Cali sits in the middle of the Valle del Cauca: mountains, rivers, sugar-cane valleys and colonial towns, all within a couple of hours. With your own car you go at your pace — no tour bus, no fixed schedule.
Driving times below are approximate from central Cali and depend a lot on traffic, especially when leaving the city on Friday afternoons and coming back on Sunday evenings or holiday Mondays (puentes).
The closest escape from the city. South of Cali, the road climbs along the Pance river into green hills at the foot of the Farallones mountains. Locals come on weekends to swim in natural pools, eat sancocho at riverside restaurants and walk forest trails.
Northeast of Cali, near El Cerrito, Hacienda El Paraíso is the colonial house that inspired María, one of the most famous novels in Colombian literature. Gardens, old furniture and views over the sugar-cane valley. On the way, stop in Ginebra, a small town known for its traditional food and its Andean music festival.
One of the oldest towns in the region, with a walkable colonial center and the Basílica del Señor de los Milagros, a major pilgrimage site. Easy highway drive north of Cali. Combine it with Lake Calima, which is further along the same direction.
A large reservoir in the mountains, famous for its steady winds — one of the best spots in South America for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Even if you do not do water sports, the drive along the lake, the cooler weather and the lakeside restaurants make it worth it. The town of Darién is the base, with a small archaeological museum about the Calima culture.
A small community in the Pacific rainforest with crystal-clear rivers for tubing. The fun part: there is no road into the village. You drive toward Buenaventura, park in the village of Córdoba and ride the last kilometers on a brujita — a motorbike-powered cart on old railway tracks.
The Coffee Triangle is the classic road trip from Cali. Drive north through the valley to Salento, a colorful mountain town, and the Cocora Valley, home of the giant wax palms — Colombia’s national tree. Add a coffee farm tour and you have a perfect long weekend.
The coffee region is in Quindío, outside Valle del Cauca. If you rent with us, just tell us beforehand and we authorize the trip in writing at no extra cost — mileage within Valle del Cauca is unlimited.
Explore the Valle at your own pace. Rent our Kia Soluto with full insurance, unlimited mileage in Valle del Cauca and delivery at Cali airport or your hotel. Staying longer? Our monthly rate brings the day down to about US$38.