CITIES

IMPORTANT CITIES 

Nariño has 64 cities, but, just 3 of these are realy important, these cities are:

San Juan de Pasto (Capital):

Pasto, the capital city, is situated on the valley of Atriz at the foot of Galeras volcano. It was founded by Lorenzo de Aldana in 1536.

Pasto has about 400,000 inhabitants. It is a picturesque city. Its narrow streets and colonial-style houses, its museums of contemporary, colonial, and pre-Colombian art, its craft centers, its churches and monuments make Pasto a great tourist attraction.

At the beginning of every year, the famous Carnival of Blacks and Whites takes place in this city and is attended by thousands of people from all over the country. 

Ipiales:

Ipiales is located near the border with Ecuador, has an elevation of about 2950 m. Ipiales is located on the high plateau called "Tuquerres e Ipiales," the city lies at a distance of 82 km from Pasto, the department's capital." The municipality's main attraction is the impressive architecture of the Las Lajas Cathedral. Ipiales is known as "la ciudad de las nubes verdes" (the city of the green clouds) because some times, especially in the afternoon, green clouds appear over the city. The economy of this city is based on trade between Ecuador and Colombia. 

Tumaco:

Tumaco is a port city in the Pacific Ocean. It is located on the southwestern of Colombia, near to border with Ecuador, and enjoys of hot tropical climate. Tumaco is inhabited mainly by Afro-Colombians and some indigenous people.

Tumaco is accessible by plane, from the western city of. It can also be reached by land via highway from the city of Pasto, capital of Nariño Department. Tumaco is known for being.

Other places of interest include untapped ecotourism and beaches located near the mouth of the Mira River, where the river meets the sea. Or the Playas de Milagros (beaches of Miracles), and Bocananueva y Teran beaches, where visitors can experience great diversity of flora and fauna first hand.