Purace National Natural Park is a scenic national park with lovely and varied landscapes in the Colombian Andes about an 1 and a half hours outside the city of Popayan Colombia. Purace means “mountain of fire” in the indigenous language as it is in a volcanic region with an active volcano and many thermal sulphur streams.
The ride
The park is about 1 & 1/2 hours from Popayan by car or 2 hours by bus. Its a beautiful ride and you pass through two small towns to get there. On the ride you can see the smoke coming out of Purace Volcano in the distance.
There are large tundra grasslands dotted with cactus.
Condor sightseeing
There is a stop to see a condor viewing site, its right off the highway and a 10 minute walk up a hiking path. They leave decomposing meat on the rock to attract the condors which can smell the meat from miles away.
Purace Park- San Jose Sector
Before entering the park you stop at the cabin to register and have the park ranger tell you about the area, its history and the animals. The area is known for bears, pumas, monkeys, thousands of varieties birds and hundreds of types of orchids.
Then its through the gate and onto the trail leading into the park
There is a stone trail with bridges leading around the the park which takes about 1 hour to do a loop back.
There are sulphur streams, boiling lagoons and streams mixed with both natural water and sulphur streams which gives them a beautiful blue color.
Purace Waterfall
Along the side of the highway there is a hidden waterfall. You can not see it from the road, you need to follow a path down a from the highway for about 1 minute.
Watering Hole
On the side of the highway is a watering hole that animals come to use. I cant promise there will be any animals, buts its a cute place to stop at and hopefully one will wander by.
Lunch
On the way back there are a few small places to stop for food, with my tour we had a choice of steak, chicken or trout with soup (Sancocho soup) rice and a little salad.
Then the hour ride back through the mountains to Popayan
Hiking the Volcano
For those who want to take the challenge, there are hikes to the Volcano (when its not too active- so check). Its an early morning 6 hour strenuous hike up the mouth of the volcano and then a three hour hike back down.
Coconuco Thermal Baths
Near the park are the Coconuco thermal baths. I would recommend doing this on another day so you can relax here but if you are on a tight schedule and have a private driver, this would be a great spot to relax after the park before you go back to town. There are also bike tours to here. For more information on the baths see Coconuco Baths
Conclusion
Purace was the highlight of my trip to Popayan. A definite must do if you make it to the area. Gorgeous and diverse landscapes, well run and accessible park with a number of nice sites.
For a good tour company, check Popayan Travels www.popayantravels.com . I did a solo trip with my driver. Picked up from the hotel at 8am, back at 4pm which was COP 570,00. If you join a tour it will be cheaper although with the private driver I was able to get to the sites earlier so have them to myself before the tour groups arrive.
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