Typically Cali
After importing salsa from Cuba and Puerto Rico in the 1950s, the Caleños added their own flavour. They combined dance steps from Afro-Colombian cumbia and merecumbé, Cuban mambo and American Charleston and Swing, forging something unique that is now known as ‘stilo caleño’. It is a type of salsa that encompasses lightning-fast rhythms and steps.
Party in a salsoteca
Dance district
The district of Juanchito, southeast of Cali’s downtown, is the place to be for a great evening of salsa dancing. There are at least 30 salsa bars and new establishments open up all the time. The best known bars are concentrated around Via Casava. One of the most classic salsotecas is Changó, a smoky nightclub packed with people out on the dance floor. Another hotspot is Agapito. The party starts late so don’t even bother showing up before midnight.
Travel safely from club to club
Disco bus
The ‘chiva’ is a typical Cali attraction: a weekend bus that drives partygoers from club to club so nobody has to worry about being a designated driver. The colourful traditional bus drives by half a dozen clubs. You may also rent your own chiva with a group and choose which bars and clubs you would like to visit. For rentals, contact Chiva Rumbo de Lujo or Chivas Rumbahabana.
Parade during the Feria de Cali
The biggest party in town
Every year, from 25-30 December, Cali goes wild during the Feria de Cali. The first of these festivals in 1957 was all about bullfighting, but over the years the event has grown into a spectacular swinging street carnival. Salsa bands, singers and dancers travel to Cali from every corner of the world and there are parades, concerts and dance performances on every street corner. The festival is also a culinary celebration: `tascas`, small temporary outdoor restaurants, pop up everywhere, serving a great selection of Colombian and international cuisine.
