Cauca
A mountainous southwestern department with the "White City" of Popayán, the Tierradentro tombs and diverse Indigenous cultures.
Cauca lies in southwestern Colombia, spanning the Andes and extending to the Pacific coast. Its capital, Popayán, is known for its white colonial architecture; its Holy Week processions are inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and it is also a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Tierradentro National Archaeological Park, famed for its painted pre-Columbian underground burial chambers, is a World Heritage Site. At Silvia's Tuesday market you can see the Misak Indigenous people, and Puracé National Park has volcanoes and high-altitude páramo. In the Pacific, Gorgona Island National Park is good for diving and whale watching. The security situation in some areas is complex, so check ahead. Popayán has an airport, and you can also travel there by road from Cali.