Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport
Cali, Colombia
Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport
Colombia's gateway to the Pacific and southwestern region.
- ›Named after Alfonso Bonilla Aragón, a former governor of Valle del Cauca department.
- ›Located in the Palmaseca municipality, approximately 20 km northeast of Cali.
- ›Serves as the primary airport for Colombia's Pacific coast region.
- ›Cali hosts the World Salsa Festival, bringing significant international passenger traffic.
- ›The airport sits at an elevation of approximately 961 meters (3,153 feet) above sea level.
Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport serves Cali, Colombia's third-largest city and the undisputed world capital of salsa music and dance. Opened in 1971 and located in the municipality of Palmira, roughly 20 kilometres northeast of downtown Cali, it handles both domestic and international traffic connecting the Valle del Cauca region to major hubs across the Americas. The airport plays a strategic commercial role linking Colombia's Pacific port city and its agro-industrial hinterland to the rest of the world.
- Main Terminal — A single integrated terminal building handling all domestic and international departures and arrivals, with check-in, retail, and food concessions under one roof.
- Taxi and regulated cab services available at the official rank outside arrivals
- Ride-hailing apps (InDriver, Cabify) operational from the airport area
- Intermunicipal buses connecting Palmira and Cali city centre
- Private shuttle and hotel transfer services bookable on arrival
- Car rental counters (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Localiza) inside the terminal
- Hotel Hampton by Hilton Cali
- Dann Carlton Cali
- Hotel Spiwak Chipichape Cali
- GHL Hotel Comfort San Diego
- Hotel Movich Casa del Alferez
Inside the terminal, passengers will find casual Colombian eateries, coffee shops serving locally grown Valle del Cauca coffee, and fast-food outlets sufficient for a light meal before departure. The surrounding Palmira area and the road corridor toward Cali offer roadside restaurants specialising in bandeja paisa, sancocho, and fresh fruit jugos. For a fuller dining experience, Cali's vibrant Parque del Perro and Granada neighbourhoods are worth the short drive.
- Allow at least 60–75 minutes travel time from downtown Cali due to frequent congestion on the Cali–Palmira road, especially during peak hours.
- Carry Colombian pesos in cash for taxis and smaller food stalls, as card acceptance can be inconsistent outside the terminal.
- Confirm whether your flight uses the domestic or international section of the terminal, as check-in rows are divided on the departures level.
- Cali's altitude is around 1,000 metres — much lower than Bogotá — so acclimatisation is rarely an issue, but the tropical heat can be intense; dress accordingly.
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Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport, formerly known as Palmaseca International Airport, is an international airport located between Palmira and Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. It is Colombia's fourth-busiest airport in passenger volume, with 5,600,000 people using the airport in 2016, and the third largest in area and construction. The airport often serves as the alternate airport for Bogotá - El Dorado Int'l Airport and other Colombian airports.
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