El Cerrito

El Cerrito is a municipality in Valle del Cauca located 47 kilometres east of Cali, with an area of 437 km² and an altitude of 987 metres above sea level. Established as a municipality on 30 August 1864, its territory is home to Hacienda El Paraíso, the setting of Jorge Isaacs's famous novel 'María' (1867), a literary icon of Spanish American Romanticism that attracts thousands of cultural visitors each year. The municipality is also considered the birthplace of the Colombian sugar industry, being the place where the first significant mills were established in the 19th century.

El Cerrito's economy is underpinned by Ingenio Providencia, sugar cane, grape, maize and tropical flower cultivation, as well as rural tourism. Its water network — composed of the Amaime, Cauca, Cerrito and Zabaletas rivers — and its transitional landscape between the flat valley and the Central Cordillera offer a privileged environment for outdoor physical activities, supporting its participation in ACES América citizen sport programmes.