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The small town of Toro sits in the northern part of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia. It’s one of the sleepiest towns I’ve visited in the country.
History of Toro
You wouldn’t guess it, but Toro is one of the oldest towns in Colombia. It was founded on June 3, 1573, by Melchor Velázquez de Valdenebro. It was originally named Our Lady of Consolation of Toro (Nuestra Señora de la Consolación de Toro) because many of the conquistadors passing through were from the city of Toro in Spain. Today, it’s an agricultural town.
Our Visit to Toro
I visited Toro on a Thursday morning. Usually, most towns in the region are quite busy at that time, but I found most of the streets to be fairly deserted with very little traffic. Only one of the main streets had some life, with a few shops and cafés open and a handful of people walking around.
Parque Simón Bolívar
We started our visit at the main plaza, Parque Simón Bolívar. It’s a nice shaded space with plenty of tall trees and a bust of Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) in the center. There’s also a small playground for kids. When we visited, there was also a sign for the Carnival of Joy (Carnaval de la Alegría) which takes place annually in August.
Our Lady of Consolation
Our Lady of Consolation (Nuestra Señora de la Consolación) is the main church in town, sitting on the south end of the plaza. It’s got a tall brick bell tower and a nice interior.
Mirador de la Cruz
A very friendly woman we ran into pointed out a small hill above the town. She said there’s an easy path to the top, Mirador de la Cruz, where there are great views of Toro. We didn’t have time to go up on this visit, unfortunately, because we had to meet someone in Cartago.
Chapel of Saint John the Baptist
The most important landmark and tourist attraction in Toro is the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist (Capilla de San Juan Bautista). This especially well-preserved chapel was built in 1610 and is located a few minutes outside of town in the El Bohío area. Unfortunately, it was closed when we drove by and there was nobody to let us in. The interior contains original religious art, including a painting of Saint John the Baptist at the altar.
