Why the western hillside is the secret place to sleep with a view (and not in the center)
I'm going to be honest with you: if you come to Cali and stay on any random block in the center, you're missing half the city. The other half, the good one, the one seen from above, is the one that stretches from San Antonio and San Cayetano towards the east, with the Cerro de las Tres Cruces watching over everything from the north. From the western hillside, Cali is not just a hot and noisy city: it's a sea of lights that turns on when the sun hides behind the Farallones.
The hostels on the hillside are not new, but in August 2026 they remain the best-kept secret for backpackers who don't want to pay the inflated rates of the tourist areas in the center or Granada. Here the air is cooler, the noise of the buses sounds distant, and above all, you have a terrace with a view that no chain hotel can offer you at the same price.
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The key is the location: San Antonio is the bohemian neighborhood par excellence, with its cobblestone streets, restored colonial houses, and a square that fills with families and couples at sunset. San Cayetano, a bit higher up and less known, gives you an even wider view and a tranquility that is impossible in the center. If your plan is to wake up with the illuminated hill and sleep to the sound of crickets, this is your area.
And don't tell me the idea of having a coffee on a terrace while watching the whole city spread out like a map doesn't tempt you. You can't get that in a business hotel on Calle 5ta.
Top 5 hostels with a viewpoint terrace in San Antonio and San Cayetano
I did the fieldwork for you. These are the hostels I know that are still operating with good traveler reviews. Remember that prices are reference prices from August 2026 and may vary by season.
1. Hostal La Terraza (San Antonio)
This is the classic. Located in a restored colonial house on Calle 9 with Carrera 3, two blocks from the Plazoleta de San Antonio, Hostal La Terraza delivers exactly what it promises: a spacious terrace on the third floor with a direct view of the center and the east of the city. The hammocks are strategically placed so you can lie down and watch the sunset without doing anything else.
Private rooms start at $90,000 COP per night, and beds in shared dorms from $45,000 COP. A basic breakfast (eggs, arepa, coffee) is included. The atmosphere is relaxed, with travelers of all ages, and the staff gives you honest tips on what to do in the city. Ask for a bed in the upper dorm: the view from the window is the best in the hostel.
Fun fact: the house was originally a residence of a sugar family and retains the original wooden ceilings. Ask about the history of the place; the manager knows a couple of juicy anecdotes.
2. Casa Blanca Hostel (San Antonio)
Don't confuse it with the White House in Washington. This is a two-story house painted white (obviously) on Carrera 4 with Calle 9, half a block from the Iglesia de San Antonio. It's smaller than other hostels, with capacity for about 20 people, which gives it an extended family atmosphere.
The terrace isn't as big as the previous one, but it has an advantage: it faces southwest, so you see the sunset perfectly behind the Farallones. Shared beds cost around $40,000 COP per night, and they have a 15% weekly discount if you stay 7 days or more. That makes it a solid option for digital nomads or backpackers who want to settle in for a while.
The owner, a Cali native who lived in Buenos Aires for 10 years, organizes barbecue nights on Fridays (with an additional cost of $15,000 COP). It's the best way to meet people without leaving the hostel.
3. Mirador de San Cayetano (San Cayetano)
This is the least known on the list, and for that very reason, the most authentic. It's in the upper part of San Cayetano, near Calle 8 with Carrera 1A, going up some stairs that make you sweat if you come from the center. The view from the terrace is the widest of all: you see from the Cerro de las Tres Cruces to the industrial east, passing by the stadium and the Cauca River on clear days.
It's a family-run hostel, with simple but clean rooms. Shared beds are among the cheapest in the area: from $35,000 COP per night. However, don't expect luxuries: bathrooms are shared, and hot water is a luxury that only works in the showers of the private rooms.
The recommendation here is to come with time. It's not a place to arrive and rush off; it's for sitting on the terrace, getting a beer from the community fridge (they don't sell, but you can put yours in), and watching the city transform. The sunsets from here are the kind that make you pull out your phone.
4. El Patio Hostel (San Antonio)
Located on Carrera 2A with Calle 8, this hostel is known among travelers for its interior courtyard with tropical plants and a small pool (more like a cold jacuzzi, but it works). The viewpoint terrace is on the second floor, with a partial view of the city, but the real attraction is the social atmosphere.
