The city of San Sebastian de Tulcán is a drab border city, which you are most likely to use only as a crossing point into Colombia. Because natural disasters destroyed most colonial architecture, it is composed mainly of featureless modern buildings, and the sole interesting attraction of the city is its topiary garden. A regional culture museum is due to open in the former customs building on the Rumichaca bridge in the summer of 2009.

The border into Colombia is best crossed during daytime, so if you need to stay overnight in Tulcán, there are plenty of hotels to choose from. The very cheap options tend to be a bit dreary, but if you can’t afford the better places like Sara Espindola or Machado, the Unicornio and the España are clean and reasonably-priced alternatives. Eating options are limited to chifas and cheap chicken places, but a few Colombian restaurants offer variety, unless you prefer to sit down at a market stall.

Nonetheless, the rolling pasture land around the city is pretty and worth taking a small detour through if you have the time, for example to visit the Aguas Hediondas hot springs.

Population: 80,000

Altitude: 2950m