Cauca River Valley

Valle del Cauca is one of the thirty-two departments that make up the Republic of Colombia. It covers a territory that goes from the Pacific coast and continues eastward passing the Western Cordillera, the valley of the Cauca River to the Central Cordillera, where it reaches the limits with the department of Tolima.

The Cauca River Valley was once inhabited by indigenous groups such as the "Gorrones", "Petecuy", "Bugas", "Aguales", "Iscuándes", "Noamanes", "Catios", "Calocotos", "Jamundíes ", "Lilies", "Quinchas", "Quimbayas" and "Los Yumbos". Its members came mostly from the Caribe family, while a few originated from Andean indigenous groups. Spanish colonial-era documents state that the population of these indigenous communities approached one million.