Versalles: The Block of the 3 Bakeries from 1920

Versalles: The Block of the 3 Bakeries from 1920

Don Alberto is 78 years old and still closes his eyes when he walks by Calle 9 with Carrera 34. "That smell of freshly baked cornbread hasn't left me since I was seven," he told me one morning in May 2026, as the sun filtered through the mango trees of the Versalles neighborhood. It's not cheap nostalgia: it's that here, on a single block, three bakeries that opened their doors in 1920 survive, when Cali was just beginning to dream of being the salsa capital. They are La Suiza, La Florida, and La Especial, and each one holds a sourdough secret that has kept them alive for over a century. This article is a guide to walking that block, smelling, tasting, and understanding why Versalles is a living museum of bread, architecture, and Cali memory.

Historical Introduction: A Neighborhood Born with Bread

Versalles wasn't always the quiet neighborhood of spacious houses you see today. At the beginning of the 20th century, Cali was growing northward, and this area was pastureland where wealthy families built vacation estates. But what really put Versalles on the map was bread. In 1920, three immigrants — a Swiss man, a Spaniard, and an Italian — opened their ovens almost simultaneously on the same street. They didn't agree with each other, but they competed with recipes brought from their homelands. The Swiss man brought butter bread; the Spaniard, the roscón; the Italian, yuca bread. One hundred years later, the grandchildren of those bakers are still kneading, and the neighborhood has become a testament to how tradition can slow the advance of shopping malls.

The curious thing is that Versalles is also an architectural treasure. Its houses in Republican and Art Deco styles, with pastel-colored facades and wrought-iron balconies, have no commemorative plaques. You have to know how to look. A local will tell you: "Look at that carved wooden door, that's from 1925." Or: "That cornice is original, they haven't touched it." Walking through Versalles is like reading a book without an index, where every detail tells a story.

What to Do in Versalles

Walk the Block of the Three Bakeries

The plan is simple: start at the corner of Calle 9 with Carrera 34, where La Suiza is. Go in, order a hot butter bread (they cost around $2,500 COP in May 2026) and observe the wooden counter that is over 80 years old. Then, walk 50 meters south to La Florida. Here, the specialty is the roscón, that sweet ring-shaped bread that melts in your mouth. Ask for the "grandmother's roscón," which is still made with the original 1920 recipe. Finally, across the street, is La Especial, famous for its yuca bread. Don't confuse it with pandebono: here the dough is denser, with melted costeño cheese. A pack of three costs $4,000 COP.

The trick? Visit between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., when the smell of a freshly lit oven mixes with the sound of the bells from the San Antonio church, which can be heard from afar. It's a sound Don Alberto misses: "Before, you only heard the bells and the baker's whistle. Now it's motorcycles and buses, but the smell still wins."

Look for Traces of 1920 on the Facades

The houses of Versalles don't have plaques, but there are clues. Look at the glazed ceramic baseboards at the entrances: many have geometric patterns dating from the 1920s. Also look for wrought-iron grilles with coffee leaf shapes, a detail only seen on the original houses. A good starting point is the Casa de la Esquina (Calle 9 #34-12), which preserves its carved wooden door with floral motifs. If you like architecture, bring a camera and note the addresses: the best facades are between Carrera 34 and Carrera 36, from Calle 9 to Calle 12.

Chat with the Elderly Neighbors

On Saturday mornings, in the small square in front of the San Antonio Church (five blocks from Versalles), the neighborhood's elders gather. If you sit on a bench, one of them will tell you what Versalles was like when there were no cars, only horse-drawn carts delivering milk and bread. It's not tourism; it's listening to living history. Bring a thermos of coffee and offer some: they'll tell you things that aren't in the books.

Where to Eat or Drink

Butter Bread at La Suiza

Address: Calle 9 #34-08. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Sundays, 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Reference Price: individual butter bread, $2,500 COP. La Suiza's sourdough secret lies in the fermentation: they let the dough rest for 24 hours at a controlled temperature. The result is a bread that lasts three days without hardening. Order it with a cup of hot chocolate ($3,000 COP) and sit at the marble table that is over 50 years old.

Roscón at La Florida

Address: Calle 9 #34-25. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Reference Price: large roscón, $6,000 COP. La Florida is the only one that uses regional cow butter instead of margarine. The roscón crumbles as soon as you touch it, and the secret is in the manual kneading: three times before baking. Also try the "pan de leche" (milk bread), which is softer and costs $2,000 COP.

