The La Babilla wetland is located in the south of Cali, in commune 22, and is the natural habitat of species of fish, birds and some babillas that give rise to its name.
In 1958, with the creation of the Ciudad Jardín neighborhood, the construction company Cuellar Serrano Gómez y Salazar, Cusezar, adapted the area with the purpose of collecting most of the groundwater in the sector, creating an ecosystem that has two bodies of water.
This space is part of one of the most important environmental corridors in Cali: the relict Zanjón del Burro forest, which is home to a large number of trees and plants typical of the region. Its beautiful vegetation includes palms, samanes, totumos, reeds, ceibas and bamboos and among the species of animals that inhabit it are reptiles and amphibians such as frogs, babillas, iguanas, lizards and turtles.
Around 80 different species of birds such as herons, tanagers, kingfishers, critters, pellares and tiles have also been sighted, and mammals such as squirrels, guatines, bats, opossums and armadillos can be found.
In the month of wetlands, the Administrative Department of Environmental Management, Dagma, wants to highlight this mirror of water and its valuable connection with a fragment of natural forest that allows the flow and exchange of plant and animal species and that has become in a place of rest and contemplation to breathe fresh air and connect with nature.
La Babilla wetland is visited by tourists throughout the year thanks to its tranquility and beauty to carry out various activities, such as picnics by the lake or in the grass area, photo sessions, animal watching, hiking and walking, with some restrictions. They only want to preserve it. There is no cost to enter and it is open to the public 7 days a week.