Getting to and From Popayán

Minibuses ply the narrow streets of Popayán ($0.75); catch Transpubenza Ruta 5 from Calle 8 and Carrera 6 for the bus terminal or airport (one block away). Taxis cost about $5.

By 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; 1.25 hr, $4)

To Puracé: 1 hour, $5-6—Cootranshuila (noon), Sotrancauca (3 daily)

To Tierradentro: Sotrancauca (10:30 a.m., 5 hr, $10). You can also catch a bus going to La Plata and get off at Cruce de Pisimbalá, a.k.a. Cruce de San Andrés.

To Coconuco: Sotrancauca (hourly 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 1.5 hr, $4-5)

To San Agustín: Cootranshuila (4 daily, 6 hr, $17)

To Tumaco: most leave mid-afternoon and evening, 11 hours, $25-30—Transipiales (3 buses), Cootranar (3 buses). Also collective taxis ($44-50).

To Cali: hourly departures, 2-2.5 hours, $8-10—Cootranar, Transipiales, Magdalena, Sotrancauca

To Medellín: 10 hours, $28-32—Bolivariano (2 afternoon, 1 night bus), Magdalena (2 afternoon buses)

To Bogotá: buses leave 4-10 p.m., 12 hours, $35-42—Bolivariano (4 buses), Magdalena (2 buses) and other companies.

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.

By Air

The airport is behind the bus terminal, about a 20-minute walk from the center. Avianca has direct flights to Bogotá twice daily ($190-205), 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, URL: www.avianca.com).