El Cairo, Valle del Cauca: How to Get There & Tourism
The town of El Cairo was declared by UNESCO part of the World Heritage Coffee Cultural Landscape.
El Cairo, in Valle del Cauca, is a picturesque town at 1,850 m above sea level, surrounded by beautiful mountains and farms.
El Cairo was founded in 1920, and from the start its main economic activity has been agriculture, with crops of coffee, plantain, sugarcane, cassava, beans and corn, among others.
The town's natural beauty comes from its location in the Serranía del Paraguas, known for its lush vegetation and biodiversity — a very appealing spot for nature lovers.
How to get to El Cairo
El Cairo is 252 km from Cali, very close to the border with the department of Chocó. It is reached by road via Ansermanuevo, Argelia and Cartago. Daily buses leave from Cali and neighboring towns.
Tourist information
El Cairo has hotels, restaurants and shops where travelers will find everything they need for their stay. There is also the option of staying on farms adapted as lodgings.
The town keeps buildings with their original architecture and invites visitors to walk its streets and enjoy one of the most picturesque places in Colombia.
Top sights in El Cairo
Without a doubt, one of El Cairo's main attractions is nature. There are various ecological trails to explore and take in the different ecosystems.
In the municipality lies the Las Amarillas natural forest in the Serranía del Paraguas, a protected area for the Andean forest, with orchids and many bird species standing out. Several streams rise in the Las Amarillas forest, among them the San Juan River.
Other well-preserved areas are "Cerro El Inglés" and "Alto de Galápagos", sites with abundant biodiversity in flora and fauna and a notable number of endemic species.
In El Cairo, visitors can discover the coffee plantations and tour some farms to learn about harvesting and processing. The coffee farms are very appealing and produce high-quality coffee. For its coffee tradition, the town was declared by UNESCO a "World Heritage Site — Coffee Cultural Landscape".
Festivals in El Cairo
Fiestas del Retorno: held every year in October.
Map of El Cairo, Valle del Cauca
Frequently asked questions about El Cairo
In northern Valle del Cauca, at 1,850 m above sea level, in the Serranía del Paraguas, near the border with Chocó. It is part of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a World Heritage Site.
It is about 252 km from Cali, reached by road via Cartago, Ansermanuevo and Argelia. Daily buses run from Cali and neighboring towns.
Wander its colonial streets, visit coffee farms, hike in the Serranía del Paraguas (rich biodiversity) and go birdwatching.
For its coffee tradition and its Antioquian-settlement architecture, included by UNESCO in Colombia's Coffee Cultural Landscape.
There are hotels and shops in town and farms adapted as lodgings nearby, ideal for enjoying nature.
Mild mountain climate all year; choose dry days for the trails and birdwatching in the Serranía del Paraguas.