6 Best Sights in Southwest Colombia, 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.

Tropical trees shade this large park on the Río Cali's north bank. The modern buildings to the west house municipal offices and are collectively known as the CAM, a term also used by locals to identify the park.

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.

In the middle of this shady square is a statue of Joaquín Caicedo y Cuero, the 18th-century patriot who liberated Cali from the Spanish.

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