Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [218]
Ciber C@fe PC Rent ( 723 8298; Calle 18A No 25-36; per hr COP$1600; 8am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm Sat, 2-6pm Sun) Internet access.
Shirakaba Money Exchange ( 723 9890; Calle 18 No 24-73) Yellow building on Plaza de Nariño.
Tourist office (Oficina Departmental de Turismo de Nariño; 723 4962; www.emprendecaminoconoceanarino.com; Calle 18 No 25-25) Just off Plaza de Nariño. Run by knowledgeable staff during the week and tourist police on the weekend.
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Sights & Activities
On Pasto’s main square, Iglesia de San Juan Bautista dates from the city’s first days; it was rebuilt in the mid-17th century. Grand outside and gold-encrusted inside, it is a fine example of colonial baroque architecture.
For insight into the pre-Columbian cultures of Nariño, check out the Museo del Oro ( 721 9108; Calle 19 No 21-27; admission free; 8:30am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri), which has a small but interesting collection of indigenous gold and pottery.
The Museo Taminango de Artes y Tradiciones ( 723 5539; Calle 13 No 27-67; admission COP$1000; 8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) has a hodgepodge of antiques but is worth seeing since it’s housed in a meticulously restored casona (large house) from 1623, reputedly the oldest surviving house in town.
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Sleeping
Koala Inn ( 722 1101; Calle 18 No 22-37; s/d COP$20,000/30,000, without bathroom COP$14,000/25,000) Founded in 1992 by an Australian, this basic cheapie has been in Colombian hands for many years. The hot water (a necessity in chilly Pasto) is intermittent, the toilets have no seats, the streetside rooms are noisy, the staff can’t be relied on for tourist advice, and the hotel uses a floor wax that smells like a chemical factory.
Hotel San Sebastian ( 721 8851; Carrera 22 No 15-78; s/d/tr COP$30,000/47,000/64,000) Of the many cheap hotels that cluster in the center, this is the best value. Rooms have hot water and cable TV, and are clean. The hotel is on the third and fourth floor of the building. There’s lots of budget competition nearby if it’s full.
Hotel El Dorado ( 723 3260; hoteleldoradopasto@hotmail.com; Calle 16A No 23-42, Pasaje Dorado; s COP$85,000-115,000, d COP$110,000-140,000; ) Midway down a small, narrow market alley is this quiet midrange option – look for the glass double doors. The lobby vaults high to a glass ceiling, and the four floors have rooms without exterior windows, which makes for a restful slumber. A breezy rooftop lounge has great views of the surrounding hills.
Loft Hotel ( 722 6733; www.lofthotelpasto.com; Calle 18 No 22-33; d incl breakfast COP$140,000-195,000, ste incl breakfast COP$168,000-270,000; ) This luxurious, minimalist spot has everything you could possibly want, except for a window or a view. Expect plush leather furniture, shiny new wooden floors, and king-size beds. There’s even a sauna and day spa to beat the Pasto chill.
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Eating
Salón Guadalquivir ( 723 9604; Plaza de Nariño; snacks COP$3000-10,000; 8am-12:30pm & 2:30-7:30pm Mon-Sat) This cozy cafe serves classic pastuso treats, including quimbilito (a sweet pastry of raisin, vanilla and sweet corn) and tamales de añejo (the Pasto version of tamales). The walls are lined with posters from the annual Carnaval de Blancos y Negros (below).
La Merced ( 723 8830; Carrera 22 No 17-37; mains COP$6000-50,000; 7am-10pm) This big bustling cafeteria is hugely popular, and does everything from hamburgers to lobster. It offers an everchanging roster of daily specials (COP$12,500 to COP$14,000). The streetside bakery sells the obligatory strawberries ’n’ cream, plus pizzas from COP$15,000.
Caffeto ( 729 2720; www.krkcaffeto.com; Calle 19 No 25-62; mains COP$8000-18,000; 8am-9pm Mon-Sat) This fancy-schmancy bakery does gourmet sandwiches, omelettes and salads served on unusual crockery. The cakes are stupendous, and it does enormous ice-cream sundaes and serves real espresso coffee. Enough to satisfy even the most jaded traveler’s inner yuppie.
Asadero de Cuyes Pinzon ( 731 3228; Carrera 40 No 19B-76, Palermo;