Cerrito is located on a plain on the banks of the river that bears its name, on the western slope of the Central Mountain Range.

This municipality is culturally, touristically, and economically recognized because within its jurisdiction lies Hacienda El Paraíso, the place where the events of the novel *María*, masterpiece of the Valle del Cauca writer Jorge Isaacs, took place. Part of its territory also belongs to Las Hermosas National Natural Park and the Sugar Cane Museum.