From Wikitravel

Pasto is a city in the southwest of Colombia.

City of the South Colombian West, with a population superior to the 400000 inhabitants and capital of the department of Nariño. Pasto is one of the oldest cities of Colombia, located in the Atriz Valley, in the middle of the Mountain range of the Andes in the Naked denominated mountainous bulk of the Pasto on the foot of Galeras volcano . Region mountainous and surrounded by several indigenous towns.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Culture 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By car 3.3 By bus 4 Places to visit 5 See 5.1 Churches 5.2 Museums 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Weather

Understand

Pasto is a city where different cultures are mixed. The dominant one, without a doubt, is the Andean culture. Unequivocal evidence of this is the Carnival of Blacks and Whites, in which pastusos celebrate with colors and joy the incredible richness of their culture . The city is located in the Atriz Valley, at the foot of the Galeras Volcano, which can be observed from any angle of the city. Pasto is a very religious city, with beatiful temples that certainly represent the architectural wealth of the city. Some of them are very ancient and have been mixed with the modern and colonial styles symoultaneously. Artcrafts are an important tradition in Pasto, from which the so-called Pasto varnish is the most well-known. Leather, ceramics, and wooden products also consitute the historical and cultural legacy of the city.

Culture

• Carnival of Blacks and Whites, January 2nd-7th

The Carnival of Backs and Whites has been declared as cultural patrimony of the nation, by the congress of the Republic of Colombia in April 2002. It takes place in Pasto between the 2nd and the 7th of January every year. The most important events are those of the 5th and 6th of January, which correspond to the day of Blacks and the day of Whites, respectively. These two are also preceded by the traditional parade of the Castaneda family (January 4th). Other types of celebrations have been recently added to the carnival in order to encourage people's participation in a variety of feasts. At the moment they have become an inescapable reference in the calendar of Colombian celebrations and they attract a considerable number of tourists from several parts of the world. The parade of floats and the traditional dances on the streets of Pasto are without a doubt the highlight of the carnival!

Get in

By plane

Antonio Nariño Airport (Flights to Bogota and Cali)

By car

Pasto is connected with paved roads, as Panamerican to the rest of the country.

By bus

Direct buses from Bogota, Cali, Popayan, and Ipiales (close to the Ecuadorian border). Connections are easy to make in any of these cities for any further destinations.

Places to visit

• La Cocha Lake

Located at 20 km from Pasto and 2,800 over the sea level, la Cocha Lake offers the most wonderful landscape of mountains, colors and water. It is 20km long and 5km wide. The ethimology of "La Cocha" originates in Quechua, meaning lagoon. It is also known as Guamués Lake. The lake encounters several obstacles such as the Encano River. In 2000 and by means of Decree 698 of the 18 of April, the lake was registered as a landmark of international importance within the Ramsar agreement, being the first with this qualification in the Andean zone. The tourists can visit by boat one of its islands, from which "La Corota" is the one that stands out the most, due to its "Santuario de Flora y Fauna" (administrated by the University of Nariño).

• Galeras Volcano

Located at 9 km from Pasto between the limits of the central mountain range and the Patía River, the volcano reaches 4,276 meters over the sea level. You can hike along the volcano or you can also go by car on a route speeds up your way to the summit considerably. The volcano is active at the moment, so a guide will always be required. The ash that comes out of the volcano creates an incomparable ladscape, but it can be dangerous at close distances.

See

Churches

• "Cristo Rey" St.20 # 24-64
• "La Catedral"
• "San Juan Bautista" St 18 # 25

Museums

• "Museo Alfonso Zambrano" St 20 23-90 flour 5
• "Museo Antropológico del Banco Popular" St 19 # 23-90

Buy

• "Artesanías de Colombia S.A" Cr 19 # 26-66
• "Artesanías Jaramillo" Commercial center "Bombona"
• "La Casa del Barniz de Pasto" St 13 # 24-92

Eat

• Cuy or Conejillo de Indias. Animal of the Cavia sort and Porcellus species used in the department of Nariño and specially in its capital, Pasto, as nutritional source. With a high protein content 21%, and a low fat content, this animal is the typical and favorite dish of Pastusos. In Pasto the guinea pig is mainly fed with grass, and sometimes with concentrate. The cooking procedures for the traditional cuy is the roasted guinea pig, and it is obtained in different restaurants in the city or places nearby.
• Frito
• Empanadas: These are made of fermented-corn dough. In all Nariño, especially in the Andean zone, they can be filled with meat, rice and green beans. The texture of the dough gives them their characteristic sharp flavor.
• Quimbolitos
• Juanesca

Restaurants

• "Asadero de Cuyes Pinzon" Crr 40#19B-763, 7313228
• "Casa Vasca" St 12A # 29-10 San Ignacio Neighborhood, Tel 7230242
• "Gualcacuy" Av Panamericana # 19-66 tel 7222093
• "Juanambú" St 25 # 17-83, tel 7235216
• "La Cabaña" St 16 # 25-20, Tel 723862
• "Sausalito" St 35A # 20-63, Tel 7230908

Drink

• Chicha
• Guarapo
• Hervidos = fruit juice + aguardiente
• Aguardiente, Nariño
• Ron

Sleep

• Koala-Inn, Calle 18 No 22-37, is set in a old mansion. It offers spacious rooms for COP$12.000 per person.
• Agualongo Hotel Crr 25#17-83, 7235216, hagualongo@col2.telecom.com.co A.A 313
• Morasurco Hotel Avenida de los Estudiantes, hmorasurco@occinet.net.co
• Don Saul Hotel, Calle 17#23-52, 7230622. A.A 615
• Cuellar`s Hotel, Crr 23#15-50, hcuellar@col2.telecom.com.co
• Chambú Hotel, Crr 20#16-74, 7213129-7213645
• Metropol Hotel Calle 15#21-41, 7212498
• Dorado Hotel Calle 16A#23-42, 7233629

Weather

• Average Temperature: 14ºC
• Annual average precipitation: 700 mmts
• Altitude: 2527 meters over the sea level
• Humidity: 88% aproximately

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