And here we are in the “White City” of Popayan, a medium-sized city known for its whitewashed buildings, many churches and a huge hill from which to enjoy a gorgeous sunset over the rooftops. Walking around the city center is pretty nice but even though there are not many other activities, here are three reasons why you should visit Popayan at least once!
Things to do
Visit the colonial churches, the main plaza and the clock tower
Around the city center, there are several churches/temples (more specifically eight), reachable by foot, all worth a quick look. The Iglesia de San Francisco, Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and la Capilla de Belén, to mention a couple. The cathedral is the most astounding and easily enough looks over the Parque Caldas just next to the Clock Tower. Don’t forget to wander around the market street just behind it to loose yourself in a chaos of small restaurants, street vendors, medieval bridges and funny locals asking you where you from.
Enjoy sunset from the top of Pirámide Cerro el Morro
After a nice city walk, there’s nothing better than finishing the day by enjoying an awesome sunset above the city’s rooftops. Just climb up to the Cerro el Morro (either take the short or long way), sit on the grass and simply take in the views. Sunset watching from above is quite a common activity among the locals: families, couples and friends all head up for a short picnic!
Visit the Tuesday Market of Silvia
At just 1h15min in bus from Popayán you can find Silvia, a small village known for its famous market. Every Tuesday, indigenous Guambiano people visit this market with their traditional dresses to buy, sell and exchange goods. Having a chance to get to know this indigenous culture of Colombia is a unique opportunity.
In the end, we kind of liked Popayan cause even though it didn’t have much to offer, it was still a nice place where to stop and relax for a while.
PLANNING A TRIP TO COLOMBIA? READ MORE POSTS BELOW!
[pt_view id=”db48597kjy”]