4 Best Sights in Popayán, Southwest Colombia

This 18th-century Jesuit church, painted a bright yellow, is one of Popayán's most distinctive structures. Unfortunately, it's open only for masses.

After an earthquake destroyed the original chapel, the Dominicans built this baroque-style church in 1741. It's notable for the stonework around its doorway, which depicts exotic flowers and animals, and for the silver Virgin Mary behind its altar, brought from Spain in 1588. A former monastery next door now houses the regional university.

Shaded by tall palms, this square is often called Plaza Caldas, after Francisco José de Caldas, the independence fighter whose statue is here. The city's cathedral, completed in 1906, is to the south; to the east is the 18th-century clock tower.

The long brick bridge spanning the Río Molino was built at the end of the 18th century, as was the smaller span nearby.