Valle del Cauca Overview

By Richard McColl

The department of Valle del Cauca is the powerhouse of south-western Colombia with its epicenter located in the raucous hub of Cali. Throughout the region the average altitude is roughly 1000 meters above sea level; in the extreme west one is confronted by Cali’s ugly sister, the important port of Buenaventura, bathed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The department’s other boundaries are defined by the mountain ranges making up the central and western ridges of the Andes, through which the Cauca, one of Colombia’s most powerful and longest rivers, flows. As the department has always been strategically important for overland travel and for the import and export of goods through Buenaventura, it is no wonder that there is no shortage of interesting sites to visit. From Cartago in the North, bordering the neighboring department of Risaralda, there is a steady line of religious monuments spanning in a straight line south following the progress of the River Cauca. Of special note are the churches in Cartago, Toro, Roldanillo, Bugalagrande, Guacari, Guadalajara de Buga and Jamundi. While taking in this route you can also enjoy other sites of heritage such as traditional Vallecaucana estancias, coffee farms, and adventure sports and natural pursuits in Calima, El Cerrito and Palmira. Don’t miss an opportunity to check out locally woven trinkets made from fibers of plantain or to try the nationally famous Vallecaucana cuisine of champus, marranitas and aborrajados.