walking, driving, food, & other tours: Cali Cultural Tours

*Parque el Gato de Tejada (Cat Park), located on the banks of the Cali River, features more than fifteen feline sculptures like this one*

Some interesting facts I discovered about Colombia: it has the largest bird biodiversity in the world- more than 2,000 species, or about 20% of the global total! Colombia is a leading producer of coffee, emeralds, and has some of the tallest palm trees in the world.

Cali is the only major city in Colombia with Pacific Coast access, making it a main economic center. And it was founded in 1536, making it one of the oldest cities in Latin America! Interestingly, Cali’s food scene was very “meat and potatoes”; I did have a little difficulty finding things I could eat as a vegetarian. I’d imagine vegans would have an even more difficult time finding food, unfortunately. Thankfully the mall had a variety of options ranging from Chinese food, to sandwiches, to BBQ- and a huge supermarket.

*Cali’s tattoo scene was out of this world!*

I do wish I had a bit more time to sight-see but technically this was a work trip! Other places of interest include the Cristo Rey Monument, at the top of the Cerro de los Cristales, closely resembling the Christ Our Redeemer statue in Brazil. I would also highly recommend visiting the Galería Alameda, a HUGE market filled with all sorts of incredible fruits, cheeses and flowers.

Until next time, Cali!

I’m looking forward to spending more time in Latin America very soon! Read about my time in El Salvador & Guatemala here

Paris, Versailles, & Giverny