Nariño is a department characterized by having 13 subregions, which comprise a population of 1,631 million inhabitants in 64 municipalities and where half of its population resides in the center-east of the department, in the south-west of Colombia, in the middle of the mountain range of the Andes in the mountainous massif called Nudo de los Pastos, which is where its capital, San Juan de Pasto, is located.
In the department of Nariño, the first thing you should do is get to know its capital, Pasto. This Nariño city can be your point of arrival because it has its bus terminal and an airport for domestic flights. In it, there are tourist sites such as the Carnival Museum, which houses giant figures used in the celebration parades of the Black and White Carnival, the colonial Temple of San Juan Bautista, and the central Plaza Nariño among many more.
The towns of Nariño are also identified for having the basins of the Atrato, San Juan, and Baudó rivers that are mostly covered by equatorial jungle with branches of the Western and Central mountain ranges. The climate in most of the towns of Nariño to visit is temperate semi-arid in the north of the department of Nariño, while in the surroundings of the southern parts of Pasto, very cold humid, and semi-humid climates predominate, which is the mountainous part.
Something very attractive for tourism in the towns near Pasto is places like the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, Laguna De La Cocha, the Galeras Volcano, the Azufral Volcano, the Laguna Verde, the Sanctuary of Flora Isla de La Corota, the Cumbal Volcano, Morro Beach, Pasto Historic Center, Ipiales Cathedral and the Rumichaca International Bridge.
In addition to a wealth of customs such as carnivals, they are widespread in the department of Nariño, mainly the Black and White Andean Carnival that is celebrated in Pasto and some neighboring municipalities, but it is not on the same date.
So that you can get to know what this beautiful department has to offer you, we have left you a tour of the towns that we consider the best tourist towns in Nariño that have their own “charm”, enjoy an excellent climate and you will find with a gastronomic and historical wealth.
Ipiales
Start populating in Nariño traveling to Ipiales, this town is a religious tourism town, with beautiful green sunsets, that is why it is also called the “city of green clouds” and it is also the highest city in Colombia
Ipiales is located in the south of the department of Nariño, on the border with Ecuador and 1 hour and 25 minutes from San Juan de Pasto (82 km). Ipiales is one of the towns to visit in Nariño with a cold climate with an average temperature of 16 degrees Celsius; But what makes its visitors fall in love with its religious temples such as the San Pedro Mártir Cathedral, the Church of the Miraculous Medal and the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de las Lajas located 7 km from the town.
As for tourism in the municipality of Ipiales, you can enjoy the Multicolor Carnival of the Border and the Festival of the Virgen de las Lajas. It is for all this that for many travelers, Ipiales is considered "The most beautiful town in Nariño".
Tuquerres
This town is an important town for commerce within the department, it also highlights the beauty of its landscapes in its surroundings and the gastronomy typical of the southern Andean lands.
Túquerres is part of the beautiful town of Nariño near Pasto since it is located in the south of the department and only 72 kilometers from the capital. It has a cold climate with a temperature of 8°C during most of the year and is characterized by the Azufral Volcano with its Green Lagoon at the top, which is considered one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world.
In addition to the historical beauty of the town, Túquerres is also striking for its village festivities such as the Carnival of Blacks and Whites of Túquerres with the Festival of Andean Music and Andean Dances on January 3 and the Entrance of the Cucas Remo Family to Túquerres on January 4.
Tumaco
It is located in the southwest of Nariño, near the border with Ecuador, with access to the Pacific Ocean and at a distance of 275 km from Pasto (5 hours by car) and is one of the most important in the department because it is a coastal island town with a lot of flavor, joy and maritime landscapes that is also called the "Pearl of the Colombian Pacific".
It is considered a small town with a humid tropical climate with an average ambient temperature of 28° C. It is very popular with tourism in Colombia due to its Afro-Colombian population, its landscapes such as Tumaco Bay, the mouth of the Mira River, Cape Manglares, the Morro Bridge, and its beaches such as Bocagrande beach, and Morro beach with the imposing natural arch.
Tumaco has its festivals like the Carnival of Fire in March.
Buesaco
Buesaco is one of the towns in Nariño closest to Pasto that you should visit. It is an old indigenous town fortunate to have the Juanambú River to the north of the municipality.
It is located to the north of Pasto and at a distance of only 38 km (60 minutes of travel), which is why its climate is warm and cold with a maximum temperature of 26° C. Buesaco is a town with tourist attractions such as the Juanambú Canyon that has nature trails for trekking and also water activities on the riverbank such as kayaking, canoeing, and swimming in the river or natural pools.
Buesaco, as one of the tourist towns in Nariño, has its festivals, so a good time to go is for the Red Carnival on January 7th.
Tourist places in Nariño
The most attractive thing about this department is the sites and places that are located in the surroundings of Pasto or near the city, we will mention them below.
Cocha Lagoon
Laguna de la Cocha is the second largest natural body of water in Colombia. It is located just 40 minutes from Pasto and there is a colorful pier with restaurants.
La Corota Island
The Isla de La Corota fauna and flora sanctuary is located 50 minutes from the capital of Nariño and is the protected area smallest of the system of National Natural Parks of Colombia.
Juanambú Canyon
It is located in the Cañón de Juanambú Park on the banks of the river that bears his name. It is a place surrounded by a lot of nature with a lot of historical and cultural value.
Our Lady of Las Lajas Sanctuary
It is a Gothic-style church located over the Guáitara river canyon at 2,900 meters above sea level. It is located 18 minutes from the municipality of Ipiales and 2 hours from Pasto.
Green Lagoon
Laguna Verde is a lake located in the volcanic cone of the Azufral volcano. It is located two hours from Pasto and belongs to the municipality of Túquerres.
Galeras Volcano
Another of the tourist sites in Nariño is the Galeras volcano. It is the most active volcano in the country and is located 9 km from Pasto.
Cumbal Volcano
The Cumbal volcano or Nevado de Cumbal is a stratovolcano located in the municipality of Cumbal and is located 2 hours and 40 minutes from the city of Pasto, at a distance of 79 km.
The Morro beaches in Tumaco
This municipality is called the Pearl of the Pacific. Although it is 5 hours from Pasto, it is a beach and sea destination that you must visit in Nariño. Its population is mostly Afro-Colombian and the main tourist attractions in Tumaco are the Morro beaches.
Sanquianga Park
The Sanquianga National Natural Park is a large mangrove ecosystem located on the Colombian Pacific coast, northwest of the department of Nariño near Tumaco.
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