Cali

[play2win]

I am sure this has been done a dozen time before & I searched and read quite a bit but I was wondering the latest on cali:

Is it safe?
Do they have beaches?
Are there any REPUTABLE agencies?
How is the climate? 

I would like to travel there for pleasure and a lot of my colombian friends have told me it is safer then melledin & the women are almost as beautiful & the night life is very good. 

Thoughts?  I will continue to read trip reports in the mean time

[Gato4Astrid]

Safe - Depends on areas
Beaches - look at the map of Cali and it isn't on the coast!
Reputable Agencies - none!  Don't go with ACG
Climate - hotter than Medellin

About women:
if you prefer big fake breasts, wearing short skirts - go for Cali
if you prefer a model-type woman - go for Medellin
if you prefer a green woman - go to Mars

I have been both Cali and Medellin, but I prefer Medellin.   Cali - good area - Granda, Chipichape.   Medellin - Laureles, El Poblado

[Kiltboy1]

In the GoGo days of 1995-2005 (there abouts) Cali was full of agencies, Gringos and Woman looking to exploit them. Many men got married to good women and many men crashed and burned, me included.Now, almost no agencies,and almost no gringos. I will say that based on forum posts from several different forums, that Medellin has become the (lose your wallet central) when it comes to women, I think Cali may indeed have a better breed of women then before. No beaches,88 degrees every day, nice breezes at night. women with short skirts . if I were single, The lack of men would be a real plus for me to go back and explore

KB

[mudd]

" do they  have beaches"   Really ?  are you really going to ask that question? Really ? dude, look at  a map of Colombia,


Cali is where gringos went  to 1st in Colombia when looking for girlfriends and wives,  it was fished out, so to speak by jerks, horny old men chasing every young  skirt that walked by, but do to it  being really dangerous, gringos moved on to Medellin, and now Medellin has the problems with gringos  and  medellin not  being safe.

give Cali a try, their are some guys on here who live in Cali and or visit the city often, Cali pro being one.

[JimD]

It´s true that in the halcyon years Cali had more than a dozen functioning marriage agencies but today is pretty much down to one: www.allcolombiangirls.com. That agency is situated diagonally accross Avenida Sexta from Chipichape the big mall in the north end of the city. The owner and operator Ricardo also operates a new website: www.latincolombiancupid.com where girls from all over Colombia but mostly Cali sign themselves up online. Ricardo contacts the better looking ones and invites them to join the brick and morter agency. As a result a lot of new girls are signing up weekly in the last couple of months.

Cali is and always will be the rumba (nightlife) capital of Colombia.

The nearest beach is about three hours away by land and sea transportation at Juanchaco/Los Ladrilleros.

If you´re not wandering around drunk late at night on Avenida Sexta or passing through "La Olla" in El Centro on foot Cali can be considered safe. 

[El Escéptico]

I have the fondest memories of Cali. Personally I think the women there are much more friendly and flirtatious. Fake boobs? Who cares and why not! Nightlife is second to none. Salsa Capitol of the world. Really easy to meet hot, sexy women. Lots of schemers and you need to keep your head about what your doing there but to me for a first timer the place to go. I would use ACG despite what another poster said. Just pay by date only.

[play2win]

Someone told me it had beaches but you are right I should have looked.  I did some research today.  Melledin seems to dangerous to move too.  I really need a place that is warm (no winter), safe (obviously I dont mean walking around drunk in ghettos but i mean melledin seems like people are getting robbed at night not looking for trouble), beaches, nightlife, low cost of living.  I am starting to realize I will have to take 6 months to travel south america.  I really dont want to move to brazil but not so many countires have beaches and are warm the entire year.  Barranquilla I heard the beaches suck and there is nothing to do.  I will figure out something.  I probably do not think it is safe enough to move Colombia especially as someone who wants to retire.

[play2win]

I have the fondest memories of Cali. Personally I think the women there are much more friendly and flirtatious. Fake boobs? Who cares and why not! Nightlife is second to none. Salsa Capitol of the world. Really easy to meet hot, sexy women. Lots of schemers and you need to keep your head about what your doing there but to me for a first timer the place to go. I would use ACG despite what another poster said. Just pay by date only.

I'm a fan of fake boobs so that was an incentive not a deterrent.  That is how most of my female Colombian friends are here.

[JimD]

People who want beach usually look for property in Santa Marta on the north coast. There are plenty of other great beaches but in more isloated locations.

[utopiacowboy]

For most of the recent past, Cali has had a much higher murder rate than Medellin.

http://www.elespectador.com/node/194995

[play2win]

People who want beach usually look for property in Santa Marta on the north coast. There are plenty of other great beaches but in more isloated locations.

