La Merced Church Museum (Iglesia de la Merced)

The basics

The church tends to feature on Cali sightseeing tours, which help you easily hop between the southern Colombian city's major attractions. Other highlights include Plaza Caicedo, San Antonio Hill, and El Gato del Rio park, famous for its cat statues. La Merced Church Museum is housed in the former La Merced convent adjacent to the church. Here, you can see pre-Columbian pottery left behind by different cultures from central and southern parts of Colombia.

Things to know before you go

• Look out for the statue of the Virgen de las Mercedes that tops the altar in the church.

• The church is an active place of worship, so wear respectable clothing and keep noise to a minimum.

• The courtyard surrounding the church is cobbled and uneven and may prove difficult for travelers with mobility issues.

How to get there

From the center of Cali, La Merced Church Museum (Iglesia de la Merced) is a 40-minute walk or a 20-minute bus ride on the P21E, which drops you off a 10-minute walk from the church. You can also hop in a taxi, which takes around 15 minutes.

When to get there

The church is open Monday through Saturday, in the morning for a few hours and then in the afternoon for a few hours—the museum follows a similar opening schedule. Head there in the morning and enjoy a picnic in Parque Central Rio Cali.

See the best of Cali's churches

Religious structures are among some of the top things to do in Cali—it’s home to some that date back hundreds of years. The best ones to add to your itinerary are the red-brick San Antonio Church, the soaring spires of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the whitewashed churches of nearby Popyan, nicknamed the White City.