It would be nearly impossible to visit downtown Popayan without getting a look at the lovely Parque Caldas.
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The park, located in the very center of downtown Popayan, “gathers and brings together the entire history of the city,” said Culture and Tourism Coordinator of Popyan, Jose Reinaldo Munoz.
The square was created for the city’s fourth centennial and is surrounded by some of Popayan’s most visited and famously white buildings, including the Our Lady Basilica and the mansions of both the mayor and governor.
The park’s central feature is a statue of Colombian revolutionary hero Francisco Jose de Caldas which vendors surround selling candy, cigarettes, ice cream and fresh juice.
During the day, the whiteness of the buildings is complemented by the parks beautiful floral gardens and at night the adjacent buildings are lit up in a rainbow of colors from strategically placed lights in the sidewalk.
At lunchtime the park is full of government bureaucrats from the surrounding offices but in the evenings local youth invade the park to play music, chat and smoke cigarettes.
Due to the high profile occupants surrounding the park, it is a very secure location and a great place for tourists to stop for lunch or for a rest between visiting one of Popayan’s many churches and museums.