Things to do in Pasto

San Juan de Pasto is a city founded on April 4, 1537, by Lorenzo de Aldana. Characterized by having 12 communes, which in turn are subdivided into a total of 557 neighborhoods and comprise a population of 392,000 inhabitants.

This metropolis of old colonial buildings has the Antonio Nariño Airport located 27 kilometers from the city in Chachagüí if you want to travel by plane, a bus terminal located to the south by the Plaza de Mercado El Potrerillo if you want get to Pasto by bus, local public buses as a transportation system, and 13 kilometers to ride a bike around the city.

Pasto is a city to live in Colombia because in addition to offering essential places to go, see or visit; It is recognized for being an Andean city with extensive historical and architectural wealth such as museums, temples, majestic landscapes, and incredible natural reserves due to its proximity to the Galeras volcano. As well as traditions such as the Carnival of Blacks and Whites that takes place from January 2 to 6. But especially, for its cozy climate, since the climate in San Juan de Pasto during most of the year is cold with an average temperature of 12 °C.

Now as for the beautiful places in Pasto, they are identified as having many facets since you can do different types of tourism. For example, something very attractive in religious and historical tourism is visiting beautiful places in Pasto where you can take photos without any problem, some of the main ones are the Plaza de Nariño, the San Felipe Church, the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Cathedral and the Iglesia de Saint John the Baptist.

Another of the good plans in Pasto to do in one day is to walk through landscapes or parks such as the Laguna de la Cocha, the Sanctuary of Flora Isla de La Corota, the Chapalito Park, the Galeras volcano, the Laguna Verde, the Laguna Negra, the Cañon de Juanambú Park, Lake Cumbal, the Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna Galeras, the Owl Reserve and the Azufral volcano. Most of these tourist sites in Pasto require little money to get to know them.

Other attractions in Pasto that you should visit to spend the day are the museums, some of the most important are the Nariño Gold Museum, the Black and White Carnival Museum of Pasto (Pandiaco Cultural Center), the Taminango and the Juan Lorenzo Lucero Museum.

Also, if you are more into plans to do in Pasto at night and you like to travel alone or go out as a couple, you should know some emblematic places in Pasto to go at night. Some recommended ones are the Plaza del Carnaval and the Plazuela de Rumipamba. But if you are one of those who prefer to travel with the family, among the beautiful places in Pasto to go with children the Bolívar Park, the Chimayoy Environmental Center, the Historic Center of Pasto, and the Children's Park.

Before traveling to this marvelous city and living experiences in some tourist places in Pasto, we recommend that you learn about the wealth of customs of the Pasto people and some curious facts about the metropolis. Some important ones are:

• The Pasto are friendly people and welcome visitors very well
• The Pasto culture is very beautiful and they have many traditions
• The architecture of its temples is unique, it has more than 20 temples with colonial and baroque architecture
• Pasto is one of the oldest cities in Colombia
• In Pasto they bury their dead with their belongings
• In Pasto you can find elaborate traditional handicrafts everywhere
• The Carnival of Blacks and Whites is the most fun in southern Colombia

Being one of the important cities in Colombia, Pasto is a center of commerce for gastronomy, so one of many essential things to do is eat in areas such as in the historic center by the San Felipe Church and to the north by the University of Nariño, which are the favorites of foodies. You will find the best restaurants and bars for all tastes, budgets and perfect to try some of the local specialties such as paila ice cream, hornado, Nariñense tamale, juanesca, guinea pig, fried pastuso, fried trout, chilacuan, the quimbolitos, the boiled pineapple, the locro, and the corn poliada; Some recommended restaurants are Pueblito Viejo restaurant, La Merced restaurant, El Establo restaurant, Migrante restaurant and Diyon Crepes.

As for lodging, if you want to stay in one of the most exclusive and safe areas of Pasto, we recommend you in the City Center, which is where the historic center is located, and also in the north by the Pandiaco Cultural Center, that is where the most recommended famous hotels in Pasto are, such as the Hotel V1501, Villaviciosa Hotel Boutique, Urbano Luxury Hotel, and the Hotel San Blass Boutique.

Pasto is without a doubt a city in Colombia with a wide range of beautiful and picturesque places both inside and around it; since Nariño also houses a lot of nature, history, gastronomy, and buildings worth visiting.

So if you are looking for what to do in Pasto today or if you want to stay more days to get to know the culture and enjoy this beautiful destination, we bring you a list with more things to see and do in Pasto:

• Go up to Laguna de la Bolsa
• Getting to know the Historic Center
• Learn about the religious architecture of Pasto and Ipiales
• Do a coffee tour in Buesaco
• Hike up the Cumbal Volcano
• Kayaking in Laguna de la Cocha
• Bathe in the hot springs in Sibundoy
• Hiking with bird watching on Corota Island
• Meet an emerald in the Andes
• Venture into the Amazon
• Pray in the Basilica to Our Lady of the Rosary in Sandoná
• Go to the End of the World Falls
• Walk through the natural reserves of La Planada, Ñambí, and the Ramsar Wetland