Getting to and From Popayán

Transportation

Minibuses ply the narrow streets of Popayan ($0.65); catch Transpubenza Ruta 5 from Calle 8 and Carrera 6 for the bus terminal or airport (one block away). Taxis cost about $3.

Bus

Traveling the hairpinning Ipiales-Popayán highway in a mini-van or other small vehicle can provoke motion sickness, even in those not prone to such. The bus terminal is a 15-minute walk from downtown. It has a luggage keep, restaurants, internet, phones, bathrooms and ATM (Visa, Plus, Mastercard, Cirrus).

To Silvia: Sotrancauca--Sunday, Tuesday 9 a.m., daily noon; $2.35; 1.25 hours.

To Puracé: Cootranshuila--noon; $3.15; 1 hour. Sotrancauca--4:30 a.m., 6:45 a.m., 2:30 p.m.; $2.65; 1 hour.

To Tierradentro: Sotrancauca--10:30 a.m.; $7.90; 5 hours. You can also catch a bus going to La Plata and get off at Cruce de Pisimbalá, a.k.a. Cruce de San Andres.

To Coconuco: Sotrancauca--hourly 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; $1.60; 1.5 hours.

To San Agustín: Cootranshuila--6 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.; $13.10; 6 hours.

To Tumaco: Transipiales--10 p.m., 11 p.m.; $23.70; 11 hours.

To Cali: Cootranar--hourly 10 a.m.-5 a.m.; $5.30; 2.5 hours. Transipiales--hourly 12:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; $5.30; 2 hours. Magdalena--hourly, 6 a.m.-midnight; $6.30; 2 hours. Sotrancauca--hourly; $5.30; 2 hours.

To Medellin: Bolivariano--6 p.m., 11 p.m.; $30.50; 12 hours. Magdalena--8 p.m., midnight; $28.40; 11 hours.

To Bogota: Bolivariano--4 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m.; 68,000P; 12 hours. Magdalena--7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.; 65,000P; 12 hours.

To Pasto and Ipiales: Frequent buses with several companies; for details, see those cities.

>From Popayán, you can also travel overland to Pitalito, Puerto Asís, Mocoa, Timbío, Neiva and other points.

Air

The airport is behind the bus terminal, about a 20-minute walk from the center. Avianca has direct flights to Bogotá, with connections to anyplace else in Colombia or the world (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Carrera 5 3-85, Tel: 09-2-824-3379 / 315-463-3343, Fax: 09-2-824-4505, E-mail: agventasspn@avianca.com). Satena flies daily to Bogotá and Medellín, and twice-weekly to Guapi and Cali (Viajes Paletra/Satena: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. Carrera 9 4-14, Tel: 09-2-822-0217 / 823-6728, Web: www.viajespaletara.mimejorsitio.com).