Popayan is a beautiful, peaceful, white washed colonial town in Southern Colombia. It's a tranquil place to spend a night or two on your way south to either Equador or to the nearby archaeological attractions at San Agustin and Tierradentro. As a university town, Popayan has a youthful feel to it, and there are many plazas and churches to explore. Most of the sites can be seen in a half day walking tour. Popayan really comes alive during Semana Santa (Easter week), and sees the largest Semana Santa celebrations in Colombia.
A tour from Popayan that one should consider is to visit the picturesque mountain town of Silvia, some 60km northeast of Popayan. This small town is best known for it's Tuesday market, which is also full of Otavalo and Guambiano Indians who come from their nearby villages (some as far away as Ecuador) on market days. The colourful indigenous market is best early in the morning. Always ask before taking photos here. There's various hotels in Silvia.
There are plenty of other travel attractions not far from Popayan, such as the very large San Francisco waterfall, which is nearby the Parque Nacional Purace. At Parque Nacional Purace one finds various sulphur baths in addition to Volcan Purace, and the area is excellent for hiking and birdwatching. The adventurous might consider climbing Volcan Purace. Nearby Pilimbala is the best base to explore this part of Colombia. Around Purace there are also the hot springs at Termales de San Juan and the cathedral town of Garzon. All these travel attractions are en route to the highlight of the area, San Agustin.
Popayan Hotels
Popayan has a range of excellent hotels, many of them housed in very old colonial buildings. The best hotel in Popayan is the Dann Carlton Monasterio Hotel - an old monastery with lovely grounds and a swimming pool. Other good hotels in Popayan include the Camino Real, La Herreria, Campobello Hostal, La Plazuela and Los Balcones Hotel. Backpackers should head for Casa Familiar Turistica.
