Cartago, Valle del Cauca

For other uses, see Cartago (disambiguation).

Cartago (Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾˈtaɣo]) is a city in southwestern Colombia, about 187 miles (301 km) west of Bogotá. It is in the extreme northern portion of the Valle del Cauca. It is located very close to the city of Pereira, Risaralda about a 20-minute drive. It is the sixth largest city in Valle after Cali, Palmira, Buenaventura, Tuluá and Jamundí.^[1] Per the 2018 Colombian census, Cartago's population was 142,902.^[2][3][4]

Cartago
Municipality and city
Aerial view of Cartago with the Cathedral of Cartago to the left side.
Flag Seal
Location of the municipality and town of Cartago, Colombia in the Valle del Cauca Department of Colombia.
Cartago Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 4°42′N 75°55′W
Country	Colombia
Department	Valle del Cauca Department
Founded	1540
Area
• Total	279 km2 (108 sq mi)
Elevation	917 m (3,009 ft)
Population  (2023 est.)
• Total	142,902
• Density	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Demonym	Cartagüeño
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Area code	57 + 2
Climate	Af
Website	cartago.gov.co (in Spanish)

Overview

Cartago features warm weather with an average of 24°C, Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 20°C (67°F) to 29°C (84°F) and is rarely below 19°C (66°F) or above 31°C (88°F).^[5] The city is home to multiple farmhouses and farm owners, recreational sites, discos and condos frequented by people coming from Pereira.

Education

The University of Valle has a branch campus in Cartago. The main Universidad del Valle campus is based in Cali, the department capital. The Cartago branch campus address is located at Calle 10 N° 19–05. Private institutions include the Instituto Técnico Colombiano, INTEC Cartago and Sena Institute.

Culture

Artesanías (handcrafted products) are sold in several roadside shop in the city.

Left: Conquistador Jorge Robledo, founder of the city. Right: Monument to the Sun, La Isleta Park.

An 1856 watercolor of a Castizo couple in a roadside shop by Manuel María Paz is an early depiction of Cartago.^[6] Afro Colombians also resided in the town at that time.^[7]

Festivals include:

• Pedro Morales Pino Festival of Andean Colombian Music (Spanish: Festival de Música Andina Colombiana Pedro Morales Pino) (February 4-March 4)—commenced in 2013 on the occasion of Morales Pino's sesquicentennial, a prominent local Bandola virtuoso, and organized by the local conservatory that bears his name.^[8][9]
• Feria de diseño independiente LAS PULGAS, organized by 3 VECES. (March and December)
• Encuentro Nacional de las Familias que Cantan, organized by EL CONSERVATORIO PEDRO MORALES PINO (July)

Transportation

Santa Ana Airport. Cartago, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

• Santa Ana Airport
• Matecaña International Airport, serves the nearby city of Pereira
• Cartago has an extensive network for taxis in the city, as well as minibuses (called busetas).

Notable people

• Billy Pontoni – singer
• Franco Family – doctors and architects

Climate

Climate data for La Virginia[a], elevation 970 m (3,180 ft), (1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30.6 (87.1)	31.0 (87.8)	30.6 (87.1)	29.9 (85.8)	29.6 (85.3)	29.7 (85.5)	30.3 (86.5)	30.7 (87.3)	30.5 (86.9)	29.5 (85.1)	29.2 (84.6)	29.6 (85.3)	30.1 (86.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	24.1 (75.4)	24.3 (75.7)	24.2 (75.6)	23.9 (75.0)	23.8 (74.8)	23.9 (75.0)	24.1 (75.4)	24.4 (75.9)	23.9 (75.0)	23.4 (74.1)	23.4 (74.1)	23.7 (74.7)	23.9 (75.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19.1 (66.4)	19.3 (66.7)	19.3 (66.7)	19.5 (67.1)	19.5 (67.1)	19.1 (66.4)	18.8 (65.8)	18.7 (65.7)	18.8 (65.8)	18.9 (66.0)	19.1 (66.4)	19.1 (66.4)	19.1 (66.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	109.3 (4.30)	105.7 (4.16)	176.0 (6.93)	210.5 (8.29)	247.2 (9.73)	148.4 (5.84)	131.0 (5.16)	122.2 (4.81)	161.3 (6.35)	184.6 (7.27)	216.7 (8.53)	139.4 (5.49)	1,952.3 (76.86)
Average precipitation days	13	13	17	20	20	17	14	13	16	20	20	16	197
Average relative humidity (%)	74	73	75	78	80	78	74	72	74	77	78	77	76
Mean monthly sunshine hours	198.4	166.6	170.5	141.0	148.8	150.0	182.9	186.0	162.0	151.9	156.0	179.8	1,993.9
Mean daily sunshine hours	6.4	5.9	5.5	4.7	4.8	5.0	5.9	6.0	5.4	4.9	5.2	5.8	5.5
Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales[10]

Notes

1. La Virginia is located approximately 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) north of Cartago.