Pasto

A highland city at the foot of Galeras Volcano, home to the UNESCO-listed Blacks and Whites Carnival, with Laguna de la Cocha, Azufral's Laguna Verde and Las Lajas Sanctuary nearby.

Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of Nariño Department in southwestern Colombia. It sits in the Andean Atriz Valley at about 2,500 m, backed by the still-active Galeras Volcano, roughly 80 km from the Ecuadorian border. Founded in 1537, the city has many colonial-era churches and is nicknamed the "Theological City". The Blacks and Whites Carnival (Carnaval de Negros y Blancos), held every year on January 2–7, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009 and is famous nationwide for its giant floats and city-wide daubing of black and white paint. The climate is cool year-round, around 12–20°C by day and chilly at night; June–September is relatively dry and good for hiking and the lakes, while October–December and March–May are wetter. A visit splits into three parts: downtown, with Plaza de Nariño, the Cathedral, the Church of San Juan Bautista, the Church of La Merced, the Gold Museum and the Carnival Museum, all walkable in a day; Laguna de la Cocha, about 25 km southeast, where you can take a boat across the lake, visit La Corota Island and eat rainbow trout in El Encano; and day trips to Las Lajas Sanctuary in a gorge near Ipiales, about 80 km south, to the green crater lake of Azufral Volcano, about 50 km southwest, or to Sandoná, known for its Panama hats. Getting there: Antonio Nariño Airport, about 35 km north of the city, has flights to and from Bogotá and Cali; long-distance buses connect with Cali, Popayán and Ecuador. Plan on 3–4 days. Note that highland temperatures swing widely between day and night, so bring a jacket; the Galeras summit is often closed depending on the volcano's activity level, so check notices from the national parks authority; and book accommodation well ahead for the carnival.

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