It is lookliing like colombia (at least melledin, cali & bogorta) which are the biggest countries are too dangerous for my tastes.  I will try to find a place in south america that is not brazil, that does not have winter, is safe, has beaches and I can retire to.  I realize I will have to travel around a bit but just the fact that i want close access to beaches eliminates quite a bit of south america

[play2win]

For most of the recent past, Cali has had a much higher murder rate than Medellin.

http://www.elespectador.com/node/194995

This is why I have decided Cali is not safe enough for me.  I do not need something as safe as I dont know say Utah (is utah safe?) but I def dont need to be living in the middle of st louis or detroit (trying to use US references)

[Kiltboy1]

Try the coast of Ecuador. Puerto Lopez is a paradise complete with lots of yachties, great beaches and good prices. Also check out Salinas Ecuador on the south coast, Little Cartagena. Ecuador is a very safe country to live in as well and good medical care. Best Hunting

KB

[play2win]

Try the coast of Ecuador. Puerto Lopez is a paradise complete with lots of yachties, great beaches and good prices. Also check out Salinas Ecuador on the south coast, Little Cartagena. Ecuador is a very safe country to live in as well and good medical care. Best Hunting

KB

Do you know if they have a summer climate?  I will check both of those out thank you for the suggestions!

[play2win]

What i need to do really is import a girl from Cali to the place in south america i end up.  I am sure it is way easier to work with an agency (if one goes that route) when they are living on the continent as opposed to expensive trips from the us and back. 

[Kiltboy1]

Coast of Ecuador is summer all year BUT , if you want a woman from Cali, go to Cali. A little small minded , but hey, whatever. I see hot woman in Ecuador, Venezuela, Dr, Mexico. Everywhere I have been. Do not limit yourself to a specific city. All my wifes Colombian friends thought she was from Medellin when they first met her, so try all places, Just  thought.

KB

[play2win]

Coast of Ecuador is summer all year BUT , if you want a woman from Cali, go to Cali. A little small minded , but hey, whatever. I see hot woman in Ecuador, Venezuela, Dr, Mexico. Everywhere I have been. Do not limit yourself to a specific city. All my wifes Colombian friends thought she was from Medellin when they first met her, so try all places, Just  thought.

KB

Cali is too dangerous for my taste.  Also I have many colombian friends here in nyc and they think anyone who would move to colombia is crazy.  They are strongly against my moving there and they are from Cali & Bogorta mostly!!!!  You are of course right.  I am so dead set on finding love and starting a new life that I am blinding myself.  I will travel Ecuador first.  Maybe also Costa rica (even though that is central america).  Maybe best is to 6 pick 6 countires and spend a month in each.

[Kiltboy1]

I understand what you are saying. I was married to a woman from Cali(distater) and was dead set on marring another one from Cali and see what that got me ? A wonderful woman from Ecuador. Take you time, visit some places and do not limit yourself to any city. I love Colombia but it is a crap place to live/retire. There are many more place with better things to do and live and if you want, have a business.

KB

[Kiltboy1]

Youtube   " Puerto Lopez" or "Salinas" or " Ruta Del Sol" and you will see some spectacular coastline with summer temps all year long but low humidity.The coast of Ecuador does not have the tropical humidity  but is hot all year long.

KB

[mudd]

cali and medellin are dangerous, if somebody says their not, they are not being honest. if your looking to retire someplace and or even spend time in one place, i would try barranquilla or santa marta, if your stuck on colombia and  you want to be on a beach city.

if no, i would try panama or ecuador before colombia.

[play2win]

cali and medellin are dangerous, if somebody says their not, they are not being honest. if your looking to retire someplace and or even spend time in one place, i would try barranquilla or santa marta, if your stuck on colombia and  you want to be on a beach city.

if no, i would try panama or ecuador before colombia.

Thank you.  I currently am looking at Costa Rica & Ecuador as of right now.  Having a nice beach eliminates a good portion of south america (considering I am not interested in rio and colombia is too dangerous).  I will probably travel to South America in june of next year and spend 2 months in each.  I once I figure out which one i like more I will settle down there.

[Jeff S]

Argentina and Uruguay are very nice, safe, and inexpensive - plenty of beaches and great weather too.

[play2win]

Argentina and Uruguay are very nice, safe, and inexpensive - plenty of beaches and great weather too.

I have eliminated Argentina because my friend is a native & she said they are snobby. I have also been told they have a winter.  I will look into Uruguay if it does not have a winter but it looks fairly south.

[Gato4Astrid]

I have eliminated Argentina because my friend is a native & she said they are snobby. I have also been told they have a winter.  I will look into Uruguay if it does not have a winter but it looks fairly south.

Uruguay is ranked the most peaceful country in South America

[Jeff S]

I have eliminated Argentina because my friend is a native & she said they are snobby. I have also been told they have a winter.  I will look into Uruguay if it does not have a winter but it looks fairly south.

Everywhere has a winter. The north end of Argentina has a very pleasant winter - kind of like Southern California . The southern end is more like Alaska, but it is a long country with a huge variety in climate and terrain.

Lots of people say Argentines are snobby, and yes they are proud of their heritage and culture. I don't consider that particularly negative. In fact, I'd say that people who expect a higher level of behavior in others to be an asset not a liability. In general, I find Argentines are extremely hospitable, well educated, polite and industrious.