Highlights of Southern Colombia

By Lorraine Caputo

Here are just a few of the attractions awaiting you in southern Colombia:

· Parque Nacional Puracé—Breathtaking landscapes with wild *páramo*, nearly a dozen volcanoes and thermal springs—all at over 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) altitude. Keep an eye out for the elusive spectacled bear!

· San Agustín—These forests of statues, silent witnesses to the great nation that had made them over a thousand years ago, yet guard the verdant valleys laced with waterfalls and caverns through which you can spend hours and days walking.

· Tierradentro—Spectacularly painted subterranean burial chambers scatter across the hilltops of this remote region of southern Colombia. The trip may be a bit arduous and the services quite basic, but well worth it.

· Popayán—*La Ciudad Blanca*, the White City, is a wonderful example of Andalusia-Mozarab colonial architecture. Heavily damaged by a 1983 earthquake, the city has been lovingly restored to its original splendor.

· Santuario Nuestra Señora de las Lajas—A spectacular neo-Gothic church spans the Guáitra River gorge just outside Ipiales. No, you don't have to be an Ecuadorian or Colombian pilgrim to visit.