Colombia: Popayan
Popayan is a true jewel of the Colombian colonial towns and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Popayan is known as “the white city” since most of its perfectly-preserved colonial architecture is painted snow-white, including multiple churches, palaces, and mansions. The town existed since pre-Hispanic times, but truly grew and developed once the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the early 16th century. Popayan was perhaps the most important center between Lima in Peru and Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, since most of the Inca gold was transferred through here and often melted into coins. The town is fairly small with the historic center consisting of just a few perfectly grid-aligned cobblestone streets lined up with beautiful colonial architecture. San Francisco is the largest church on the Parque Caldas central square, while La Ermita Church is the oldest.