Beds start at $42,000 COP per night in a 6-person dorm, and they have a private room option with a balcony for $120,000 COP. They organize walking tours of San Antonio on Tuesdays and Thursdays, guided by a local historian who tells the neighborhood's legends (including the one about the ghost of a nun who supposedly wanders around the Iglesia de San Antonio).
Breakfast is not included, but they have a full kitchen so you can prepare your own. That saves you quite a bit if you plan to stay several days.
5. Hostal El Mirador del Valle (San Cayetano)
This is the newest on the list, opened in 2024, and it has already earned a reputation among urban photographers. It's on Calle 7A with Carrera 1, in the highest part of San Cayetano, and its wooden terrace is perfect for setting up a tripod and doing sunset timelapses.
The hostel is small (12 beds in total) and has a quieter atmosphere than those in San Antonio. Beds cost $38,000 COP per night, and they offer a 10% discount if you pay in cash. The owner is a retired photographer who can give you tips on the best angles to photograph the city.
Weak point: the access is steep, and there's no direct public transport to the door. Be prepared to walk about 10 minutes uphill from the nearest MIO station. But trust me, the view makes up for it.
The sunset ritual: what to bring and where to buy craft beer nearby
The sunset on the hillside is not just a moment of the day: it's a social event. From 5:30 in the afternoon, hostel terraces start filling with people with cameras, travel journals, and, of course, ice-cold beers. The sky paints itself orange, pink, and purple, and the Farallones stand out as black silhouettes in the background.
What to bring? A light jacket or hoodie, because even though Cali is hot, on the hillside the wind feels cool at nightfall. I also recommend a flashlight or a fully charged phone, because the streets of San Antonio and San Cayetano are not very well lit on the steeper stretches.
For beer, you have two main options:
- La Bodega de la Esquina (Calle 9 with Carrera 4, San Antonio): a neighborhood store that became a meeting point. They sell local craft beers like Apóstol or Karmairí, both from Cali, for about $8,000 COP each. They also have the classic Águila and Pilsen at regular store prices.
- Cervecería San Antonio (Carrera 3A with Calle 8): a small brewpub that opened in 2023 and specializes in European styles. The house beer, an IPA called "Ladera", costs $12,000 COP for a 400ml glass. The place has a small terrace with a street view, but not the full panorama.
If you prefer something stronger, in the Plazoleta de San Antonio there are several vendors of viche (a traditional liquor from the Colombian Pacific) on weekends. Ask for the pineapple one, which is the mildest to start with. And if you're feeling adventurous, the chontaduro with honey sold on the corner of the church is the perfect snack to accompany your beer.
Logistics: how to get up from the center with the MIO or on foot, and specific safety tips for the area
Getting up to the hillside isn't hard, but you need to know how to do it so you don't end up exhausted or lost. Here's the step-by-step:
On the MIO (the mass transit system)
From the center, the nearest stations are San Pedro or Plazoleta. Take any articulated bus heading south (routes that pass along Avenida Roosevelt or Calle 5ta). Get off at the San Antonio station (yes, there is a station with that name, on Calle 5ta with Carrera 10). From there, it's about a 15-minute walk uphill to the Plazoleta de San Antonio.
For San Cayetano, get off at the Belisario station and walk west along Calle 8 until you reach Carrera 1A. It's about a 20-minute steep climb. The MIO fare costs $2,700 COP in 2026, and you need the Tu Llave card, which you can buy at the main station ticket booths for $5,000 COP.
Walking from the center
If you're coming from Plaza de Caicedo, walk west along Calle 9. You'll pass by the Plazoleta Jairo Varela, continue along Calle 9 to Carrera 4, and then climb the stairs that take you directly to the Plazoleta de San Antonio. It's about a 25-minute walk with a moderate incline. Bring water, because the Cali heat is treacherous.
For San Cayetano, the route is longer: from the Plazoleta de San Antonio, follow Carrera 3 north to Calle 7A, then climb up Carrera 1. It's about 35 minutes in total, with some quite steep sections. I don't recommend it with a big suitcase; better take a taxi or a mototaxi from the center.
Safety tips
Let's be honest: the western hillside of Cali is not the most dangerous neighborhood in the city, but it's not a fortified zone either. Here are my re
