Straddling the valleys between two spurs of the Colombian Andes, Popayan is a pretty place of brilliant-white façades and grand colonial-era building work. The Andalusian-esque look of it all has given it the nickname of La Ciudad Blanca, and while it doesn't attract the same crowds as some of Colombia's other Spanish-born towns, there's oodles in the town to catch the eye.

Take the Centro district. Strolling here with a Popayan tour guide will take you to the ochre-painted edges of the Iglesia San José, the centuries-old longhouses that line Caldas Park (the main plaza), and the Anglo-style Torre del Reloj. Overshadowing them all is the cotton-tinted urban cathedral, sporting a great dome right next to a plaza that gets packed with revelers and processions every year for the iconic Semana Santa Easter festival.

There are endless adventures to be had in the surrounding countryside as well. The summit of Volcan Purace offers mountaineers a peak of 4,750 meters. There are hot springs and thermal baths set in cascading jungles. There are age-old villages that can trace their origin to long before the arrival of the Spanish in South America.