Iglesia La Ermita

Popayán


Constructed in 1546, Popayán's oldest church is well worth seeing for its fine main retable and the fragments of old frescoes, which were only discovered after the 1983 earthquake.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Popayán attractions

1. Universidad del Cauca

0.15 MILES

The central seat of this public university is in a magnificent old colonial mansion that non-students may only admire from the outside.

2. Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Religioso

0.18 MILES

You don't have to be an expert on religious art to be impressed by this collection of paintings, statues, altar pieces, silverware and liturgical vessels,…

3. Museo de Historia Natural

0.23 MILES

One of the best of its kind in the country, this museum on the grounds of Universidad del Cauca is noted for its extensive collection of insects,…

4. Capilla de Belén

0.24 MILES

This chapel on a hill just east of the city center offers fine views over the town.

5. Casa Museo Mosquera

0.24 MILES

This interesting museum is housed in an 18th-century mansion that was once home to General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, who was Colombia's president on…

6. Museo Guillermo Valencia

0.27 MILES

This late 18th-century building is full of period furniture, paintings, old photos and documents that once belonged to the Popayán-born poet who lived…

7. Catedral

0.28 MILES

The youngest church in Popayán's center, this neoclassical cathedral was built between 1859 and 1906 on the site of a previous cathedral, which had been…

8. Puente del Humilladero

0.35 MILES

Popayán's emblematic landmark, this 240m-long, 11-arch brick bridge was constructed in the mid-19th century to improve access to the center from the poor…