Cartago city - Valle del Cauca

Altitude: 917 m.a.s.l.
Distance from Cali: 186.8 Km

Cartago is a municipality located to the north of Valle del Cauca department. The city is considered “the happiest sun city of Colombia”. It was founded by José Robledo marshal, on August 9, 1540 on behalf of Felipe II, king of Spain.

It borders on Risaralda to the north, Ulloa, Alcalá and Quindío department to the east, Obando to the south, and Toro and Ansermanuevo to the west.

The economy of the department depends on the agriculture, cattle farming, commerce and small industry.

Villa de Robledo as it is known is a convergence of Antioquía and Valle del Cauca cultures. Most of the territory is plain and gently undulate. The lands are warm, irrigated by Cauca and La Vieja Rivers and other minor currents.

In the urban streets, it has samples of the colonial architecture, testimony of the history in the centuries XVI and XVII. Nowadays, it is one of the renowned Colombian municipalities both nationally and internationally.

Climate

The city has a warm dry climate with an average temperature of 26ºC.

Places to visit

The Viceroy’s house

It is one block from Bolivar Park, is a simple of Mudejar style, has roomy corridors, yards and interior gardens. It was built the second half of XVIII century, finished to build in 1770; its name owes to the fact that it was built in order to lodge to Ezepeleta viceroy in his visit to Cártago – that never happened-.

It is a work of Don Sebastian de Marisancena; the house has two levels, the main façade is built on stone and brick forming pillars, columns, capitals, and decorative moldings.