When you arrive in Cali, you’re a little lost and want to know how the transport system works, how to transfer from the airport to the city center, and how to get around Cali.
Cali is a huge city with a transport system called the MIO, which includes bus and cable car lines.
So here’s our post with all our tips for getting around Cali.
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
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Airport transfer in Cali
Getting around Cali
Cali airport is located outside Cali near the town of Palmira, about 20 km from the city center.
General information Cali airport
- Cali Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO)
- Website: aerocali.com.co
- Address: Palmira, Valle del Cauca
- Tel: 57 (2) 280 1515 / 57 (2) 441 7041
- Email: acliente@aerocali.com.co
Bus transfer – Cali Airport
The bus is the cheapest way to transfer to Cali airport. Leaving from and arriving at the bus terminal in the center of Cali, the journey time will be almost identical to that taken by cab, although the comfort will of course be different and you’ll have to make your own way to your hotel.
Bus from airport to city center
- Journey time: approx. 50 min. depending on traffic
- Fare: approx. $7.000
- Company: Expreso Siglo XXI ( 57 (2) 666 3086) / Rápido Aeropuerto ( 57 (2) 668 0648) / Líneas Cónsul ( 57 (2) 668 7450) / Expreso Palmira
Cab transfer – Cali Airport
Cab is the quickest and easiest way to reach the city center from Cali airport
Cab from airport to downtown
Meet at the airport exit. Official airport cabs are white and are the only ones authorized to park at the airport.
- Journey time: approx. 40 minutes
- Fare: approximately $60,000
- Authorized companies : Asotaba – Tel 57 (317) 648 1269
Cab from downtown to the airport
To get to the airport, it’s best to order a yellow cab by phone (ask at your accommodation). Be sure to calculate the journey time according to your flight time.
TIP
Always use official cabs for your airport transfer in Cali. The rates we give you are the recommended rates; if there is a margin, the driver should not offer you a drastically different rate.
How to get around Cali
Our best advices
Cali, like all Colombian cities, is built in the shape of a checkerboard, with “Carreras” and “Calles”. We keep repeating it, but the way it works is as follows: the “carreras” run from south to north and the “calles” run from east to west, perpendicularly. It’s a way of finding your way around Cali.
When you see an address like Calle 10 # 38. This means Street 10 (the street name) and number 38 (the house number). Sometimes an address is given at a crossroads between a “calle” and a “carrera”, meaning that the location is at the corner of the two. For example, if you are given Calle 10 y Carrera 2, this means that you should go to the corner of Calle 10 and Carrera 2.
Help getting around Cali
To help you get around Cali, as well as anywhere else in Colombia, we recommend using GPS route planners such as Moovit or Googlemaps.
With these applications you can plan your route easily and, above all, they’ll give you the different public transport options available to you. They’ll make getting around Cali a whole lot easier.
Types of transport in Cali
How to get around Cali
All of Colombia’s major cities have begun to think about how to get around, with Medellín’s integrated system and Bogotá’s transmilenio system being two examples. Cali is no exception to the rule, and has set up a comprehensive transport system called MIO for Masivo Integrado de Occidente.
MIO, bus and cable
The MIO integrates an entire public transport network to provide a comprehensive network for the city of Cali. The Cali MIO “integrated system” consists of :
- E bus on reserved lane
- T bus on reserved lane
- P bus on normal track
- A bus on normal track
- Cable cars
Fare per trip: $2,200
Rechargeable card fare: $3,500
Bus E (Express Troncales)
These blue buses run on reserved lanes and do not stop at all stations.
Bus T (Troncales)
These are blue buses that run on reserved lanes and stop at all stations.
Bus P (Pretroncales)
These are the blue buses that run on main and secondary streets and connect the main stations of the Troncales system with reserved lanes
Bus A (Alimentadores)
These are the small buses that run through the most remote neighborhoods and connect certain MIO stations.
