Popayan

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Amid rolling foothills at the southern end of Valle del Cauca, Popaya is a small gem. Know at the “Cuidad Blanca” for the stunning uniformity of its chalk-white facades, it is second only to Cartagena as Colombia’s most impressive colonial city. Founded in 1536 by Sebastian de Belalcazar, after a ferocious extermination campaign against the Pubenza Indians, an agricultural and wearing community which did not yield to the Invaders. Its privileged geographical position between Cartagena to the north and Quito to the south permitted Popayan to play a fundamental role during colonial times. As a result Popayan is one of the most traditional and aristocratic cities in Colombia and one of its main architectural jewels. Its mild climate also attracted wealthy Spanish families from the sugar hacienda of the hot Cali region. In the 17^th century they began building mansions, schools and several imposing churches and monasteries. Fortunately Cali overtook Popayan as the region’s capital in the early 20^th century, so the Cuidad Blanca was never bulldozed to make way for modernity. Much of the city’s historic fabric was seriously damaged by a violent earthquake in 1983, moments before the much celebrated Maundy Thursday was set to depart. The difficult and costly restoration was carried out over the next two decades, ad the results are truly admirable – little damage is visible today.

Apart from its beauty, Popayan is a clean and tranquil city. All of Popayan’s sites are concentrated in the compact colonial centre. The Iglesia San Francisco is the city’s largest colonial church and one of the most beautiful. Inside are a fine high altar and a collection of seven unique fine altars. Other colonial churches include Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Iglesia de San Jose and Iglesia La Ermita, which is Popayan’s oldest church (1546).

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Tip of the day

Bus from Cali to Popayan: $12,000, 3 hours, ($18,000, 2h30 by big taxi)

Churches in Popayan open only at 8 am and around 5 pm.

Taxi from Bus station to city centre is $3000.

Lunch at Hotel Camino Real, 6 courses meal at $36,000, nice setting, good food

The Arte Café has interesting displays of art and sometimes concert.

We stayed at Hotel La Plazuela (hotellaplazuela@hotmail.com), in a beautiful, white washed mansion with a lovely courtyard, 55 usd for a double. Calle 5# 8-13. Do not stay at the rooms overlooking the street (very noisy).

The Hotel Dann Monasterio is also nice but overpriced (95 usd a double)

Comments

[Barbara]

These are beautiful photographs of Colombia! Thank you for including Silvia and the Guambianos! It looks like very little has changed since I lived there, during the 1970's! This is a fabulous blog...peace out...Barbara