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Valle del Cauca is situated in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean. Its capital is Santiago de Cali.
The Department of Valle del Cauca was created by decree number 340 of April 16, 1910 which also created 12 other departments in Colombia. The Valle del Cauca Department was a result of the union of four former departments; Cartago, Buga, and Cali.
The department of Valle del Cauca is located on the western part of the country, between 3° 05’ and 5° 01’ latitude N, 75° 42’ and 77° 33’ longitude W. Its limits to the north border the departments of Risaralda and Quindío, the department of Cauca to the south, Tolima to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west as well as the department Chocó. The valley is geographically limited by the Central and Western mountain ranges and is 'bathed' by numerous rivers which empty into the Cauca River. The department is divided into four zones: the Pacific Fringe, which is humid and mostly jungle; the western mountain range, also humid and covered in jungle, (but now heavily deforested by the paper industry); The Andean valley of the Cauca river, whose surrounding lands are the most fertile in Colombia; and the western ridge of the central mountain range. The anthem of Valle del Cauca is "salve Valle del Cauca, mi tierra"
The department's economy is mainly centered on agriculture. In its valley it has sugar cane, cotton, soy, and sorghum crops and Coffee crops in the mountains. The department is known for its sugar industry, which provides sugar to Colombia and other neigbouring countries. Large sugar plantations were introduced to the department by Sebastián de Belalcázar. The production by the city of Yumbo also stands out, where several companies are found, most prominently the paper and cement businesses. The port at Buenaventura is Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast, allowing for the import and export of goods, and is of great importance for the economy of both the department and the country.
More than 80% of the population lives in cities or towns. The coverage of public services is among the highest in the country, with electrical power and education standing out the most. The food most closely associated with the department is sancocho de gallina, a stew made with an old hen, potatoes, yucca, corn and other ingredients; the characteristic flavor comes from a herb called cimarron or recao (Eryngium foetidum).
The first Spanish explorers arrived in the area after founding the village of Popayan in an expedition that came from Quito and was headed by Sebastián de Belalcázar. In the Valle del Cauca the explorers founded the village of Villa de Ampudia named after one of the explorers, Juan de Ampudia. By orders of Belalcazar the village was then moved to the Riviera of the Cauca River within the Gorrones Indigenous peoples territory. In 1536 Captain Muñoz ordered the city to be moved to the Lili Valley were the Village of Cali was founded on July 25 that same year.
Another Spanish explorer from the village of Cartagena de Indias named Juan de Vadillo commanded a second group of explorers and entered Cali on December 23, 1538, but he returned to Cartagena leaving many of his men behind including Pedro Cieza de León.
A third group of explorers led by Almirant Jorge Robledo under orders of Lorenzo de Aldana advanced to the North of the Valle del Cauca and founded the villages of Anserma (now part of Caldas Department) on August 15, 1539; Cartago on August 9, 1540; and the village of Antioquia on November 25, 1541. Under the command of Pascual de Andagoya a fourth group of explorers arrived in this area.
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