How the MIO network works
Frankly, the MIO map is a hell of a lot harder to understand. But here are a few keys to understanding the system:
- Zones: the city of CALI is divided into zones from 0 to 8
- Types: Buses are divided according to their type: E (Express Troncales), T (Troncales), P (Pretroncales), A (Alimentadores)
- Variants: A, B, C, D… for the same zone there may be different routes with different stops
- Stations: departure and arrival stations are announced at the front of the bus
EXAMPLES
- Line E21 Terminal Menga -Universidades : Express bus passing through zone 2 and zone 1, departing from “Terminal Menga” station and arriving at “Universidades” station.
- Line P10A Universidades -Centro : Bus Pretroncal serving zones 1 and 0, from Universidades to Centro. This line will be different from the “P10B Universidades – El Ingenio -San Bosco” line, which serves the same zones, but departs from Universidades and passes through El Ingenio to San Bosco.
Mio card
The MIO system works with a rechargeable transport card that allows you to use all public transport to get around Cali. Only the basic busetas do not use this system.
The transport card costs $3,500 and can be purchased at the MIO system’s cash desks and at external points of sale throughout Cali. It is therefore rechargeable and reusable.
As a foreigner, you can obtain a personalized card by presenting your passport at the ticket office. If you lose your card, you can report it and have it blocked.
TIP
Rush hour
During morning and late afternoon rush hours, public transport can be particularly busy.
Safety
Adopt the usual gestures in public transport, put away your valuables and protect your bag, and watch out for possible pickpockets.
Cab in Cali
This is the other most practical option for getting around Cali outside rush hour to avoid traffic jams. Official cabs are yellow and have a number plate.
Fares
- Starting price: $2,600
- Minimum fare : $5,000
- Night charge: $1,200
- Airport transfer price: $60,000
- Price per unit: $102
Calculate a cab fare in Cali
The fare is calculated according to distance:
1unit = $102 = 80 m
Price per kilometer: $1.275 (without traffic jams)
TIPS FOR TAXI DRIVING IN CALI
Taximeter
Cabs must have the taximeter on when you enter the vehicle. If it’s not on, you must ask for it to be turned on before accepting the fare. If the driver refuses, get out of the vehicle.
Waze
Waze is a mobile application that helps you find your way around town by car. It’s a great way to avoid cab scams. If you’re in any doubt about the route the cab is taking, launch the app and show the driver that he’s extending the route. Likewise, if you’re stuck in traffic, suggest an alternative route to avoid getting stuck.
Payment
Try to carry small-denomination bills so that you can top them up when you pay.
Safety
Today in Cali, it’s perfectly possible to take an official cab on the street by raising your arm. During the day, we regularly do this without any problems. At night, it’s always best to order a cab by telephone (ask your hotel or the restaurant/bar where you’re staying). You can also use an app like Cabify.
Uber in Cali
Uber became a legal and official option for getting around Cali again in February 2020. So it’s once again legal to use Uber in Colombia. As elsewhere in the world, Uber makes it possible to hire a private VTC via a downloadable mobile app.
Cali bus terminal
Transfer between the terminal and the city center
For those who want to leave the city by bus, head for the Salitre terminal located in the city center, halfway between the airport and Candelaria. This is Colombia’s largest bus terminal, serving all destinations in the country.
General information Cali bus terminal
- Website: terminalcali. com
- Address: Calle 30N 2AN-29
- Phone: 57 (2) 668 3655
- Mail: info@terminalcali.com
Transfer to/from Cali Bus Terminal
The Bus Terminal is about 15 minutes by cab from downtown Cali.
Rent a car in Cali
Getting around Cali
To discover Cali’s immediate surroundings, it may be a good idea to rent a car for a day. However, given the security situation in the region, we advise against driving alone on the roads south of Cali. For more information before renting a car, we recommend you read on:
Best tips
Rent a car in Colombia
To rent a car, we advise you to use the Rental Cars comparator, which gives you a complete overview of the different rental companies in Colombia.
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Visit Cali differently
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