Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Tuluá has a bad vibe all around. We made a quick lunch stop there on our way to spending a few days in Cali and couldn’t wait to get out of the place. It was not the friendliest place we’ve been and didn’t seem too safe in parts. There is no reason to stop here at all.

 

Plaza de Boyacá

Located just 90 minutes from Cali, Tuluá is a city of around 200,000 people. The heart of the city is Plaza de Boyacá. This mostly concrete plaza has a some trees in it along with a statue of Simón Bolívar.

Plaza de Boyacá in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Plaza de Boyacá

We were hoping to visit the Iglesia de San Bartolomé, which sits on the plaza, but it was closed.

Iglesia de San Bartolomé on Plaza de Boyacá in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Iglesia de San Bartolomé

 

Parque Céspedes

We continued a block to the east to see Parque Céspedes. This nice park is full of trees. A café is located on the southern end. At the northern end is a the Palace of Justice (Palacio de Justicia). In the center is the Municipal Public Library (Biblioteca Pública Municipal).

Parque Céspedes in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Parque Céspedes
Palacio de Justicia on Parque Céspedes in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Palace of Justice
Biblioteca Pública Municipal in Parque Céspedes in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Municipal Public Library

On the eastern end of the park across the street are some juice stands and a small overlook to the Río Tuluá which runs through the center of the city. It’s nothing special.

Río Tuluá in Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Río Tuluá

 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

A few more blocks east across the river is Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuestra Señora del Carmen). This is a beautiful brick structure that sits across the street from the small Park of the Franciscans (Parque de los Franciscanos). The neighborhood didn’t look that great.

Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Parque de los Franciscanos across from Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Park of the Franciscans

 

Parks

Outside of the city center are a couple of parks that we drove past but didn’t visit. Lake Chillicote is a small artificial lake with an island in the middle. On the island is a huge tree. Apparently that was one of the recommended places to visit. Another one is Guadua Park (Parque de la Guadua) at the southern entrance to the city. The well-maintained cemetery across from Guadua Park seemed to be the most beautiful park in the city.

 

Los Arcos

Our lunch was at Los Arcos, a traditional Colombian restaurant a block east of Plaza de Boyacá. We had the lunch special which was sancocho, frijoles, and beef.

Los Arcos in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Los Arcos

 

Getting There

The bus terminal is located not too far west of Plaza de Boyacá. It was the best sight in Tuluá because I knew I would be leaving.

 

Violence

Tuluá had a terrible problem with violence in 2010 and 2010. This was due to rival drug gangs fighting for territory. The problem seems to have subsided but Tuluá is still not considered very safe.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.