Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [211]
In good weather you can summit Volcán Puracé (4750m). It’s about five hours up and three hours down along a well-signposted trail, although because of the difficulty of the climb a guide is recommended – ask at the visitors center. The best time to climb is December and January; the weather from June to August can be foul. Consider spending the night before in a cabin to get an early start to the day.
To get here, take any La Plata–bound bus to the Cruce de la Mina (COP$8000, 1¼ hours). The schedule changes frequently, but there is usually a bus at 4:30am and at 10am. From here it’s a 1.5km walk uphill to the Cruce de Pilimbalá. Turn left for the visitors center (1km) or go straight to visit the sulfur mine (1.5km) – its purples and greens are like something out of a science-fiction novel, with the volcanic crater towering above. You can go 200m into the mine tunnel to a shrine to the Virgin Mary.
About 8km past the Cruce de la Mina are the Termales de San Juan (3200m), which bubble up amid an otherworldly páramo setting – spectacular. Unlike Coconuco, these thermals aren’t for bathing. It’s a 1.1km-walk from the highway along a well-marked path. There you’ll find a ranger station (often unoccupied) with bathrooms and a small shack selling hot drinks and meals.
The last bus back to Popayán passes the Cruce de la Mina at 5pm. As public transport is sketchy, this can be a difficult day trip. If you’ve got the cash, consider hiring a taxi for the day (COP$140,000). Be sure to bring a copy of your passport for the military checkpoint in the town of Puracé.
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There is hourly transport from Popayán to Coconuco (COP$3000, one hour, 31km) during the week, more on the weekends. From here jeeps depart for Agua Hirviendo (COP$1000) or Termales Aguatibia (COP$3000) when full (eight people), or take a moto-taxi (COP$3000).
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SILVIA
2 / pop 5000 / elev 2647m
A picturesque mountain town 53km northeast of Popayán, Silvia is the center of the Guambiano region. The Guambiano people don’t live in Silvia itself, but in the small mountain villages of Pueblito, La Campana, Guambia and Caciques. The whole community numbers about 12,000.
The Guambiano are considered one of the most traditional indigenous groups in Colombia. They speak their own language, dress traditionally and still use rudimentary farming techniques. They’re also excellent weavers.
On Tuesday, market day, they come to Silvia to sell their fruit, vegetables and handicrafts. This is the best time to visit the town. Almost all the Guambiano come in traditional dress; men in blue skirts with a pink fringe and bowler hats, the women in hand-woven garments and beaded necklaces, busily spinning wool. They come in chivas and tend to congregate around the main plaza. They don’t like cameras, and will get aggressive if you take their picture.
The market begins at dawn and goes until the early afternoon. It is not a tourist market – fruit and vegetables, raw meat, discount clothing and shoes dominate – but you may find a poncho or sweater that takes your fancy.
From the main plaza, walk uphill to the church for 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside (also handy for getting great shots of the market if you have a telephoto lens).
Silvia attracts weekend tourists from Cali looking to cool off, and there are numerous hotels in town if you decide to stay, plus one disco.
Buses depart Popayán roughly every hour (COP$5000, 1½ hours), with extra early morning services on Tuesdays.
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SAN AGUSTÍN
8 / pop 30,000 / elev 1695m
Five thousand years ago, two primitive cultures lived in the adjacent river valleys of the Magdalena and the Cauca. Divided by uncrossable peaks, the rivers were their highways, and here, near San Agustín, within several days march of each other, lie the headwaters of both rivers. It is here that those two civilizations met to trade, to worship, and to bury their dead.
The volcanic rocks thrown great distances by the now-extinct nearby volcanoes