Yuca Bread at La Especial

Address: Calle 9 #34-18. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sundays, 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Reference Price: pack of 3 yuca breads, $4,000 COP. La Especial is the only one that toasts the costeño cheese before mixing it with the yuca dough, giving it a smoky flavor. If you go after 10:00 a.m., it might be sold out. Arrive early.

Lunch at El Solar de Versalles

If you want something more substantial, two blocks from the bakeries, at Carrera 35 #10-24, is El Solar de Versalles, a home-style restaurant that has been operating since 1985. Reference Price: daily menu (includes soup, main course, and juice) from $18,000 COP. They are open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The shredded beef seco with rice and beans is the neighbors' favorite.

How to Get There and Transportation

By Public Transport

Versalles is in north-central Cali, a 10-minute bus ride from the MIO station San Pascual. Take route P21A (which goes along Calle 9) or T47A (which goes down Carrera 34). The fare is $2,800 COP (May 2026 rate). Get off at the "Calle 9 con Carrera 34" stop, right in front of La Suiza.

By Car or Taxi

If you come by car, look for parking at Carrera 36 with Calle 12, where there is a covered public parking lot that charges $4,000 COP per hour. You can also park on the street, but watch for "No Parking" signs on Tuesdays and Fridays when the mobile market passes. A taxi from the historic center (Plaza de Cayzedo) costs around $8,000 COP and drops you off in 10 minutes.

By Bicycle

Versalles is flat and easy to explore by bike. Use the bike lanes on Carrera 34 and Calle 9. There is a free bicycle parking lot in the small square of the San Antonio Church, a 5-minute walk from the bakeries.

Local Tips

• Key Hours: The bakeries are busiest between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., when neighbors buy breakfast bread. If you want to avoid lines, go after 10:00 a.m., but risk some varieties being sold out.
• Cash is Better: La Suiza and La Florida accept cards, but La Especial only takes cash. Bring $10,000 and $5,000 COP bills.
• Don't Leave Without Trying the "pan de maíz" (Cornbread): It's a classic only made on Fridays at La Suiza. Ask for it: it's a sweet, yellow dough that melts in your mouth.
• Look Up: The oldest facades have plaster moldings shaped like grapes and wheat, a tribute to the original bakers. Look for them on Calle 9 between Carreras 34 and 35.
• Avoid Noon: Between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., the noise from motorcycles and buses is unbearable. Better to go early or visit in the afternoon, after 3:00 p.m., when the neighborhood quiets down.
• Fun Fact: The bell of the San Antonio church, which can be heard in Versalles, was cast in 1920, the same year the bakeries opened. Neighbors say the sound "tastes like bread" because it has always coincided with oven time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the Oldest Bakery in Versalles?

All three opened in 1920, but La Suiza was the first to light its oven, according to the Cali Chamber of Commerce records. However, La Florida and La Especial followed within weeks. Neighbors argue over which is the "oldest," but all are over 100 years old.

Why Haven't These Bakeries Closed if There Are So Many Supermarkets?

The secret is in the sourdough. Each bakery has a recipe that can't be found in any supermarket: slow fermentation, manual kneading, and local ingredients (like La Especial's costeño cheese). Furthermore, the elderly neighbors are loyal customers who prefer the traditional taste. Don Alberto says: "Supermarket bread is gum. This is real bread."

Can You Visit the Old Ovens?

At La Suiza and La Florida, you can see the brick ovens from the entrance, but there are no guided tours. If you arrive early (before 7:00 a.m.) and ask the baker respectfully, they sometimes let you peek. At La Especial, the oven is in the back and is not visible to the public.

Is There Any Special Event in Versalles Related to Bread?

There is no official event, but every July 20th, the neighbors organize a "bread walk" from the San Antonio church to the three bakeries. It's an informal tour where the elders tell stories and cornbread is given away. Ask at La Florida if anything is planned for this year, or follow the hashtag #PanDeVersalles on Instagram to find out.

At the end of the day, what makes Versalles unique is not just the bread, but the memory that bakes in every oven. Don Alberto is right: the smell of cornbread is unforgettable. And if you want to be part of that story, share a photo of your favorite Versalles bakery on Instagram with #PanDeVersalles and tag @Malokal_Versalles. That way, others will also want to walk this block and discover why the bread from 1920 is still hot in 2026.