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Lago Calima is a popular recreational getaway a couple hours from Cali, Colombia. It’s got a cool climate and is great for water sports.
Introduction to Lago Calima
Lago Calima is a reservoir created between 1961 and 1966 to generate hydroelectric power for the Valle del Cauca department. It’s 13 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. The name is in reference to the fog that typically enters the Lago Calima basin in the afternoons.
The lake has since become a popular destination for water sports and leisure activities. The climate is also generally cool, making it a nice escape from the unbearable heat in Cali.
As for water sports, the lake is considered one of the best places in Colombia for kite surfing and windsurfing. The water is always warm and lessons are available for these sports. There are also camping zones, hotels, fincas and cabins for rent restaurants, and more all around the lake. Many of them can be found on the official website.
Personally, our visit to Lago Calima was a huge disappointment. Maybe our expectations were too high, but we thought it would be much nicer.
Getting to the Lake
Darién is the nearest town to Lago Calima. TransCalima provides transportation to and from Cali (two hours) and Buga (just over an hour). The bus terminal is a couple blocks from the plaza in Darién. There are two routes, “por el lago” and “vía Jiguales”. Buses going “por el lago” can stop at the many camping zones, vacation rentals, and water sports areas around the lake. “Vía Jiguales” is more direct to Darién.
From Darién, you can take a mototaxi to the lake in less than 10 minutes. On foot, it can take 20 to 30 minutes.
What to Do at Lago Calima
Once at the lake, you’ll find jet skis for rent, banana boat rides, and boat tours. There are also stands selling roasted corn, arepas de chócolo, and obleas. Don’t get your hopes up for the lake. It wasn’t as nice as we had expected. The water was a cloudy brown and not something I would swim in. We also noticed the water level was much lower than it should have been, which definitely affected the scenery.
Boat Tour
We decided to take a boat tour of the lake. A 30-minute tour on a speedboat costs COP$17,000 per person and a 40-minute tour on a pontoon boat is COP$22,000 per person (as of July 2025).
The guide gave us a quick history of the lake and stopped at three points to show us some large vacation homes and cabins. The tour wasn’t very interesting but the guide was entertaining.
