Is Cali Safe? What the US, Canada and UK Advisories Say (2026)

Next check: Nov 24, 2026, or sooner if the US Embassy posts a Cali alert.

As of Oct 24, 2026, the US Embassy has no Cali alert in its recent list. Its alerts from Sept 3 to Oct 19, 2026 cover Cesar, Norte de Santander, Santa Marta, a tsunami warning and protests in Bogotá. (US Embassy in Colombia, alerts, read Oct 24, 2026) No alert doesn't mean no risk. The advisories below still apply.

Two things to know before you book:

• The region around Cali carries the strictest warnings. See the table in the next section.
• The August 2026 earthquake reached Cali. Canada says a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit near San José de Palmar, Chocó, on Aug 10, 2026, that damage was reported in Cali and other cities, and that aftershocks could cause more damage.³

All three governments treat the city of Cali differently from the rest of Valle del Cauca.

Sources: travel.state.gov, Colombia Travel Advisory; travel.gc.ca, Colombia; GOV.UK, Colombia warnings and insurance. All read Oct 24, 2026.

The UK names Cali among the major cities where pickpocketing, mugging and armed robbery are a problem.⁴ The UK also warns that traveling against its advice can invalidate your travel insurance. That applies to Jamundí and Buenaventura.⁵

Yes. Canada's advisory lists these in its terrorism section (travel.gc.ca, read Oct 24, 2026):

• June 10, 2025: several attacks with explosives and firearms in Cauca and Valle del Cauca, "including Cali", with several casualties.
• Aug 21, 2025: an attack in Cali in front of the Marco Fidel Suárez Air Base, with multiple injuries and deaths.
• Late April 2026: dozens of attacks in Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments. Canada doesn't say whether any were in Cali.

Canada says further attacks are likely, and lists military and police stations, transport hubs, and busy public places such as restaurants, bars, malls and hotels among possible targets. The US says police and military facilities "are often targeted, including in large cities".³²

The advisories point to flying. Canada's instruction for Cali, Buga and Palmira is direct: "If you intend to travel to any of the above excluded areas, do so by air."³

Roads out of Cali pass through areas with stricter warnings:

• The US "Do not travel" zone covers the rest of Valle del Cauca and all of Cauca except Popayán.²
• Canada says avoid all travel to the city of Buenaventura. The UK says avoid all but essential travel to it.³⁵
• For any road trip, Canada lists 767 from a mobile phone for the Highway Police road-closure line (Spanish only).³

No government advisory ranks the two cities, and we haven't compared official crime statistics. The difference on paper is the region around each city. Valle del Cauca, outside Cali, is on the US Level 4 list. Antioquia, Medellín's department, isn't.² Canada lists parts of Antioquia under "avoid non-essential travel". Medellín isn't on that list.³ What the advisories say about Medellín is on Medellín safety.

We can't tell you yet. None of the US, Canadian or UK advisories names Cali neighborhoods, safe or unsafe, and we haven't verified official crime data by barrio from the Policía Nacional or the Alcaldía de Santiago de Cali. We won't publish a neighborhood list until we can source it.

Yes. They cover all of Colombia. The short version: book taxis through an app, your hotel or a dispatch line instead of hailing one, meet dates in busy public places, and travel by day. US government staff in Colombia may not hail street taxis or use public transport.²³ The full detail is on Colombia travel advisory.

US citizens can enroll in STEP to get Embassy alerts by email.²

• US Department of State, Colombia Travel Advisory (Level 3, issued Mar 31, 2026; Level 4 list incl. Valle del Cauca excluding Cali): https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/colombia.html
• US Embassy in Colombia, alerts archive (latest item Oct 19, 2026; no Cali alert from Sept 3 to Oct 19, 2026): https://co.usembassy.gov/category/alert/
• Government of Canada, Colombia travel advice (last updated Oct 14, 2026; regional advisory for Valle del Cauca; terrorism; earthquake; taxis; 767; 123): https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/colombia
• GOV.UK (FCDO), Colombia travel advice: warnings and insurance (updated Oct 15, 2026; western Valle del Cauca incl. Buenaventura; Jamundí): https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia/warnings-and-insurance
• GOV.UK (FCDO), Colombia travel advice: safety and security (crime in major cities incl. Cali): https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia/safety-and-security